The evening times., 1896-04-03
OPPOSED TO CONTRACTS
Labor Wants Day Work on Al
District Jobs.
IT is MORE ECONOMICAL
Committee Appears Before the Com
missioners and Tells Them What IL
Thinks of Senate Bill-Reasons
why 1t Should Pass-Other Dis
trict Matters Up.

The committee oflaboring men who wers
before the Comm issioners today. in addi-
tion TO profess ing against Italian In Dor, ad-
dressed the gentlemen on the blll TO regu-
late the EN- nplOyIEent Ofia Dor on public build
Ings and grounds belonging 10 the District.
Mr.. Blake, the chairman, referring TO
Tie IIcI That since ,hC committee bcgdu
its work the correctness of the general
principle of the bill embodies, that oil direct
MUNICIPAL control OF public works with
out the Intervention OF the contractor. has
received substantial recognition from Of
iicidls OF the District, he said:
we beiIcVv the reasons inducing the
District commissioners aud the Supcrln-
irnd-ct OF street sweeping to favor the
;tDanuon nucni oi the contract system in the
important work of cleaning the streets
ANA alleys Will he found TO apply with
equal lorce to every other kinu OF public
work.
NOT SUFFICIENT GROUND.
1t is not sufficient ground Tor rejecting
This bill, that, i'll tue opinion OF an official
OF the District government, the system
proposed by this measure would. so far as
inv work unGer This supervision is con-
c-rned, be more expensive than the con-
tract system The facts, so Iar "a any
have been presented, Controvert that
opinion. When the public has seemed To
ENJOY anadvantaga OF chcapneSS In contract
WORK, as rule sut':i JOBS have proved IN the
end 10 be disasjruuSIy expensive.
As reasons sIihiLci up iOf the passage or
the bill, IL was cited:
The system proposed by the bill 10
cheaper than the contracl system, nd hence
is commended by considerations of econ
omy.
daIs growing out of the contract system.
1t will institute system of GOLF petit
tion in quantity and quality. and not in
price, and thus secure Tor the public better
work for The money expended
The wor kingmen enga ged on public work
would be fairly and justly paid for their
labor.
IT'S ECONOMY.
"As to the economy OF the proposed sys-
tem,' the committee said, I'VE speak con
fidently because it is not q new and un-
tried system. Many communities in this
country have already municipaliESd their
gas and electric hgnting service. greatly
TO the benefit of the public, both in the
matter OF the Improvement OF the service.
and in that of saving public funds Some
have done away with the contract sys-
TEN. applied TO other kinds OF public
service.
THE most clearly stated and most con-
vincing Facts. however. are found IN the
experience of English cities. and espe-
cially OF the great city of London, where
anew. honest natural andcCOnOmiC system.
such as proposed by this bill, has been in
force for several years, ana the cities
have fetn saved millions of dollars
The Commissioners today forwarded to
preparation Of 81 900 for the purpose of
establishing Crematory for the destruC-
tiu.i OF the city's cumbustible waste. other
than garbage. They ask for authority To
contract for such disposition or the refuse
for period Of four years. which contract
would expire in 1900. and suggest that the
usual penalties be provided for
This move is made pursuant to the sUg-
gestion of Health Officer Woodward and
in consequence of an Investigation made OF
thesubjec tby the commissioners themselves.
Bids were not long ago received for the con-
tract, conditioned that the action taken
should not be binding upon either party.
This course was adopted to arrive at some
conclusion Of the probable cost.
The health officer has shown from OBJ
servatiun and collected data that the ref
use described is very detrimental to health.
and that it exists in large quantities in
almost every quarter of the city.