Evening star., 1896-07-29
The Street-sweeping Controversy.


Two topics-closely related. yet distinct
street-sweeping contributed to yesterdays
issue of The Star by Contractor Daggett:
the character of local street-sweeping and
the contest of contract work with days
labor in municipal enterprises. There is
great deal to be said on both sides as to
both topics. The Star. however, is satisfied
that local methods under the contract sys-
TEN could be improved, and is certain that
days labor is preferable to contract prac-
tees in all public work.
Contractor Daggett would have 1t appear
that the majority of citizens who are ON
the alert to secure az much as they can In
return for tax-collected money expended
are wholly ignorant and speak without
right He objects to criticism and is restive
when any suggestions are made that look
TO such betterments as taxpayers very
properly seek. The idea that asphalt-paved
streets should be flushed annoys him. An
authority on street-sweeping-one Of the
highest of New York's officials engaged in
that important industry-was quoted in
The Star the 10th instant saying:
in regard to sprinkling asphalt pave
ments, il is recommended that when dirty
they be given cOpiouS supply of water so
as to make a fluid mud which can be par
italy removed by brooms. or entirely re-
moved by rubber squeegees, somewhat
larger than those used in window-cleanlng.
If the parties watering the streets cannot
supply sufficient water to make the mud
1iuid. they should be urged to reduce the
holes in their sprinklers so that mud
will be formed even though more numerous
sprinklinss he needed. or else the streets
should be sprinkled by those VINO clean
them. The practice of the spTinklers has
been to use about enough water to form
slippery but not fluid mud
This recommendation was strongly sup.
ported by the Engineering Record. The as
phaIt streets N New York are still supposed
70 be cleaned by contractors, and they are
never as clean as they should be. II is
quite possible that the New York Street
cleaning Department and the Engineering
Record know as much about street clean
ing as does the local contractor.
Mr. DaSgett would have us believe that
there is no pecuniary advantage in light
sprinklins and light sweeping, when we
know that the use of twice as much water
would mean twice as much time lost in
filling the sprinklers while increased pres
shorten the broom life materially and ex-
pensiveIy. The endeavor to shift the blame
to Congress because the appropriation is
not sufficient TO have the streets swept as
frequently as they ought to be swept Is
aggression. The question at issue Is Are
the streets well-swept when they are
swept? Popular opinion has it that The
work might frequently be better done.
More remarkable than any other of Mr..
DagSett's assertions fs that which declares
that In no city In the United States
where change has been made from con-
tract to days labor system has that change
proved beneficial, and that where politics
has not entered into it the days labor sys-
tom has been abandoned after the trial has
been made. for the simple reason that they
got less work and no better al a very much
greater cost. What about New York City?
There was time In that municipality
when days labor was improperly expen-
sive because the municipal structure was
based upon politics and not business but
the contract system was quite as costly and
every whit as unsatisfactory TODAY there
is no inner force of municipal toiiers in the
world than that which cleans the unas-
phalted streets of New York; its daily
oee''s now compel the praise of those who
uecried 1t as long as abuse was possible
ihas TIE contract system survives in any
municipality is really discreditable to the
sensible citizens who permit ii to exist In
cares to. do the work economically and
thoroughly for less money than any re-
sponsible contractors bid; 1t can save
the money which is the contractors
profit Theorists may say what they please
bat experience teaches US that the contract
system Is wasteful and provocative of dis
content. Congress would delight District
taxpayers immensely If it would wipe out
the contract system requirement in the
District and sive to the municipal authori-
ties full power to have all District work
done by the District