Evening star., 1896-07-30
As to Street-Sweeplnx and Contract
Work.

Work.
The communication out Of which the
street-sweeping controversy has arisen, to
which the contractor to-day makes an
other contribution, came from citizen
who knows neither the contractor nor the
inspectors; VINO saw that some of the work
was being done apparently in a slipshod
manner and who very properly made COM
plaint. The cont, actor and his superin-
tendent admit that faulty sweeping Is not
uncommon-that places have to be swept a
second time to satisfy the inspector and
that sometimes work Is thrown out alto
gether and not paid for-so he must not be
surprised IL a citizen occasionally discov-
ers and reports a failure before the inspec-
tor-wno may or may not be very vigil
ant-has had an opportunity to find it out.
The contractor insists that he fulflls every
detail of the specifications by which he is
supposed to be governed Perhaps he does.
That has not been the impression of The
Star In the light of the reports which have
come to IT. That question will probably
come up later for further discussion. Tfe
Star called attention to a suggestion made
by competent authority in New York as to
the best manner of cleaning asphalt streets
and in that connection reiterated its belief
that the days labor plan was superior to
the contract system Contractor Daggett
says that his specifications do not require
him TO water In such quantity as to
liquefy the dirt the street surface.
That assertion has not been questioned
But the specifications do call for complete
sprinkling of the highway from curb to
curb. and of the contractors failure to
scatter a sufticiency of water to at least
Ia ba IYI- int
to The Star. According to the evidence of
citizens. streets that are too wide to be
vatered by one sprinkler have. in many in
stances. been moistened down their centers
while the cutters and adjacent street sur
face. where a large percentage of the dirt
was. have been left neglected and irritat-
II gly dry. The Stars desire for the use of
more water in sprinkling may, by a reform
on this point, be gratified within the spec.-
fcations- 1t Is for the District Commits
sieners to decide as to the quantity of wa
ter to be used. If they want very heavy
sprfnkling. they can undoubtedly get it: Mr.
Daggett will supply the Feed: he has de-
clared that it is financially immaterial to
him whether much or little water be in
sisted upon. 1t seems certain that the
specifications do not call for dirt-liauify-
ing quantity of moisture but Mr. Daegett's !
announced liberality in this matter will
make smooth the way for a change In the
sprinkling practice. even to this extent, If
the authorities desire to make such a
change as the Manhattan expect in The
Star said he believed would be de sirable.
There are two sides to the question as to
whether the contract system or Gays labor
IS the more desirable in the Conduct CT
municipal affairs. On the one side Is tho
contractor. On the other side is the citizen
who believes in getting what he pays for,
even II he has to pay little more for
what he gets than he is frequently called
upon to pay for something he does not
get. Under the contract system the work
Is often. If not invariably. done in the
interests of the contractor. who always
has an eye to his own financial welfare;
the less work he does the more money he
makes Given a certain amount Of work
10 be done in certain way the municipal
ity car do it for less money than any con-
tractor would undertake the job for
The contractor must make profit. the
municipality would pay out simply the
cost OF the work and would therefore save
what under the contract would be the
profit. IL some cities the days labor plan
would necessarily fail because political in
hLeECes would upset honest business ar
rangements. In Washington the davs' la
bor Plan would unqUestionably succeed. for
here the rings and combines are few and
comparatively weak.
Superintendent Mckenzie who looks
after the street-sweeping service on behalf
OF the District. has come out squarelv with
a proposition to abolis; the contract sys-
tenn.
He test!fes favorably as to the manner
IN which the STRENGTHENING contractor has
done his work, but he has come to the con-
clCsion that the interests of the public
could be better served by having the work
done directly by the authorities: the adj
vantages would he mutual to the District
and TO the men employed. At considerable
length Superintendent Mckenzie reported
some months ago in favor Of municipal
control The details were printed In TIE
Star at that time. Since then nothing has
occurred to bring about a change OF heart
in the superintendent nor have any of his
arguments been nationally assaile1. Mr.
NcKenzies statements have been accept
ed by majority of District taxpayers
they have met with favor in the ewes of
the Commissioners and before Congress
and may soon be looked for on the statute
books. business-like days labor ad-
ministration of public affairs would be
truly economical
general public. a-foot and a-wheel. If the
i