The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1895-10-06

conform TO the new law, that provides for
the payment OF the cost Of the work from
the city's fund the question OF the
number OF times the streets shall be swept
each week, the Specifications Of 1894 read:
tn ~roadways of the streets named are
to be cleaned by the use OF machines. and
the contractor herein agrees to sweep and
times each week, during the period Of this
contract: provided, that The number OF
weekly sweepings herein referred to shall
have no application to the weeks in the
winter months during freezing weather. IL
snail. however, be discretionary with the
roadways OF said streets shall be swept or
cleaned more than three times each week.
The contractor shall sweep or clean said
roadways as many times per week as the
Board OF Public Works shall direct
The specifications for 1895 read as follows:
The ~roadways OF the streets and ave-
nues named are 10 be cleaned by the use
agrees to sweep and clean such roadways
not less than three times each week, dur
ing the period OF this contracts: provided.
In referred TO shall nave no application 10
the weeks In the winter months during
freezing weather; and. provided further,
that the roadways OF all streets and ave-
nues within the district bounded by Ohio
street, Georgia street. Mississippi street and
Alabama street. including the streets
named, shall be swept daily. It shall, how
ever, be discretionary with the Board Of
Public Works as to whether the roadways
OF said streets shall be swept or cleaned
more than three times each week. The
contractor shall sweep or clean said road
ways as many times per week as the Board
of Public Works shall direct"
By considering the action OF the Board
OF Works, under the discretionary power
given IL in the resolutions OF 1891, Ii will
be seen that there Is really nothing new in
the specifications. During .he last season
the board has taken advantage of the pro-
vision that IL shall be discretionary with
the board to order any street cleaned more
than three times a week, and all the streets
within the limit named in the new specifi-
cations have been cleaned every day. Be-
cause II was learned that 1t was necessary
TO make that additional order after the
contracts were made last year, 1t was
thought best TO incorporate the provision in
the new contract. But the board still had
another thought in view-the possibility of
the time coming when, because of the i'm
provement of all the downtown streets,
there would not be enough dirt TO warrant
the cleaning Of. the streets six times a
Week-and on this account allowed the pro-
vision to remain that gives the board the
authority to reduce the number of sweep
ings in the district described at its pleas
ure.
In discussing the matter Mr.. Holton, OF
the Board or Works, said that all these
. facts in regard to the number Of sweepings
necessary on different streets were known
at the time the law was changed. and that
The law could not have been intended other
wise than that the streets that accumulated
the most dirt should be swept oftener than
cC csHC' IN NhC OeHSA h0.es ~ RoAHNe0
out the fact that property in the down.
town district will pay several times more
a front foot for it's daily sweeping than
will the property outside of the district,
where the streets will be swept only three
times a week. The payment being made
from the taxes, II will be assessed accord
ing to the value of the property, and not
according to the number of front feet, as
heretofore.
To illustrate this fact it is only necessary
to show a few figures. The city will re-
ceive this year in taxes a little over $500. 600,
OF which amount, it is estimated, $4,000 will
go to pay for street cleaning. which Is l
cent out of every II cents paid in
taxes. A piece of property with a modest
house On it. on College avenue, near
Twelfth. is valued at $500. and is probably
assessed at 5000. 1t has a frontage of
forty feet. On Washington street no sales
have been made in recent years at less
than 5000 a foot, and some have recently
reached $500. This property would be as
sessed at. say, 5000 a foot. The College
avenue property would pay in taxes $50. of
which $50 would be for STRENGTHENING,
while forty feet on Washington street
would pay $3.50 in city taxes, of which one
twelfth, or $40, would be for street-cleaning.
Thus, $3.50 pays for cleaning forty feet on
North Pennsylvania street for one year.
three times a week, while for cleaning
forty feet or washington street. six times
a week, The property owner must pay $40.