The morning times., 1896-08-18
RIVALS MAY INSPIRE It
Suggestion as to the Complaint
of Street Sweeping.
OLD SYSTEM Is DISCUSSED
Deviation from the Hours Fixed for
the Service Is Authorized by the
Cont ract-Merits of Sprinklers unj
Amateur Western High
School and Minor Notes.

| lHe orueT gwen yesterday by the SOu1-
missioDers recurring Contractor Dacgett to
cUnform To tie provisions OF his C ntiact
in the matter of the time within which
the street sweeping shall be done has
/ apparently accomplished all that the Com
missionersarea u horized to do in the matter,
although the discussion OF the subject has
brought out the old contention between
the advocates of rival systems of sweeping,
and this seems to figure TO COZ. siderable
exteD t in the present issues.
| A machine was once IN use here knO wna as
the Wright" which it is declared, is still
champioDed by individuals Interested, but
| which, the officials say, was used no VIII ere
| else than i'll Washington and is now cIassed
| by practical men as obsolete. and il is as.
serted that the claims of this machine have
| been frequently urged and are now by those
who declare that II has neverhad an equal
POSSIBLY much of the fault n ow found
with the present machine sweeping may
come through this channel" was the re-
mark OF a District official yesterday.
at may be inspired by the champions OF
! that method" he added
HOURS OF SERVICE.
An examination made yesterday by a
cleaning service shows that for several
years pastit has been allo wed to commence
work in advance OF the particular hour
specified, but in every case the hour for
completing the work has been the same
except on emergcnt occasions.
The deviation from the time fixed for
commencing work is provided for by the
contract itself. whore the Commissioners
they dcenf- proper. II any general com
plant had been made to the office as to
the hour now fixed being too early aud it
had beer shown that citizens were gen
orally Inconvenience thereby, there would
doubtless have been a change ordered, as
has now been done. rather than that the
public should be annoyed.
The sprinklng aud weeping of Streets"
say-the- official Is, lis n subject that the
average citizen. no matter how intelligent
he ma Y be, is apt To make mistakes about
II seenIs strange" said one, that a
one-borse sprinkler which with both valves
open cannot help sprnkling space not less
than twenty four feet wide, should suddenly
only sprinkle eight feet; or that two
horse sprinkler with both valves in play.
should sprinkle but onebalf of a forty-foot
street, when it naturally covers thirty
four feet. There must he some mistake. or
else but one side of the street was being
sprinkled at the time the observation was
taken.
SOME POPULAR ERRORS
VERY many people think trat Ill streets
are sprinklcd and swept over the entire
surface at once, while the fact is that one
sid 10. flp fnr raj
after the first side is gone over which saves
time.
THE inspectors in the employ OF the Dis
trict are all familiar with their duties. and
have the reputation of being honest men.
They are not inrallhle. and like other men
may make mistakes or fail to note all OF
the imperfections of the work.
Amateur inspectors are no doubt dis
posed to be fair. but as they do not under
stand the business they are likewise liable
to err, and rcpor, as defects what little
knowledge Of details would explain to
their satisfaction and that Of the public.
Ridges of dirt left in the middle OF the
streets would be found to have disappeared
when it was time for the machine to get
back to sweep in the curb Unswept angles
that machines are not expected to sweep
Will be 1OEIu clean wren !1ie tiilie GENES
for the broom men To get in work.
T"Street-sweepihg inspection, like re-
porting is a business hat has to be learned.
Both appear To be simple, hut it requires
time and experience TO become expert.
HOW HE SHOULD JUDGE.
ITO judge the work of one machine as
against another one must know the prin-
ciples upon which both work. II he does
not know that, then he can form a fair
opinion by ascertaining which machine Is
most used throughout the country, which
would be better way than to decide on
the assertion of persons who may be actu-
ated by self-intercst.'
The Commissioners held 4 lengthy con-
ference yesterday afternoon, having the
attorney for the District present a part
OF the time. when the question of the
Western High School was discussed at
length and other matters were debated.
There has been SO far no evidence before the
board of the rumOred discomfort with the
site chosen for the school. and it is prob:i-
bic the opposition may not niatcralize at
all.
C. r. Wyinan took out a permit yes
terlay for the construction of an additional
story to the dwelling at No. 81 S. street |
M