Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-08-13

hcpt lOr Inal purpose the names or the
streets and parts of streets, with the linear
rect In measurement of the work ac-
oepted, Whatever portion of the work rs
| not satisfactory the contractor is given no
| credit for -. '. ~ ..
Under our system the contractor has
| nothing to do with informing the superin-
tendent of the amount of work done. That
duty devolves upon the three inspectors
| employed by this department who follow
the machines and carts from the time they
commence the route until 1t is finished,
when they make written report on blanks
prepared for the purpose. TO the superin-
tendent, designating the streets not swept
and those not properly swept and cleaned.
AS soon as possible after sweeping the
superintendent rides over the route him
| self. If he concurs with the inspectors the
contractors account is made out in tripli-
cate, on blanks containing the names of
the streets. with number of square yards
swept After making the necessary re-
auctions for streets not swept not prop
taken up. ETC., these vouchers show the
amount due the contractor. After being
signed by the three inspectors and approved
by the superin tendent two are placed on
file. one for the office and one for the au-
ditor and the third Is sent to the con-
tractor
AT the close of each month an account
Is made out, giving the number of square
yards swept during each day of the month
with total amount due the contractor
ms account, approved and certified by the
superintendent, accompanied by one of the
above vouchers for each route swept then
goes to the District auditor who paws the
contractor the amount found to be due
MINI If the contractor believes he has been
uhJustly dealt with by the superin tendent,
ne may appeal to the Commissioners. | be-
lieVe that this prompt method of determin-
ing the quantity and quality of work per-
formed Is the best. 1t can hardly be dis
puted that the most fitting time to intelli-
gently inspect work is when it is in prog
res3, ana the most proper persons TO fix
compensation for inferior work are those
VINO saw 1t done. and every body must admit
that the system is less liable to error and
comparatively free from opportunities for
wrongdoinS. In this way it is virtually i'm
possible for the contractor to receive pay
Tor work not per formed.
The Paved Alleys.
Next in Importance to sweeping and
cleaning our paved streets comes the work
or taking care of the paved alleys, whose
surface aggregates some 6D0,oOO square
yards. The work has been done By con-
tract for series of years-for the year
ended June 30. 1872 for 20 cents per Loco
square yards; for year ended June 80 1893
for 3 cents. and for fiscal year just ended.
80 1-2 cents. The cause of the jump from
80 cents to SO IL cents may be called one
OF the anomalies of the contract system.
Inc rs l-2 cents bid was the lowest and
that is all there was of it, Some disgruntled
contractors claimed that it was because
TINS department specified the number of
men, horses and carts that It required TO
DO the work. But IL any system of pro-
poSalS can be less objectionable or more.
JUST &c the contractor and the District l
Wish some person would name it. When
the number. or strength of the force re-
quired Is given, the contractor is not asked
TO make g leap in the dark-hc knows what
VIII be required of him and can bid intel
ligently.
But by way of proof against the theory
that to specify Just what you want. when
advertising for proposals. Is wrong be-
cause of its causing high bidding LET me-
add that the contract for sweeping and
cleaning the paved alleys, under precisely
similar specifications and requirements to
those which resulted in the 53 IL cents con-
tract has just been made for " 2-5 cents
per loo square yards for the year ending
June 80 1898.
Our system of cleaning these improved
by-places, which. in many instances. are
USED Tor concealing matter that ordinarily
decent folk would shrink from placing in
more exposed places. Is unequlied in point
of excellence and for the dispatch and reg
ularity with which the work is done.
AS In the street sweeping branch of the
service. 50 in this. IL for any reason the
contractor fails to sweep any portion Of
that route the inspectors note the excep-
tons and the contractor receives no allow
ance for II.
Prevent Disease.
gang is also little understood by the
general public. but it is of Incompatible
value In a sanitary point of view This
gang does more to prevent the spread of
contagious disease. by keeping the hundreds
or pestilentiaf spots of our city in compare
lively good condition. than any agency of
twice Its size and expense that | know Of
They clean 46 of these alleys on the aver
age, once every eight days. the year round,
unless prevented by inclement weather
When 1 further add that these alleys are
not contiguous. but scattered Dromscu-
ously throughout our two cities and that
they aggregate surface Of nearly 275,VD
square yards. the magnitude of the work
performed becomes apparent.
Trees and the Streets.
We have" says this report in this cap
itai city. natural obstacles to strict cleanli-
ness that have no such universal existence
IN any other city on this continent, and yet
we would not consent 20 part with them
for they constitute a prominent feature of
the beauty for which Washington Is So
justly celebrated and our citizens are nat
uraily proud. I refer to- the hundr.5s of
shade trees fringing both borders Of almost
every residence stree; in the city MANY
thoroushfares are skrted by a variety of
Tree that begins its work Of ltterina al
most as soon as its first bud shoots aut
ana continues 1t almost without cessation
until the dry. parching weather of mid
summer. or the frosts of autumn cause the
ieaves TO fall, keeping our streets almost
continually filthy until the last leaf and
broken twig are scraped up and carried
away. Ihese hindrances to street clean
ihess are unavoidable, but this department
mas 10 confront others that should not sxN
Isl, ana, to a large Degree could not II all
persons interested. should DISCHARGE tbsIr
inuiVluuaI duties in the premises
FeinapS the most annoyinp ohs,o,,
So,nes from the almost constant viola tion of
pUiice regulations in the persistence VIII
whlch Too many of our househo,ders stora
keepers and marketmen sweep or thra,,,
refuse matter of all kinds such az oran,
anu panama peelings, scraps of paDer naner
bags ETC., into the streets AS the fTreat
majority OF our streets and avenues ara
swept but once and twice a week. II is evi-
ueht that many CT them are disfieured ana
tice. HNiouS Prac-
Many citizens have the erroneous hspaf
lhdt when cleaning their front and hact
yaIdS they have a right to pile up in az
street any refuse material coIlecte. ,hs
from sucn as bushes, ashes, tir. eans re
ties. etc. Such violations of "a = DOT
means exceptional. and ,tbi. insna ns no
street sur, sweeping frsquertly complain tbo OF
S sdrs Ein1ecuonsD,e practice is increasine
true H.. may seem. 1t is nevertheless
80 ~. most of those who indulge I'm this