Evening star., 1897-06-04
Commissioners Will Decide on a Sys-
tenn Tomorrow.
land LABOR PROBABLY PREFERRED
Expected That the Board VIII Be
Unanimous.
WIGHT'S INQUIRIES

AT the session OF the board tomorrow
morning the Commissioners will take In
ana nnaliy decide upon the method hy
whicn the streets of the city are TO be kept
clean for the next two years. There IS
httle doubt as to their probable action
All OF the Commissioners are thorou9brv
convinced that the best way to clean Ne
streets of the city is to do the work bv
hand
Inc recent investigation by Commissioner
Wight of the New York system has con.
WINGED him of the entire practicabilitv
OF the hand sweeping plan and Commits.
sieher Ross long ago saw the benefits IN
be derived from the Inauguration OF su.h
system In Washington. Engineer Com
missioner Black. too. believes in hand
work, Out is not quite certain that tho
condition of the appropriation Will adj
init OF the system being adopted at prs
ent. He Is not, however. in a position TO
oppose a contract for doing the work bv
hand labor. and 1t is believed thai ,be
decision will be made upon the unanlmous
vote of the board.
Reasons for the Change A
The considerations which have led 10
to this desire of the Commissioners TO
adopt hand labor system are manifold.
In the first place, they are desirous OF
cleaning the streets by the best possible
method, and believe the hand system fills
the requirements. Then they are desirous
of pleasing the merchants who are perhaps
mere directly interested in the matter than
ary other class
1t is argued that the petition of the
prominent merchants and business men
favoriDg hand sweeping is conclusive eyl-
deIce OF their desire to submit to what
ever Inconvenience they might suffer by
the hand system, operated during the busi-
ness hours provided that method is adopt
ed. Then, it is the object and purpose
OF the Commissioners to help the laboring
men. BY the adoption of the hand clean
ing system it has been conclusiyely shown
that some 800 more laborers will receive
employment. This means at the lowest
estimate daily expenditure of 500 more
per day among the working classes. with
the consequent expenditure of practically
the entire amount among the merchants
of the city.
The department of charities will be re-
hcved, in a large measure, of the burden OF
helping the men who are now walking the
streets in search of work, or who are con-
fined I'm the workhouse because of some
uIvial offense.
shOrt-Term Contract. -.s.-
1t has been practically determined not to
award 4 contract for longer term than
two years. Word has been received from
Congress that the Mcmillan bill. favoring
the cleaning of tho streets by the munich
pality, will surely pass, ana 10 award 4
contract for a longer period would be piac-
ing the District in position of not being
able to undertake the, sweeping of the
streets when the bill shall become Il law.
The Commissioners believe that the ex-
pertinent which will result from an award
for hand sweeping will serve them well in
the future, when the city undertakes to do
the work itself. There will be an organized
force, already trained to lake up the work,
and the interests of the city will not suffer
a day.
There are several other reasons why The
Commissioners prefer hand sweeping, but
the ones given above are those which have
actuated them in deciding the matter.