[Report 1923] / Medical Officer of Health, Brighouse Borough.

  • Brighouse (England). Council. nb2008024084.
Date:
1923
Catalogue details

Licence: Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)

Credit: [Report 1923] / Medical Officer of Health, Brighouse Borough. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    37/48 (page 35)
    would largely account for the difference. Another factor in the reduction was the introduction of the new scale for Trade Refuse collection, and the resumption by the Salvation Army of paper collec- tion from tradesmen. The amount collected during the current year may therefore be taken as a normal average. There has been a considerable increase hi the number of dustbins in use. The practice of collecting separately from dustbins and ashpits, which was instituted last year, has been continued, and the cost of collection (manual and team labour only) kept separate. The cost per ton from dustbins is 6/7J, and from ashpits 4/8J, the average number of loads per cart per day being 3.68 and 5.4 respectively. Dustbins represent an average of 44 per load, and ashpits 3.6 per load. Although collection is cheaper from ashpits, these cause considerable nuisance owing to the refuse being blown about, and it is desirable to substitute dustbins wherever practicable for ashpits. An interesting feature which has a bearing on the lelative costs of dustbins and ashpits is that whilst 46% of houses have dustbins and 54% ashpits, the percentage of cost is 45% and 55% respectively, but the amount of refuse collected is 37% and 63% respectively. Thus the houses with dustbins produce less refuse than those with ashpits, and although costing more per ton. cost practically the same per house. With a view to minimising the nuisance occurring ha the loading of carts, two new carts have recently been purchased. These are fitted with experimental covers, and have a larger capacity and lower loading line than those displaced. The question of introducing mechanical vehicles has been con- sidered on several occasions, and whilst the low average number of loads collected from dustbins would appear to indicate the practica- bility of adopting mechanical transport, there are many other factors to be considered, such as reduction in team labour costs, variation in the situation of tips and their unsuitability for mechanical vehicles, the irregular and changing distribution of dustbins, steep gradients, inaccessibility of courts to large vehicles, etc. When dustbins become more general and disposal is definitely concentrated at one point, it will be possible to review the whole position, with a prospect of advising more satisfactorily on the question. The proportion of galvanised pails to wooden tubs is rapidly becoming more favourable, the numbers now being—pails 75%, tubs 25%, as compared with 53% pails, and 47% tubs the previous year. The effect of conversions on cleansing costs is difficult to estimate during the progress of the scheme, but certain factors can be ascer- tained fairly accurately. One van has been practically eliminated