The morning call., 1894-09-13
MERCHANTS AGREE
A Street-SWeeping Plan
Decided Upon.
ON COOPERATIVE LINES.
All the Commercial Interests
Represented.
URGENT APPEAL TO THE PUBLIC.
The Political Parties Asked TO Pledge
Their Candidates for Super
viSors to Aid.
URGENT APPEAL TO THE PUBLIC.

was neIQ yesterday AFTERNOON Win Iue
| Merchants Association, in the rooms OF
| the Chamber of Commerce, to consider
the adviSability of joint action in pushing
| forward the work, thus far successfully
carried on. in the way of cleaning tile
! streets.
The large attendance was demOnstratlve
of the fact that the efforts of the associa-
ton are receiving support from all
! branches of commerce, which they justly
deserve.
The list of committees appointed by the
commercial organizations to Cooperate
with the Merchants Association is as
| follows:
Chamber of Commerce-w. T. Y. Schenck,
! Wakefield Baker, James ID. Phelan.
Board of ii TIade-H. l.. Dodge, NJ. P. Jones,
! Walter Castle.
Produce Exchange-Max Brooks. H. e.
| Bunker. j. W. SperTy.
S ock Exchange-Joe Marks, o. V. Walker,
| q. W. MaTye.
Pacific Insurance Union-I. Cutie, A. f.
! Maglli, ). ". C0fran, e. f. Mullln, Charles d.
Haven.
! California Wine-dealers' Association-Charle
! BundseIu, Henry Van Bergen, Hans kohler.
! General II. l.. Dodge was elected chair
man Dy accamation and Frank Vail acted
! in the capacity Of secretary.
President DOrhman of the Merchants
! ASSpCldklOu OptD6u the conference Dy
briefly reviewing tue success which has
crowned the efforts Of the new movement
during lis limited existence, and presented
the following outline OF the plan which
has been carefully considered and adopted
by the mem bers Of the Merchants Asso-
citation. The document is somewhat in
the shape OF an appeal to the public, aud
it IS expected that liberal response will
be forthcoming. 1t reads:
The city has paid for machine street sweep
ing Tor The past twenty years an has found
every system that has been tried failure.
One million dollars has been expedited for
sweeping streets since 1880 and results have
been reproAch 10 every citizen ana disgrace
10 every resident.
Ii is, tn refore, clear if clean highways are 10
be obtained, that some other methods Of bring
Ing about the desired change must be adopted
aud put into general and permanent use.
Experiments made by the Merchants AS
ISOLATION nave shown that IN The principal
business thOrOughfare5 constant hanG-Swceping
| throughout the daytIm- aud increased hand
] sweeping IN second-cidSS business streets ana
! certain residence portions OF the city Will pro-
duce the desired results. The same expert
meuts have been made 10 other larg- cities and
the same conclusion reached so mat this syS-
lem is now in use IN nearly every progressive
municipality in the United States.
For tue purpose OF securing a right system at
! The lowest possible cost the Merchants AssO-
! clallon Will Crowded a sufficient guarantee
! fund can be seeured) endeavOr 10 obtain the
! contract from The city for cleaning the streets
/ Tor the remainder OF he fiscal year ending June
| 80, 1895, ana thereafter Induce The city al The
| expiration of The present fiscal year 10 per
| mauenily incorporate the improved system IN
new contract and appropriate sufficient money
| hereafter 10 do the work as it SHOULD be done
without financial aid from he public.
| The present contract was made July f1S 90
| and comprised eighty-dye out of niuety-sX
| miles OF streets accepted at that time. Some
OF the business streets under tnis contract
| were swept by machines twenty-five times a
| month, but many streets in the business pOr-
! ttOn OF the city aud the residence portions were
| swept many less times than necessary. Some
streets ana alleys In the business part OF the
| city and some portions of streets were left out
| OF the contract altogether. Nowhere has the
| machine sweeping given entire satisfaction.
Ihc new plan would include all the paved ac-
| cepted streets, amounting 10 fully 125 miles,
| aud provides for adding other streets as they
! were paved and accepted.
Day hand labor and partly al-day hand labor
| should be provided for tile business district
! bounded as follows: Market street. from the
| ferry 10 Valencia, and each block from Market
| 10 Mission between FIRST ana Sixth inclusive:
one block north OF Market aud including streets
around thee City Hall down to Powell; Powell
TO Sutter, Sutter TO Grant avenue, Grant avenue
10 Bush street, Bush TO keaIny hearDy 10
Broadway Broadway TO East street
Under The old plan about fifteen miles were
swept daily at a contract price per mile OF
SIC 40, or about $3.50 per day.
Under the new plan the minimum sweepia y
TO accomplish desired results would be:
Five miles sweeping by all-day hand labor,
per mile. ....-........S $50 or $3.50 per day
Ten miles sweeping Uy daily hand labor
per mile. .......... $50 or $3.50 per day
Fifteen miles sweeping by daily hand or
machine labor. $40 or $50 per day
Thirty mites per day, average per mile
per month 81 5 or Si50 per day. 81 $50
The city has appropriated $SO,OOU Tor the
fiscal year, or an average per month OF
Leaving a shortage per month OH. 4'6OO
OrfOr nine months from October. 1884,
TO June 80, 1895, about................... 900
While the association Will be glad to name
higher rate Tor sweepers should circumstances
permi tie above calculations are made on an
average rate OF wages OF 81 % per day for
sweeping.
AT that rate. aside from sprinklmg, teaming
and superlntendence which has 10 be provided
for. upward of $50 sweepeTs would have EN-
plOyment, If all work were 10 be done by hand
labor
Ii the rate OF wages should be raised or if
less money than here estimated should be
available, fewer SWeepers would be employed
ana cheaper machine service would have to be
substituted
II more money should be provided a larger
| force OF sweepers could be employed, higher
! rate OF wages paid and more and better service
/ gwen.
| To obtain place on the register for employ
| ment In slreet sweeping, applicants must have
Deen residents OF San francisco for six months
preceding the first day of October, 1894. must
| be men having families living here aud de
pendent upon them for support, aud must be
| physically able 10 DO fair days work.
All the direct advantages and great import
ance OF clean streets cannot be estimated at
| this time, but a few OF them NAV be briefly
| called 10 your attention as follows:
!. Direct saving TO the city of more than $50. 900
annually. in the cost OF sewer repairs and clean
ing. as estimated by tho present Superintendent
of streets.
p Decrease in damage to goods and wares ex-
posed for sale.
| B. Greater personal comfort and improved hy-
gienic conditions.
f.. Vastly Improved appearance OF the whole city.
s. Appreciation of visitors from abroad.
q. Introduction of business methods and prin-
ciples in an important branch of municipal
service.
| Z Fixing a reliable and economical basis for
future expenditures for this work.
3. Encouragement in the direction OF many
other practical and much needed reforms in city
affairs
| g. Employment of large number OF deserving
IDLE men.
| The members of the Merchants Association
have fairly demonstrated the utility of their
plans for clean streets in San Francisco, bur
| submit them IN tie hope that their efforts and
suggestions may meet the approval and gain
the support Of the public'spiriled people OF
| this city.
The plan was unanimously adopted, and
| a numDe Of enthusiastic speakers encour-
| aged tha association by predicting a sue
cess such as has never been dreamed of.
The following committee was then ap-
pointed to solicit funds among mem bers
IN order TO commence operations at once ::
w. b. Hellman. William Haas, Walter
Castle, +. w. Van Sicklen, j. p. lie Count.
Harry Holbrook, William Cluff and IL. L..
| Dodge.