The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-07-10

| year to make the improvements introduced a
permanent feature OF the system OF street.
| cleaning in this City.
While this Association has no doubt that this
resolution will be carried into effect, it is also
aware of the many demands made upon you
and the impossibllity of appropriating all that
has been asked, and that, therefore, in scaling
down demands that cannot or should not be
allowed in full you may be tempted to also re-
duce the amount mentioned above. For this
reason we beg to submit to your committee the
following:
First-The experiments made by this associa-
ton became possible through general sub
scription of nearly $50, 900 of our taxpayers,
who earnestly desired clean streets.
second-The change already ap-
parent before the last election that each party,
when nominating officers last year, adopted
resolutions in its platform indorsing an appro-
priatlon sufficiently large to secure satisfac-
torily clean streets.
Third-The results since are so satisfactory
to our entire community that we question II
there is single patriotic taxpayer who would
not consent to have the pledge fully carried
out.
carried out on the strictest economical basis,
and at the lowest rate of wages that should be
paid; yet the cost has averaged $451 70 per
day.
Fifth-The system is complete so far as the
removal of dirt from the streets is concerned,
but in order to perfect it entirely, systematic
sprinkling, at least throughout the business
portion of the City, should be added.
S1Xth-Wh1le we are moisture that both sweep
ing and sprinkling can be fully accom-
plished as outlined for the $15O0O0 per
annum, we do not ask for Il special appropria-
ton for sprinkling, but recommend that only
the amount that can be spared without detri-
ment to sweeping, be devoted to sprinkl1ng,
ana thus obtain experience and data Tor next
| year to ascertain what amounts will be re-
qu1red for both sweeping and sprinkling there
after.
seventh-If the $3.50 900 asked for be appro-
| prlated, the specifications which this associa-
| ton has prepared at the request of the Street
committee, and which are now before that
| body, Will undoubtedly be accepted, and the
| results will be clean streets and the removal
OF dust at the lowest possible cost to this City.
| Dust and dirt have been the two greatest OBJ
| lecuons OF strangers to either visit or remain
in our City, and have been menace to health,
| an inconvenience to residents and drawback
| to our prosperity. Their removal, which is
| now made easy ana sure, would be cheap at
| any price, and the price named is cheap in
| comparison.
Boston, for instance, spends $500 900 for street
cleaning and SOL, 900 for street sprinkling,
| as shown by the municipal report of that city.
| New York, according to information furnished
by Colonel Waring spends 1902 so per mile of
| paved streets per annum for cleaning only,
| while the amount asked here would be only
$llO per mile per annum for sweeping and
| sprinkling our 135 miles of paved streets. Chi
cago is despairing of obtaining clean streets
under its old system, although making large
OUTLAWS for that purpose.
| The Civic Federation of that city is therefore
following the example of our association here
| lessons to its municipality which have here
| shown that the time for dust and dirt is past in
| progressive cities and that clean and whole
| some streets can be obtained at moderate cost.
! TO demonstrate this fact, the officers and
members OF this association have freely given
their time and work; the business community
has made the City present OF the money sub
| scribed for that purpose, and the recommends
| lions now before you are made without per-
sonal interest and solely for the best interest OF
| the entire City. The responsibility to make per-
| nm q
progress and welfare of this community is now
| in your hands.
II, after giving these suggestions your earnest
consideration, you are still in. doubt concern
| ing the amount OF the appropriation, we ask
| land think we have earned the right to ask
that you fix time when a committee and
may submit facts and figures to show the wis
dom OF complying with the recommendations
! made. Respectfully su omitted,
MERCHANTS ASSOCIATION,
F. W. DoHRMANN, President.
| ]. RICHARD FREUD, Secretary.
Chairman Taylor called upon President
| Dohrm of the Merchants Association
to address the committee. Mr.. Dohrmann
| stated that as the association had made its
statement, just read, he had not expected
| to be called upon, but since the privilege OF
addressing the Supervisors had been &C
corded him, he would add just few words
to the statement.
I'VE do not believe" he continued.
"that with the exception of some paid Off
Ger OF the City, there is single taxpayer
who would not agree to an appropriation
to have our system continued. The only
question is, what will it cost to carry out
| the system now in use? The figures are
| ready for inspection and verification. As
| stated before the Street Committee, it has
| cost about $451 78 every day this associa-
ton has worked up to the LIST of June
| The association has made no charge for
its services. The only expenses are the
actual labor performed and the carting
that has been done and the three superin-
| tendents and bookkeepers necessary to
oversee the force. We have run all the
| way from 1873 sweepers, as at the present
| moment to 240 or $50 during the winter
| season.
"Now, if anybody has to do this work,
| in order to make the least kind of profit,
| they have got to have more than we had
| and than we expended during our term.
| That is all there is of the whole question.
Can anybody do the work cheaper than
| we have done? If they cannot, that must
| be the figure. Now we are ready to submit
to any member of the Board of Supervisors
or any officer of the City government ou1
books and vouchers to prove the assertions
have made, and am ready to verify any
| and every statement made by the as
ISOLATION.
II want to say, too, gentlemen, that ii
is not pleasant, when | make the state
ment that we have 1873 men at work. that
an official of this City should say that that
statement was not true. That was done
here not fifteen minutes ago by an officer
of this City"
Mr.. Dohrmann was referring to his en-
counter with Mr.. Ashworth, and exhibited
some feeling as he repeated that Mr.. Ash
worth's assertion was untrue. He contin-
ued by advocating increased sprinkling
and gave it as his opinion that an appro-
priation of $150000 would not be cent toe
much.
In answer to questions by Supervisor
King, he stated that the association rented
the sweepers from the California Con.
struction Company, of which Max Pepper
seemed to be member. He said that
Max Pepper had received, he understood
$72 600 for his street-sweeping contract
and admitted that the Merchants Asso
cations estimate was $150000.
How does that come?' asked Supervi.
sor King.
81 am very sorry to have to state again,
said Mr. Dohrmann, that the Merchants
Association does not want anything but
clean streets. 1t merely assures you that il
will take that much money now. If the
taxpayers want clean streets it will take
that much money for that purpose"
| NJ IN &c e II.