Evening star., 1898-09-14
ESTIMATE OF THE ANNUAL EXPENSE
Reasons Advanced for Placing Work
Under District Supervision.
COST IN OTHER CITIES


of Washington, for the fiscal year ending
June 3d. 1900. In submitting his report,
Mr.. Stutler recommended that the work. if
done at all, be done under the immediate
direction of the Commissioners without con-
tract as he is thorol ghly satisfied that it
would be better accomplished and at less
cost to the District than if done under con-
tract.
Weekly Service.
"Basing my calculations says Mr.. Stnt-
Ter, ION a weekly collection service. which,
believe, will be sufficiently frequent to
satisfy the demands of the public, l esti-
mate that will require thirty horses ard
carts, with drivers, from May 1 to october
81, and fifty horses and carts, with drivers,
from November ! to April 80, at an annual
cost of S}3, 300: four inspectors, at S1,1O0
each, S4.4o@; one clerk at $l,110; lniscella-
neous expenses, $1.2oO; total, 100000.
In making up my estimate for this work
it has been my purpose to ask for no more
money than is actually necessary to do the
work satisfactorily. l do not believe in ap-
propriating money to uphold extravaganza,
neither do / believe in starvation economy;
but l have endeaVored to strike happy
medium, one that Will enable us to pay our
worthy labor reasonable wages and insure
satisfactory results. The appropriation
asked for, therefore, represents the amount
actually required to do the work, and is not
subject to revision or reduction.
Ia Other Cities.
Il have given this subject much thought
and have made careful investigate of
the methods and cost of doing the work in
Il number of the large eastern cities, and l
assure you that 1 have entire confidence in
my calculations, however small they may
appear in comparison with the expenses os
conducting the work elsewhere In New
York city the ashes and refuse are removed
at public expense ut an annual cost of
500, 124; in Philadelphia SJlI, I:i5 is appro-
pr.ated for the work: il Chicago, $2Jo,eoo;
in Baltimore, Sl19.OJo: in Buffalo, $91 Jas:
in Montreal, $1,000, and in Savannah. Ga,
$50 coo Comparing my calculations with
the foregoing, it is apparent that the esti-
mated cost for the service in this city is
very low indeed.
That this work should be done at the
public expense and under the immediate
cCrtrol of the Commissioners, instead of
in the reckless and slovenly manner in
which it is done at present, hauling ashes
and debris through the streets in broken
down. uncovered carts, littering thorough
fares with droppinga and offending the
principles of cleanliness and health in many
ways, is so apparent that l feel that | need
not go into detail to explain. The numer-
Gus expressions from our citizens the
subject, together with the good and sub
stantial reasons pointed out from time to
time by the influential press of the city
keep us constantly reminded that reform in
the present method is greatly needed.
From a sanitary standpoint the removal
of our ashes comes next in Importance to
the removal of garbage. In fact, the two
are 50 closely allied that many of our citi-
zens continually violate the law and the
garbage regulations by mixing their re-
fuse with their garbage in order to have
1t removed as garbage. When such a mix
ture is found the contractor for the re-
moval of garbage is not obliged to handle
it, and when he refuses it is either cast
into the public alleys or it is hauled through
in
iHg its foul and disease-breeding odors as
it goes.
The Objectionable Odors.
Again, there are citizens who are not
able to hire an ash man, and the conse-
GGence is that ashes, mixed with decaying
matter, tin cans and other Objectionable
refuse, are allowed to accumulate until
complaint of the foul odors emanating
therefron IS made to the health depart
ment, and. as is frequently the case, when
such delinauents are forced TO remove the
same and are not able to hire some one TO
do the work, the refuse is moved from the
house or back yard only to the public
alley, to be finally removed at the expense
of the appropriation for street cleaning
1t does not seem right to use money ap-
propriated for street cleaning to pay for
the removal of ashes ana rubbish but we
have, nevertheless, quite an amount of ii
to do, and l respectfully submit that an
independent appropriation should be made
for such work, as is the case in other
cities, and that it should be done under
proper regulations.
1T costs annually s2,GO2. 80 TO remove the
ashes from the public school buildings. the
police and the fire departments This
work, in connection with such removals
from all public institutions and private
dwellings, should be done under one SUPER
VISION and be paid for out of one appro-
prlatlon, 1Rurfng thereby better results at
less cost to the city than are had under the
present unsatisfactory and unhealthy
methods
Regulations and Methods
With regard to regulations and methods
for removing ashes, l would suggest that
before attempting the work card of
printed regulations, similar to those gov
ernlng the removal of garbage be distrib-
uted to each householder. In this way the
citizens would know just what is required
OF them. and. by working in harmony with
the department. satisfactory results would
be attained, The card of regulations
should specify the kind of receptacle Civ
ing dimensions or capacity, said receptacle
to be furnished by the citizens, and in no
case should its capacity exceed 100 pounds
for the reason that one man could not
handle greater amount. The receDtacle
when filled, should be placed in the alley
or in some other convenient place. on the
day designated for removal In this way
no time would be lost in waiting to have
ten1oD of the residents interested.
The city should be divided into four di-
visions, according to the number of habi-
tations, and an inspector, with propor-
tionate number of men, horses and carts
placed in charge of each division. Each
division should be subdivided into six sec
tions. one section for each working day of
the week. each to be taken up on the same
day of every week in regular order thus
enabling the citizens to be ready for the
ash cart. as they would know just when
to expect it.
Covered Carts Suggested.
The ashes should be removed in covered
carts. to prevent the dust from blowing
over the streets and into the faces OF peo-
pie passing by. In this way the ashes
could be utilized for filling and extending
streets that are below grade, instead
of being dumped in the public alleys,
streets or vacant lots. in violation OF the
police regulations. They might also be
used to help fill in the marshes and flats of
the Eastern branch which would be BEN
eft to the District as well as to the gen.
eral government"
The Commissioners are understood to
heartily approve of municipal removal of
ashes. and it Is expected that in their an
nual estimates TO be submitted to Congress
for the next fiscal year they will include
those submitted today by Mr.. Stutler and
Ta .Szy. h