The New York herald., 1870-01-06
THE STREETS.
Annual Report ofthe Street Cleaning Con-
tractor-The Causes Of Dirty Streets
and the Cure-One Million
Dollars Wanted to Do
the Work.

The superintendent In charge OF the cleaning OF
the Streets under The direction Of the contractor,
has made his report Of the work done the con-
tract during the past year. The contractor, Mr.. j.
L. Brown, yesterday transmitted the report TO the
commissioners having ccntrol IN the premises. Inc
principal points or interest in the report viii be
iouno IN the following digest
Durlng the past year our work has been, in every
particular, largely ia excess OF tnat vi any p evious
onc attributable mainly to two causes. Fir-s, 10
The natural increase In the p0pulat,on the city
and second, 10 the large amount OF excavating aud
the consequent carinX Of sand, &c, from part
of the city TO another. In dong our work we
have been, and now are, subjected to great
ulsudylniares and largely 1ncreaseI expense m
consequence OF there being an insuniciency OF
gu!af dumping boards provided for US by the city.
Health, prohibiting our dumping low ground
and sunkea lots. aggravates the difficulty nccessi-
tatn2 our cartinX the stun IN some three
miles 10 regular dumping board. The saaD'e
manure saved by US from Inc sweepi1gs duriug the
past season mas Ocen much less tnan asuai on
count or the iarye amount OIL sand on Lie streets,
wn.cn. when mixed with the dlrt readers lL WORTH
less ~ manuie. There Is prevaiing belief that
THIS manure Is u source oI considerable
profit, anL that the amounC we pay tue
city Tor II IL but traction OF what we reaze from
tOta! sales from May /. which ial short Of che
amount We pay ior II oy nearly s7.oJ. lhe loss Tor
tue luil year VIII probably eAcced $1,000. II Tie
srecis have not been Kept as cieany was de.
slrcd 1t has been from causes beyond our control,
or nom The lnadequacy OF the contract to
citlzenS, winch nave been iewn naye received
pro.npt attention, anu where possioie immediate
correction bat by lar the greatest number OF
pants, boLn from cILlzens and by INC
press, are sach as can.ot oc remedied by
Us under the existing contract. in ccnse-
quelcc VI m,sunderstanG ing the great masses
vi tue pc0pe are impressed with the be- cf
tnat tDe contractor ID tlie less Than swnder tall
the iaitnim execution Of the cotract is a secondary
con llefution TO THAT OF making money; tnaI oro-
VISIONS ale never complied wan or attempted oe,
ald tnat he Icalizes enormous profits yeary by tn
n
Ulsluc5s men believe tnal the money pa q for uui ~
the WORK. II properly aud faithfully expended. IS
enough TO secure perfectly clean streets. and
uilord liberal profits Deslue / need only saw 10
you that these impressions .se IN every
particular IMAM tncy are uajuss ana oscourag.ng;
Tor Know iiiAG since the assumption OF the WORK
byyou IN May last your intentions ana endeayors
have been 10 DO your 1ui duty according To The
teris vi tnc contract, ana as 10 profits accru.
irom the wora, the statement previously referred to
VII snO tilus tuey are smaller tnan wouh be real
ized IN any otner legitimate business OF the same
magnitude and responsibility. WHAT Lneu,
consider absolute necessary TO produc. s,Is-
tam satisfactory state VI cleanliness that all tue
streets below Canai rom the NOrri toe East
rivers be thoroughly swept and cleaned every day
except sundays; the streets lr0n Canal 10 Four
teenLn street. with an the lnpOrtanL avenues 70
FIFTY nintn three tunes week und tue rest of
the streets, from Fourteenth TO FLty-nintn streets,
twice week, those above Fiiiy-nln,h street
once week, when not prevented Dy lrost.
snow or severe ram storms. some provision
should be made Tor increased compensation
whenever the paved surface to swept Lie upper
LenL IL would greatly facilitate tue execution OF
The work ana contrioute more "a sfaCL0ry result
II the pacing out ui ashes and garbaxe was re-
stricted 70 certain hours prouiblL all persons
lrOm putting anything out after that time. IL
srable, Also That citizens sDOuu be compelled
keep the asnes separate from tue garbage ana the
other art aud put each out IN separate vessels. II
these amendments, with perhaps u few 0tnsr5n
were made To the present contract, ana power
given TO the contractor To correct the abuses before
mentioned, there rs no doubt that New iork would
be u model city In point 0I cleanliness and
tile sanitary OniltlOn OF streets. For your intur-
ulaton h9ve calculated as accurately ~ possible
the cost oil dong this additional work the manner
Suggested, ani nnd that the sweeping alone would
cost $l5GO00 and the extra expenses OF cartng
sequent on THIS more frequent cleaning would
amount to $4,000 more, making the net cost OF
dong this additional work exclusive Of prOftsD
about s3o0,0O0 nave maze no allusion to or Cal
cuiation Tor the removal Of snow III the winter
Whatever expense be incurred on that account
wolld be additional 10 the sum named. IL seems
Indispensable to the maintenance Of PERFECTLY
Satisfactory state OF cleanliness aud proper san-
tary condition OF the city that $lt0J 00O should
appropriated and spent for doing this WORK. Mucl
less than that amount Will only partially secure the
dasrod result.