The morning times., 1896-08-05
ANhuttEB THE. CONTRACT
Commissioners Change Method
of Cleaning B Street.
CAUSED, BY, BAD SERVICE
The Work VIII Hereafter Be in
Charge OF Supt. .Mckenzie-COnfer
.nce Between President Crosby of
Potomac Electric Power Company
and Commissioner Powell.

| and Commissioner Powell.
| The suggestion made by Supt. Mckenzie
of'the street and alley cleaning department
| tnat the cleaning OF b street northwest, in
the vicinity OF the markets, be placed un-
der the supervision OF his department, has
been approved by the Commissioners and
the change will be made.
The order thus contemplated, and which
will doubtless be issued today, has the
| effect to abrogate the contract with Nr.
II. Clay Jones, who obligated himself, un-
der certain conditions, to reno We the
| orfal from that thoroughfare without other
| mpensation than that afforded by the
| sales of the collections as fertilizer, Tor
which, it seems, he has usually had a
ready market.
| There have been numerous complaints
lately or the manner In which the con-
tract has been met, and these prompted
! an Investigation, which was made by
Supt. Mckenzie by direction of the Com
missioners.
IN BAD CONDITION.
| Major Mckenzie says in his report that
he found the street in very bad condit Oh.
| In explanation, Contractor Jones stated he
| had been at home SICK, and that the men
employed by the dealers occupying stands
.oG Tie south side of the street, between
| Seventh and rweifth streets, did not at
| all times do their work PROPERLY Their
| duty was to clean up the refuse and
| place it in heaps convenient to the col
fIector. In addition, the cleansing was only
| done every other day.
| For their Services the sweepers, or gath
erers, received 10 cents per day from each
of the dealers occupying stand, and the
| aggregate e thus collected was divided among
the four 1t is estimated that the men
made not less than $3.50 per day each.
There seems TO be in the opinion Of the
superint endent good deal OF friction
| between the contractor ana the sweepers,
Fand he says each side OF the controversy
tblames the other for the existing unsat-
isfactory conditions AS a natter of fact,
fhe says, there are four different parties
| enga ged in cleaning the street.-the men
employed by the dealers, the contractor,
the Market Company, and the street and
alley cleaning department.
! Under these conditions the surerintend-
tent says, it is difficult to locate the blame
| for the inefficient service, and he there
| fore suggested that u street, between
Seventh and Twelfth streets, be placed
| wholly in charge OF his department, with
orders to clean it daily.
He recommends that the Market Com
peny be required to daily clean the side
walk and street, the latter out as far as
| the first railway track of that portion on
| the north side between Seventh and Ninth
streets.
MUST BE SATISFACTORY.
This cleaning is to be done at such hours
as may be fixed by the company, and the
refuse is to be earted away at once, the
superintendent of the department to be
notified as to the hours and the work to
be done to his satisfaction.
The suggestion was also made that the
employtn eIit of cleaners by the occupants
| of stands be ordered to be discontinued,
the work to be done hereafter by persons
directly n the employ of the street clean
ing department, with no expense to the
| dealers
Superintendent Mckenzie says there can
| be no objection to continuing the arrange
ment with Mr.. Jones, or some other party,
| for the removal of the refuse. His idea is
! TO have the matter entirely under District
ance of the police force, order could always
| be maintained and the occasional necessity
for the removal of dealers wagon could
be met without the trouble that now often
| occurs.
-Four men will be placed on the work OF
cleaning and the services of these will be
supplemented by the halliday work of
gang of laborers on Saturday and the
sweeping by machine on Saturday nights.
The superintendent recommends that the
four men be selected from the force now
on the departmen rolls, with special
reference to obtaining steady, reliable,
sober men. The pay Of the foreman or
leader is to receive S1.76 per day, and the
other three S1.5O per day each. The hours
| of service are to be fixed by the depart
ment and made to suit the conditions that
| exist on that street.
1t is belved that under the new arrange
| pent, which will go into effect in thirty
| days, the street Can be kept in such condi-
| tion that there will be no further complaint.
ELECTRIC LIGHT CONTRACT.
President Crosby OF the Potomac Electric
Power Company had long conference
yesterday with Engineer Commissioner
Powell, and It is understood that one of the
| topics. if not the ina in subject, of conyersa-
| ton, was the question that will come up for
Consideration today respecting the contract
for electric street lighting.
Capt Crosby declined 10 talk about the
matter today. He and attorney Darlington.
who is the legal representative of the
company, will treat the question elabo-
Eately -atthe hearing, and that he tCIosby)
| is averse to, in any wise, anticipating the
work OF the counsel.
1t was stated by Capt Crosby, however,
| that he regards the chance of his company's
| success in the controversy as reasonably
certain. -. -. -, D3i -
1T is not in the province of the Com
| missioDers, we take it, to maintain
monopoly in the District, when the chance
| arises to have legitimate competition" was
| his-comment.
Another thing: A company cannot sue
cessfully maintain that 1t has an enduring
| rightito moDopolize in anything solely by
reason of its ownership of franchise-a
| privilege. Should we get the coDtraot
| wemay or may not hold it more than a
| year. That depends upon the future, for
| somebody else may uDderbid us in a future
| competition, and, II so, we should expect
to yield the territory.
WILL GO. TO COURT. :
I'VE propose. If necessary, to have the
courts pass upon the points raised, and
| to say whether a monopoly shall be per-
petuated upon such lines as those involved
in this affair.""
| Another interesting feature Of this con-
| troversy has arisen in connection with