New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1890-12-23
POLITICS MUCH TO BLAME.
WHY NETWORKS STREETS ARE FILTHY
TESTIMONY OF COMMISSIONER BEATTlE BEFORE |

THE FASSETT COMMITTEE.
Hans 5 Beattie the STRENGTHENING Commissioner
exhibited for several hours Yesterday MS extreme
nervousness his Ixurant mn>ttche, ana an amount
~ ignorance regarding the details Of the department
~ which lie has charge not at all surprising when inc
condition Of the streets l. taken mo oohsiuci"''
lie was before the sub committee OF the state 7l''o
Committee and continued giving testimony IN reI'uoi
10 this department at the point where ''e invest
was stopped on Friday last senator D. Sio"'
presided usual. A., .o
Commissioner Bcattie handed in Ilst OF u'c io,'
men and cartmen employed in the department. anu '0
name, Of those from whom horses and carts are ''ii
The dcpartment Dan So 30 day for "a man anu ' -
an the agreement that a certain number Oh Io"uS s
he dumped daily. When the number oil lod"S r' .,
Of IN, amount agreed upon, proporuo"s0 A.,
in thc daily pay was made. Tie polu'" 7'
control Of the department. in so far a. 'ne o"p'
-, MON roes was next gone into. and Mr. Beatte tS'''
fed that il was customary 70 employ men VII"
recommended BY those who took an interest," III po''u
II deveoned later that th, meant principally 'hose VII"
took an interest in the politics OF the ldhldHS '
chine. ,, ,,,. mn,
Wr Rcattie said that he had not employed any men
who were recommended by the Peopes HI""' pa
1o.c,e hnt he thought that he had done so LOT SUM
30 those who were interested in this movement "o
.o,,ro, roouests from the Rev. DR.. HowaN
Coshv and the Rev Father Ducey to give men employ
mont and he had tried to ob!ige them lie MIC"
that neither the Republican nor the county Don'o''"'
Comfy Committees had Influenced nm III m"A''e any
appointments II out after the quesuoh Iau oo i
ated IN q half dozen different ways. that while Tam
many Hall a. an organization did mol INTERFERE VIZ"
the appointments. yet the Commissioner maze Ms 1'
tions from the lists given him by the various diS''
leaders. . ara
The street-sweepng machines which were IN use us.
when he took hold of the department were worn ou'
d practically useless, He had recently ordered some
MAJ DrdCtlt diN
useless on a,pbalt pavement>. Better results on u'
street Tins paved we're attained by hand labor ana
byooms one of the main difficulties when peVeh'cu
the fl cleaning of the streets was the fact d'
the city had never tried 10 put this department uPo'
The same efficient plane that the other city depart
ncnts were lie admitted later in substance that p''
licaI patronage and it, distribution were FreaN re-
.pou,ble for the inefficient management Of the depart
ment
Mr.. WINS here went into the physical condition OF
the employees in this department, ana saiu udl "o
recently saw gang Of street SweepcrS none oil "'ol
seemed able to brush the mud from the stones III
reply to this Mr. Beatr said that they were generally
a pretty robust set of men. The work. TO be sure was
not extremely hard no harder than that of a car
driver.
Charles George Wilson. the president Of the Health
Department. was the next witness. lie was hrN'
asked to explain the duties Of this department a.
connected with the street cleaning.
The duty Of the Health department. he said was
10 see that receptacc> for the collection of garbage
and ashes were kept within the Soop line for removal
by the employees Of the street Cleaning department.
I'VE also investigate complaints from citizens ne
went on, and report 10 the street Cleaning Depart
mIt1
The hours at which the ash were to be put
,ut were not regulated by the Board of Health, he
added in reply 10 a question from senator tae>e''
The Health Department employed forty two sanitary
police. The department dependent upon the polre
pafrl 10 sac thaf the sanitary law We're enforced.
The president OF the Health BoaNi then explained the
details Of the Health Departments work Last wear
1e3.Oj2 Inspections We're made and u these wv"
in answer to complaints. The duty W rehoNI. :
uent Mr.. Wilson explained that the recent
action Of the Health department IN PASSING I"
resolution cOudeMnlAS me h-y t0hd4uOH Oi 'IV ,',r
was the result of the Investigations Of TIE sanlar'
hace i'm the streets In JacksOnVtlle Fla the saryae
was cremated. The machinery for this purpose cost
SIS 900 and its use was much better plan from Il
sanitary point Of view than dumping the garna-c IN I"
inc sea Offers 10 burn the refuse had been made
10 the city. ,. .
first question asked Of him was:
~ If the Mayor was held personally responsive Tor
the dirty streets would IL not be easier 10 get money
enough 10 clean the streets =
To this question the Commissioner made he~l
Eating, but eventually an Affirmative reply i"
been his main excuse for The dirty streets that not
enough money was appropriately fc was neNt ashH.
If the streets could De >at,far iorY cleaned by con- L.
lie thought that they coIlf # Sufficient amount va
paid and q term of ten wears time Guaraite a. II
could do il with the present appropriation. Fl2,'.-"3
for that term lie hired DOW fourteen patented ''o" .
which cost him SIC dav. The department h"d
twenty three scow, but only three Of these arr IN
condition to be sent u sea. .
Tn. committee will adj ourn today until after the
srgallizatiOm Of the Legislature.