The record-union., 1894-08-17
EMPLOYMENT FOR Home LABORERS.
Why Should Not the City Do Her
Own Sweeping2
The Plan Indorsed in San Francisco
Hand-sweeping Better Than
Machine Work.

The present contract for sweeping the
bituminous pavements on J, K and
Tenth streets will expire next October,
and if public sentiment is to be regarded
the contract will not be renewed, at least
until the experiment be tried of having
the streets swept by hand.
The machine now in use is responsible
for an increase of about five hundred per
cent. in the profanity of citizens, because
of the clouds of dust with which it fills
the atmosphere when at work.
1t is possible there might be dissatis-
faction with hand-sweeping, but it will
do no harm to give it trial. They did
this in San Francisco, and the result is
proving even more satisfactory than was
expected. Referring to the present
method, a San Francisco paper said yes
terday:
''The particular use of the great lum-
bering machine sweepers seems to be to
throw as much dust ana dirt as possible
into the air and on to the sidewalks. This
objection was agreeably absent when the
men employed by the Merchants Asso-
citation commenced sweeping by hand on
Market street yesterday morning. There
was a large force of men on hand and
their work was continuous from Z o'clock
in the morning until in the evening.
'All things considered, the results
were very satisfactory. With time and
experience there will be more system in
their work and better results will be cb-
tanned.
Barrels to receive the sweepings were
placed in out of the way places, though
where the sweepers could easily reach
them. Each man had box roughly cut
Gf1r~ Oh, A oct nrrr
filled the men emptied them into the bar
rels and the covers were replaced on the
barrels. Between the car tracks the street
was particularly clean, and as the store
keepers had refrained from depositing
their sweepings in the cutters. the sides
of the street also were in good order.
1.-THE first attempt was very encourage
ing, and the Merchants Association is
deserving of congratulation."
- w hat Hhas been accomplished in San
Francisco should be possible here, and
judging from expressions heard on every
hand, the public is in favor of giving the
hand-sweeping method fair trial.
Just what the difference in cost would
be, if any, cannot perhaps be ascertained
without giving the new method trial.
And it would seem to be a good business
proposition for the city to have the work
done on its own account While the peo-
pie were being taxed last winter to sup
port a thousand or more men known as
CoXeyites, who were engaged in roam
ing about the country in armies and
levying tribute on cities and towns, there
were many of Sacramento's own citizens
who needed employment and could not
get ii. This is likely TO be the case next
winter unless the city can manage to
find something for the home Iaboring
population TO do.
1t would seem that this street-sweeping
proposition would to a great extent help
to solve the local labor problem, and
there does not appear to be any reason
why the city cannot have the work done
about as cheaply as the average con-
tractor, especially ii the latter should pay
anything like fair wages.
At all events, the city could take charge
of the work for several weeks, or for
such time as will euable the Trustees to
ascertain just what it costs to sweep the
streets. Then. if it be deemed desirable
TO let the work out to a contractor, the
Trustees will be in position to know
whether or not the city is being fairly
treated.
Even if the cost of sweeping by hand
should slightly exceed that of the present
method tby machine), there is little doubt
that the taxpayers would prefer to have
it done in that way in order to provide as
much employment as possible for men
who have homes and families here, rather
than save few dollars by having con-
tractors employ outsiders at starvation
wages.
Not only that, but there would then be
some guarantee that the streets would be
properly swept, which now is not the
case.
Some of the members of the City Board
of Trustees are known to be in favor of
trying the experiment Of hand-sweeping,
and it is to be hoped that the entire board
will, when the matter comes up for
action, take such action as will tend to
give employment to as many home
laborers as possible.