Columbia University Libraries Digital Collections: The Real Estate Record

Real estate record and builders' guide: [v. 98, no. 2536: Articles]: October 21, 1916

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REAL ESTATE AND NEW YORK, OCTOBER 21, 1916 ASH AND TRADE WASTE SHOULD BE REMOVED BY THE CITY AUTHORITIES TTHE question of trade waste and ash •^ removal from office and other busi¬ ness buildings is one of the important problems now before the real estate community. Aside from the great incon¬ venience to which building managers and owners are placed, the question of the health of the community is one which must be considered. It is claimed by many, and with some justice, that private individuals should not be put to the ex¬ tra expense of having this waste removed and that it is the clear duty of the city to do it. To be sure there is a Jaw which gives the Commissioner power to decline to remove this class of waste from these structures, but he can also decline to re¬ move this waste from any building in the city. At the present time ashes and waste, as well as garbage is being removed from tenement houses and dwellings, and this form of discrimination has aroused a protest. It is claimed that it is per¬ fectly proper that this refuse be removed from the residential class of buildings, but the service should be extended so that all classes of buildines be included, except possibly those which derive a direct benefit from selling heat and power. B. E. Martin, president of the New York Building Managers Association, said this week: "Commissioner Fetherston's article in the Record and Guide of October 14, is indeed a full report, and undoubtedly covers the matter thorou.ghly. How¬ ever, I disagree with him in a few points and would like to offer son-.e few suggestions, which matters I will take up in turn as paragraphed in his state¬ ment: Paragraph 1: Discrimination: "I ad¬ mit that the law does not require the department to remove ashes and waste, but believe that it should for reasons as stated many times: "First—As a protection to public health. "Second—As a unit of service which serves all. This to apply to buildings excepting public service corporations and certain factories that have ashes as a residue of a large prooortion of their profit. If the State does not believe in the removing: of ashes waste, etc., its funtion, then I a.gree with the Commis¬ sioner's suggestion that some plan be devised 'whereby each person pays an amount in proportion to the amount of material removed,' tlius treating all alike. I believe the carting of this ma¬ terial would be done more efficiently and economically by outside contractors, as the removal of same from the dumps is handled today. The Street Cleaning Department has ample duties to cover if the streets of the citv are properly cleaned. Again the equipment of the Street Cleaning Department makes the work costl}'. Paragraph 2: Early History: "'Later on the Commissioners finding that the private cart owners were giving inade¬ quate service and charging- excessive prices, demanded the collection of waste, etc., by the inunicipality.' This could be overcome as suggested, bv the city au¬ thorities making the contracts and sup¬ erintending the work, as they do with the barges at the present time. As a matter of fact, when referrine to cost would state that many private individ¬ uals are unnecessarily paving twice for the service which the citv is rendering today. I hold no brief for the people who are responsible for this condition. In my opinion the one who gives is as guilty as the one who receives. 1 ain concerned as a taxpayer in knowing that 1 am forced to pay a share towards dis¬ criminatory work and perhaps dishonest work. Paragraph 3: 1,200 Permits Issued: "Office building owners claim that the discrimination was arbitrary until very recently, as some office buildings re¬ ceived this service as against others. We also believe the discrimination be¬ tween office buildings and apartment liouses is rather arbitrary for the rea¬ son that ashes is a residue of the same unit in both cases. First-heating; sec¬ ond-elevating. We admit that botli services are rendered at a profit, but do not admit the fairness of the line drawn. Paragraph 4: Bearine on the Problem: " 'Shall the city collect and dispose of all classes of waste on the ground that tlie payment of this service comes from general taxation?' As to ashes only, we say yes, with the exception of removing same from public service corporations, and certain factory buildings. Paragraph 5: Taxes and Service: "This, of course, covers tlie state¬ ment regarding the N. Y. Edison Co. and the N. Y. Steam Co. and similar power plants. As the Commissioner states, undoubtedly all those who sell steam or electric power, figure the cost of ash disposal, etc., in the price charged the consumer, therefore, I do not be¬ lieve it fair to ask the authorities to re¬ move such ashes. The same applies to department stores, etc., regarding their waste collection, such as boxes, packing cases, barrels, etc. The Commissioner speaks of the possibility of the Depart¬ ment being called on to remove con¬ structions waste, cellar excavations, condemned buildings, etc. This possibly has been done through favors granted by the driver or captains in the district who we know have been granting all kinds of special favors at the expense of the tax budget and undoubtedly to their profit. "The preservation of the health of the community requires that all waste materials which directly or indirectly affect health shall be removed from the streets at public expense." Garbage and rubbish from households may contain bacteria dangerous to heallli, this I agree to. I believe there is more fjactcria and danger to health caused liy wliat is known as trimming at the dumps, where all debris which the con¬ tractor desires to select (usually filthy rags, bottles, etc., notwithstanding their sources) are selected and returned to places in New York City for clean¬ ing. Of all evils I believe this is one of the most glaring and sliould be pro- hiliited by the Board of Health at once, mucli disease results from this source. Commissioner Fetherston states that steam ashes, etc., are frequently a source of revenue, if this is true I wonder what consideration the con¬ tractors give the city in return for ashes. "I am. advised that the only steam ashes that can be used for sidewalk concrete and building construction are absolutely clean ashes which are usually delivered direct from factory to barge by Public Service Corporations, such as the N. Y. Edison Co., Gas Co., Steam Co., or from other large manufacturers along the river front. This supply, I be¬ lieve, is more than ample for the pur¬ pose mentioned. Supposing the people should dump their refuse in the street It would be interesting to know if the Board of Health would compel the authorities or the owners of adjacent property to remove same. In accordance with my understanding the authorities are compelled by the Board of Health to maintain sanitary streets. It would seem that recently instead of relieving the situation there was a move made to aggravate same, when it was suggested that the private contractors pay for dumping on the city scows. This meant that the now unjustly taxed owner would be compelled to add to his burden. This matter was referred by the Board of Estimate to a special com¬ mittee which resulted in its defeat, therefore, at the present time outside contractors are allowed to dump ashes free at the city dumps. "Since January 1, 1916, a newly organ¬ ized trade waste force (four inspectors) have been actively engaged in getting information regarding waste removal, etc., yet no result of their investi¬ gation is given in the report. We do not believe the Street Cleaning Department should increase its service for this work, but should maintain ample service for cleaning streets only, then perhaps we would not have the spasmodic cry of cleanup which occurs- so often when an epidemic arrives. This cleaning is usually too late to be effective. "Tlie controversy between property holders and the city regarding this mat¬ ter is not of recent origin but notwith¬ standing the fact tliat some hold that it is not the citv's function to remove ashes, I still maintain that it is one of the most useful and beneficial units the city could offer citizens, a vast majority of whom I believe would support this contention. Inconsistency is the hid¬ den motto of many of our laws, court decisions, and department processes. Ibis whole question should be solved on an intelligent basis of final economy. If the taxpayers could, through a central department, dispose of all garbage, ashes, rubbish and even trade waste to lietter advantage than by handling it through the city, such arrangement I be¬ lieve could readily be made with some of the public contractors today thus causing an enormous saving to the tax¬ payers and avoiding the temptation of graft, etc. "Undoubtedly one of the reasons for the city's excessive cost for ash removal is caused by lack of proper equipment and management, much saving could be made by using large trucks and doing less separating of household waste material. .\t the present time I believe three trucks are necessary to reir.ove house- liold waste as follows: Truck No. 1, aslies: truck No. 2, gai;bage; truck No. 3, paper boxes, waste, etc. "Great economy can be effected by mixing some of this waste, for instance, waste and garbage might possibly be hauled by one truck, and all sent to an incinerating plant. Some might say that liy mixing other matter with the garb¬ age that the contractor would not allovir tlie city any return, as a matter of facf, all the citv has received for garbage de- (Continued on page 559.)