COMPARATIVE EXPENSE OF CLEANING AND WATERING THE STREETS, &C., OF
ST. JAMES’S PARISH; under the system now in operation by the Paving
Board, and under the sanitary system of employing street-orderlies, as
recommended by 779 ratepayers. It is assumed, from reasonable data,
that the superficial contents of all the streets, lanes, courts, and
alleys in the parish, do not amount to more than 80,000 square yards.
“_Present Annual Expense of Cleansing St. James’s Parish_:--
Paid to contractor for carrying away slop,
including expense of brooms £800 0 0
Paid to 23 men, average wages, 10_s._ per
week, 52 weeks 598 0 0
-----------
£1398 0 0
“_Annual Expense of Street-Orderly System_:--
30 men (including those with
hand-barrows), at 10_s._ per week,
52 weeks £780 0 0
Expense of brooms 30 0 0
Cartage of slop 100 0 0
----------- £910 0 0
-----------
£488 0 0
Saving by diminished expense of street-watering
throughout the parish 450 0 0
-----------
Annual prospective saving £938 0 0
“Obs.--The sum of 800_l._ per annum was paid to the contractor on
account of expenses incurred for the removal of slop. During the three
years previous to 1849, the contractor paid money to the parish for
permission to remove the house-ashes, the value of which was then
2_s._ per load; it is now 2_s._ 6_d._ In St. Giles’s and St. George’s
parishes, whose surface is more than twice the extent of St. James’s,
the expense of slop-cartage, in 1850, was 304_l._ 14_s._ 0_d._, whilst
the sum received for cattle-manure collected by street-orderlies,
was 73_l._ 14_s._ 0_d._; and the slop-expenses for the four months
ending November 29, were 59_l._ 18_s._ 6_d._, whilst the manure sold
for 21_l._ 6_s._ 0_d._ Thus has the slop-expense in these extensive
united parishes been reduced to less than 120_l._ per annum. Since the
preceding estimate was submitted to the Commissioners of Paving, the
street-orderly system has been introduced into St. James’s parish; and
it is confidently expected that the ‘Annual Prospective saving’ of
938_l._, will be fully realised.”
A similar estimate has just been sent into the authorities of the great
parish of St. Marylebone, but its results do not differ from the one I
have just cited.
I next present an estimate contrasting the expense of the
street-orderly method with the cost of employing sweeping-machines:--
“COMPARATIVE EXPENSE OF CLEANSING AND WATERING THE STREETS, &C., OF
ST. MARTIN’S PARISH, under the system now in operation by the Paving
Board, and under the sanatory system of employing street-orderlies, as
recommended by 703 ratepayers. It is assumed, from reasonable data,
that the superficial contents of all the streets, lanes, courts, and
alleys in the parish, amount to about 70,000 square yards.
“_Expenses by Machinery in St. Martin’s Parish._
£ _s._ _d._
Annual payment to street-machine proprietor 980 0 0
Watering rate (1847) 644 16 8-1/2
Salaries to clerks 391 0 0
Support of 28 able-bodied men in workhouse,
thrown out of work, at 4_s._ 6_d._ per man 327 12 0
-------------------
£2343 8 8-1/2
“_Expenditure by the Employment of Street-Orderlies._
£ _s._ _d._
Maintenance of 28 street-orderlies to keep clean
70,000 yards (presumed contents), at 2500 yards
each man, at 12_s._ per week 768 0 0
Two inspectors of orderlies, at 15_s._ per week 78 0 0
One superintendent of ditto, at 1_l._ per week 52 0 0
Wear and tear of brooms 36 8 0
Interest on outlay for barrows, brooms, and shovels 26 19 0
Watering rate (not required) .. .. ..
Value of manure pays for cartage .. .. ..
-----------------
961 7 0
Annual saving by street-orderlies 1382 1 8-1/2
------------------
2343 8 8-1/2
I now give an estimate concerning a smaller district, _one of the
divisions of St. Pancras parish_. It was embodied in a Report read
at a meeting in Camden-town, on the desirableness of introducing the
street-orderly system:--
The Report set forth that the Committee had “made a minute
investigation into the present systems of street-cleansing, as adopted
under the superintendence of Mr. Bird, the parish surveyor, and under
that of the National Philanthropic Association.
“From the 26th of March, 1848, to the 26th of March, 1849, the
_Directors of the Poor expended in paving and cleansing, &c., the
three and a quarter miles under their charge_, 3545_l._ 19_s._ 7_d._;
of this the following items were for cleansing, viz.--
£ _s._ _d._
Labour 249 13 0
Tools 10 12 0
Slop carting 496 0 0
Proportion of foreman’s salary 39 0 0
---------------
795 5 0
“_The street-orderly system of cleansing_ the said roads in the most
efficient manner would give the following expenditure per annum:--
£ _s._ _d._
Thirty-four men to cleanse 3-1/4 miles, at the
rate of 2000 superficial yards each man, 12_s._
per week each 1060 16 0
Two inspectors of orderlies, at 15_s._ per week
each 78 0 0
Superintendent 104 0 0
Cost of brooms, shovels, &c. 83 0 0
No allowance for slop-carting, the National
Philanthropic Association holding that the
manure, properly collected, will more than
pay for its removal .. .. ..
----------------
1325 16 0
Deduct cost of cleansing by the old mode 795 5 0
----------------
530 11 0
“The apparent extra cost, therefore, would be 530_l._ 11_s._ The
vestry, however, would see that the charge for supporting 34
able-bodied men in the workhouse is at least 5_s._ per week each, or
442_l._ per annum. This, therefore, must be deducted from the 530_l._
11_s._, leaving the extra cost 88_l._ 11_s._ per annum. This sum, the
committee were assured, will be not only repaid by the reduced outlay
for repairs, which the new system will effect; but a very great saving
will be the result of the thorough cleansed state in which the roads
will be constantly maintained. Under the late system, to find the
roads in a cleansed state was the exception, not the rule; and when
all the advantages likely to result from the new system were taken
into consideration, the committee did not hesitate to recommend it for
adoption in its most efficient form.”
Concerning the _expense of cleansing the City by the street-orderly
system_, Mr. Cochrane says:--
“The number required for the whole surface (including the footways,
courts, &c.) would be about 250 men and boys.
“Upon the present system this number would be formed in three
divisions:--
“First division.--170 to begin work at 6 a.m., and end 6 p.m. Second
division, called relief and aids.--30 boys from 12 at noon to 10.
Third division--50 men from 6 p.m. to 6 a.m. Total, 250.
“The men and boys are now working at from 6_s._ to 12_s._ per week.
These 250 men and boys would cost for wages during the
year about £5100
Twelve foremen, at 40_l._ per annum 480
Two superintendents at 50_l._ each 100
Brooms, &c. 325
Barrows 100
Two clerks, at 100_l._ each 200
Manager 100
-----
£6405
“No items are given for slopping or cartage, as, if the streets are
properly attended to, there ought to be no slop, whilst the value of
the manure may be more than equivalent for the expense of its removal.
“Some slop-carts will, however, be occasionally required for
Smithfield-market and similar localities; making, therefore,
ample allowance for contingencies, it is confidently considered
that the expense for cleansing the whole of the city of London by
street-orderlies would not exceed 8000_l._ per annum.”
“_Expenses of Cleansing and Watering the Streets, &c., of the City
of London, on the old system of Scavaging, from June, 1845, to June,
1846._
Annual
Expense.
To scavaging contractors £6040
Value of ashes and dust of the city of London, given
gratis to the above contractors in the year ending
1846, and now purchased by them for the year ending
1847 5500
Estimated contributions levied for watering streets 4000
Salaries to surveyors, inspectors, beadles, clerks,
&c., of Sewers’ Office, according to printed account,
March 3, 1846 2485
Expense for cleaning out sewers and gully-holes
(not known)
-------
Annual expense under the imperfect system of
street-cleansing £18,025
“Number of men employed, 58.
“State of the Streets:--Inhabitants always complaining of their being
muddy in winter and dusty in summer.”
Two estimates, then, show an expectation of a yearly saving of no less
than 2320_l._ to the rate-payers of two parishes alone; 938_l._ to St.
James’s, and 1382_l._ to St. Martin’s. And this, too, if all that be
augured of this system be realized, with a freedom from street dust
and dirt unknown under other methods of scavagery. I think it right,
however, to express my opinion that even in the reasonable prospect
of these great savings being effected, it is a paltry, or rather a
false, because miscalled, economy to speculate on the payment of
10_s._ and 12_s._ a week to street-labourers in the parishes of St.
James and St. Martin respectively, when so many of the contractors pay
their men 16_s._ weekly. If this low hire be justifiable in the way
of an experiment, it can never be justifiable as a continuance of the
_reward_ of labour.
If the street-orderly system is to be the means of _permanently_
reducing the wages of the regular scavagers from 16_s._ to 12_s._ a
week, then we had better remain afflicted with the physical dirt of our
streets, than the moral filth which is sure to proceed from the poverty
of our people--but if it is to be a means of elevating the pauper
to the dignity of the independent labour, rather than dragging the
independent labourer down to the debasement of the pauper, then let all
who wish well to their fellows encourage it as heartily and strenuously
as they can--otherwise the sooner it is denounced as an insidious mode
of defrauding the poor of one-fourth of their earnings the better; and
it is merely in the belief that Mr. Cochrane and the Council of the
Association _mean_ to keep faith with the public and increase the men’s
wages to those of the regular trade, that the street-orderly system
is advocated here. If our philanthropists are to reduce wages 25 per
cent., then, indeed, the poor man may cry, “_save me from my friends_.”
As to the positive and definite working of the street-orderly system
as an _economical_ system, no information can be given beyond
the estimates I have cited, as it has never been duly tested on
a sufficiently large scale. Its working has been, of necessity,
desultory. It has, however, been introduced into St. George’s,
Bloomsbury; St. James’s, Westminster; and is about to be established in
St. Martin’s-in-the-Fields; and in the course of a year or two it seems
that it will be sufficiently tested. That its working has hitherto
been desultory is a necessity in London, where “vested interests” look
grimly on any change or even any inquiry. That it deserves a full and
liberal testing seems undeniable, from the concurrent assent of all
parishioners who have turned their attention to it.
It remains to show the expenses of the Philanthropic Association, for
I am unable to present an account of street-orderlyism separately. The
two following tables fully indicate to what an extent the association
is indebted to the private purse of Mr. Cochrane, who by this time has
advanced between 6000_l._ and 7000_l._
“BALANCE SHEET.
_Receipts and Expenditure of the National Philanthropic Association,
for the Promotion of Social and Sanatory Improvements and the
Employment of the Poor, from 29th September, 1846, to 29th September,
1849._
DR. £ _s._ _d._
To subscriptions and donations from the 29th
September, 1846, to 29th September, 1849 1393 16 7
Balance due to president, 29th September,
1849 5739 19 9
-------------
7133 16 4
CR. £ _s._ _d._
By balance due to president, as per Balance
Sheet, Sept. 29, 1846 2935 17 9
Secretary’s salary 300 0 0
Rent of offices, &c. 248 10 0
Salaries to clerks, messengers, &c. 371 19 4
Do. to collectors 312 18 1
Commission to do. 130 5 6
Printing and stationery 556 17 0
Hire of rooms for public meetings 60 10 0
Advertisements and newspapers 244 5 3
Bill posting 8 12 6
Salaries to persons in charge of free
lavatories in Ham-yard, Great Windmill-st.,
St. James’s 10 18 2
Brooms, barrows, and shovels, for the use of
street-orderlies 86 8 0
Charges of contractors and others for removal
of street slop, &c. 58 9 6
Food, lodging, and wages to street-orderlies,
domiciled in Ham-yard, Great Windmill-street,
St. James’s 980 11 4
Clothing for the street-orderlies 13 3 2
Baths provided for do. 5 15 10
Sundry expenses for offices, including
postage-stamps, &c. 92 7 11
Law expenses 8 10 10
Builder’s charges for free lavatories in
Ham-yard 95 13 10
Amount advanced to the late secretary for
improving the dwellings of the poor 20 0 0
Farther advances made by president on various
occasions for the general purposes of the
Association 592 2 4
--------------
7133 16 4
Audited by us, Oct. 19th, 1849, Charles Shepherd Lenton, 33,
Leicester-square; and Joseph Child, 43, Leicester-square.”