The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-11-19
BUT LITTLE TO PRAISE,
The Merchants Association In.
spected the Streets on
Sunday.
Wretchedly Paved and Filthy Thor.
oughfares Were Found in Every
Direction.

Although the City Street improvement
Com pany has the contract for keeping the
streets of the City clean and free from dirt
the Merchants Association keeps close
watch upon all the worh that is being
DONE Sunday President Dohrmann, Sec
rotary Freud and Assistant Secretary King
for the association and President Melon
aid, Secretary Dennison and Superinten-
dent Stephenson OF the Improvement Com
pany, drove all over the City and made OBJ
servations upon matters other than street.
sweeping. Secretary Freud in his report
Yesterday stated that while the condition
OF the streets is much better than recently
there is vet much work 10 do to clear away
the debris left when the City was making
| pretense of doing the work.
Golden Gate avenue, the report says, is
swept by machine every night, and the
work is not as satisfactory as hand work.
The report says:
Folsom street presented n deplorable con-
dition, owing mainly to the disgraceful con-
dition OF the pavement. 1t Is almost lmpos-
sible to keep this street anywhere near clean
by any kind of sweeping. Under the cirum-
stances, therefore, much allowance must be
made on this street. The streets running north
and south in this section, such as Fourth, Sixth
and others, are hardly up TO the standard of
cleanliness that could be desired. 1t is also
noticeable upon these streets, where there are
so many small stores of various kinds, that
the repTehensible practice is still in vogue
among the storekeepers OF throwing the sweep
ings OF their stores into the streets.
A little missionary work will be done by
the association to educate the storekeep-
ers throughout the City to cease sweeping
their dirt into the streets. II this does not
prove successful there will be number of
shopkeepers arrested. The report con-
| tlnues:
| In the district recently destroyed by fire
| where new buildings are now being erected
| there is so much building material and debris
| in the streets that it is impossible to clean
| them. The Superintendent OF Streets should be
| instructed to notify the contractors and build
ers in that district to remove this material and
| debris as soon as their work is completed. It
| cannot be expected of the sweepers upon the
streets to dig away this debris after it has
| hardened. We would suggest that the atten-
| ton OF the proper authorities be called to this
| matter
| In conclusion, We cannot refrain from call
| ing attention again to the deplorable condi-
| ton of many Of the pavements on the streets OF
| our City. In several instances they are really
| so bad that some decisive steps should be
| taken for improving them. Any one who
| tons should do as we have done and ride
| throughout the City in vehicles. Our atten.
| ton was also called TO the fact that in several
| instances bituminous pavement has been laid
on grades OF such steepness as to render it slip
! perry. This makes II dangerous for travel as
it is difficult for horses to secure firm fool
| hold.