The herald., 1897-09-26
Ordinance Permits Street
Sweeping by Hand
MERCHANTS WILL PETITION
THE COUNCIL TO EXERCISE IT'S
PRERoGATIVE
Merchants and Manufacturers Asso-
citation Completes Its Plan for
Cleaning Paved Streets

The street sweeping committee Of the
Merchants and Manufacturing assocla-
tion met with the board Of directors at
the Jonathan club yesterday noon. The
plan to be laid before the city council
Monday was discussed and the following
resolutions to be presented were urani-
mousy carried:
Whereas, Section II Of the speciflca-
tions under which the present street
sweeping contract IL let provides as
follows:
"'The city shall have the power and
hereby reserves the right, and may by
its council, at any time during the term
Of the contract, notify the contractor to
suspend the work upon any and all of
the streets to be swept hereunder and
instruct the health officer to Immediate
ly commence sweeping said streets by
hand, upon twenty-four hours notice
to said contractor; and in the event of
said city, by its council, as aforesaid
electing to sweep said streets by hand,
as herein. provided, said contractor shall
not receive any pay hereunder, nor shall
said city be bound to pay any sum or
sums to said contractor during the time
during which the said streets are 80
swept by hand by said city as aforesaid
"And, whereas, The present system of
street sweeping has proven unsatisfac-
| tory and inadequate and is injurious to
| the health of our citizens and detri-
| mental to the best interests of this city;
Resolved, That the honorable city
council is hereby urgently re-
quested to abrogate the present
| street sweeping contract as far
as 1t relates to the streets hereafter
| mentioned and to substitute in lieu
| thereof the sweeping by hand, as an ex-
pertinent, upon the following streets:
| Main street from Temple to Third;
| Spring street from Temple to Third;
Broadway from First to Third; First
street from Broadway to Main; Second
street from Broadway to Main; Third
street from Broadway to Main"
The following petition, attached to
a copy Of the resolutions was at once
sent out among the merchants:
1--WE, the undersigned merchants and
taxpayers, hereby heartily endorse the
chants and Manufacturers association,
and urgently request the honorable city
council to carry the same into effect.
We believe that the present filthy condi-
| tion of the streets Is due to the unsat-
isfactory method Of street sweeping and
| is menace to health and an. injury to
valuable stocks of merchandise"
Four Of the principal Spring street
| - 49, 4
secured signatures to the petition.
Monday at $3.50 o'clock the members of
the association will meet at headquar-
ters to attend the council meeting. A
request will be made to the city council
in. accordance with the resolutions, and
Immediate action will be asked for. c.
c. Wright has been engaged by the as
ISOLATION as attorney and will present
and argue the case before the council.
At the last meeting of the commit 'ee
Secretary Zeehandelaar was instructed
to see about appliances for hand sweep
ing, such as are used in New York. A
local firm is willing to make the reces-
sary tools. and the contract therefor
will soon be let.
THE INDIGNANT MERCHANTS
| An informal meeting Of about one
hundred andfifty Of the principal dealers
| on Spring street was held yesterday
| afternoon to discuss the organiza ton
| Of a tenants protective association.
Herman. W. Frank acted as chairman
| and F. J. Zeehandelaar was secretary
The feeling was that the time had
come for the tenants to be considered.
Resolutions were passed providing for
the engagement of special counsel to
give an opinion on tenants, liability.
The merchants desire to see If a lease
holds good where neglect of property by
the owner can be proved. such neglect
tending to injure the tenants business.
whether from the condition of the leased
quarters, from the street or from any
source controlled by the property owner
Propositions were received and dis
cussed from property owners on Main
street and Broadway, making favora-
BILE overtures to Spring street merchants
to move to those thoroughfares The
property owners declare their willing
ness to erect buildings suitable for any
business.
A report was received concerning sew
eral names attached to the protest
against resurfacing Spring street. Some
declared that they had signed under
Misrepresentation; other signatures were
duplicated and still others were signed
by agents who had no power of attor-
ney. The signatures to the protest will
be thoroughly investigated, The senti-
ment of the meeting was strongly in
favor of permanent tenants organiza-
tion to fight the landlords with their
own weapons.
The next meeting of the dealers will
be held in the early part of next week
when a permanent association will
probably be formed.
River Bed Miners