Evening star., 1897-06-01
labor was s4ooso-ehe entire appropriation


MED that his device would not take up
dirt In wet vea4her. 1t would do 1t, but
would leave the streets plastered with the
coutractSr Dakgett was recognized next.
He had conferM with his superintendent.
and was Informed that the bag system Of
collecting fhe DIRT was only used on the
business sseeets. This would be done here,
not a particle II Che sweeping being left
uncovered on the streets while waiting for
the carts. Aftef ave years. experience in
sweeping the -sSreets, during which time
he had examined all machines for picking
up the swsepings and patenting three him
self, he was convinced that none OF them
were any good. Ut was for that reason he
had not bid updn such a proposftion He
was thoroughly familiar with the New
York system, and had based his bid upon
figures obtained there.
Judge Wilson's Remarks.
Judge Jere Wilson. representing Mr.. Al
bert Daggett, submitted few observations.
He criticised severely all automatic pickup
machines. and pointed out their many dis
advantages. He very laughably arrayed
the Omaha system against the indianapolis
plan and argued them both experiments.
Judge Wilson said he had an interest IN
this matter as citizen. The Commission
ers had advertised for bids to sweep the
streets Of the city by hand and he hoped
to see the time when the old, cumbersome.
reisy sweeping machines would disappear
from the Streets and the nights made hide
Gus by their noise and unbearable by the
dust they produced would be no more.
He believed it could be done better by
hand labor. There was no reason why the
labor plan. 1t was no experiment. Ever
since the day 1t was said that by the
sweat of thy brow shall thou earn thy
bread" labor had not been experimental.
Every time a man pushed broom he at
tanned proficiency. A mind guided the
broom: Unless there is some insuperable
obstacle in the matter of cost, he did not
believe there should be one moments hesi-
tation In the matter of hand labor. There
was no doubt in his mind of the efficiency
OF such service. 1t should not be lost sight
of that by hand labor 300 additional men
would be employed. Three hundred addi-
ti6nal idle men would be put to work. The
other systems did not employ one-half so
many. 1t was the duty of those governing
a. municipality to get an efficient service.
ana next the employment Of the largest
Eumber OF men to render such service.
Organized LabOr's Appeal.
Lastly came voice from the organized
labor of the city. Milford Spohn, at the
head of delegation, came forward and
advanced a few pertinent remarks He Sc
verely criticised machine work, and urged
the adoption of the hand labor plan. His
argument, he said, was based upon an
economic view of the case. Here comes
the Omaha machine and the Indianapolis.
ihey get contract, and the machine gets
the money the poor laborerS should have.
Put the unemployed to work. The plan
may cost little more, but the good that
would accrue to the citizens generally
would more than outbalance the increased
cost. 1t was a mistake to say that organ
lied labor was opposed to labor-saving ma
chinery. They believed it marked the birth
OF a new race, the advance of civilization.
In conclusion, he urged the Commission
"a rryn r1r hy-h lob
Dr. A. p. Pardon during the hearing
spoke against machine methods, and said
he was willing as a taxpayer to submit to
increased taxation if he could have the
sweeping OF theicity's streets done by hand
The Commissioners promised to take the
matter under careful consideration.
Superintendents Report.
AT the direction of the Commissioners
the superintendent of street sweeping to-
day madeo9 full and exhaustive report
upon the hbidsi submitted for doing the
work. Aftef dabting the specifications up
on which The Bids were based, and giving
in detail aHiiof the bids, superintendent Nc
kenzie says: ~
1T viii III ss Rseessary. Of course. for the
things bef5re Any award can be made. viz
Which of the four plans of cleaning they
win adopthanHf H for what period will they
let the COHtraC(.
"The amount of money which probably
will be at THE disposal Of this department
for cleaning the paved streets and avenues,
after 'deducring the. probable expenses of
the other branches, will be about $9S 800
for 1898. 1t must be understood, however,
that such sum will always be subject to be
drawn upon for whatever extra work may
be needed, either on said streets or any
other branch of work: also for any snow
and ice work not coming under the act of
March 2, 1885,
., -. :, Relative Cost.
Then follows a consideration Of the diff
ferent bids and the amount each will cost
Daggett & Dugans bid on No. 1, of % 3-4
cents per 1000 square yards will sweep
about 3S3,0O0,O00 square yards a year, or
about 1,473.077 per day, at the rate of
$257.5O per million square yards. The total
cost would be $93, ,G225O. The Omaha Build
ing and Construction Compass, on their
mixed bid, would sweep anifdally about
442, 100000 square yards; total cost, $97 ,24O
The Capital Street Cleaning Company ir
|. their bid of 70 cents per 1000 square yards
would sweep 494, 100000 square yards pei
year, at total of $9S9OO.
Dagget and Dugan's bid on No f. of 3:
cents per 1000 square yards (hand labor
would sweep about 312, 600 900 square yards
per year, the total cost Of which would be
800, 800. Ordinarily the lowest bid. that OF
the Capital Street Cleaning Company
would be the one to accept, If there hac
been no different plans called for, and
from which the Commissioners were te
select, either of which they might adopt
and the same thing occurs as to the time
for which the contract will be let
Hand Labor Discussed.
tIt was. therefore, seen to be a question
of cost between machine and hand labor,
while; there must also be taken into con-
sideration the fact that in many respects
hand labor will be better. In some ways
it will clean the streets better, 1t will GER
tainly create less dirt and less noise and
can be utilized at times when machines
will not do the work. 1t will make about
$55, 600 more per year paid out directly to
labor and go that far toward supplying the
daily necessities of life to nearly / 900 ad-
ditiona persons and prevent them from be-
coming probably objects of either public
or private charity.
ITO more or less extent crime will be
checked by giving employment to the idle.
by the end OF the present year we will
have swept about 327 100000 square wards
&C cost of about $4,000. an average of
about ], ,25O, ,00o square yards per day. If
hand cleaning should be adopted for the
next two years we can sweep at the bid of
30 cents per thousand square yards about
81, 2,GO0,OOO square yards per year on the
AloN{