The times., 1898-08-02

conquer Wllikn. 10 stay IN the IN
ception the germ-breeding refuse with
which the city is Uttered daily, in order
that, through cleanliness. health shall be
preserved, happiness intensified and pride
of streets and byways made to rank with
pride OF home and fireside. After all, a
great city is merely a big family in which
all must work together for the general
good, for on the success of each depends
the welfare of all.
Some streets and alleys require more
attention than others, and it does not
follow that. because certain streets are
swept more frequently than others prop
erty owners on these streets ought to pay
a special tax for such additional atten-
ton. For instance the business portions
are travelled by the whole community and
everybody assists in making these parts
OF the city dirty; and they should, there
fore help 10 keep them clean, as they are
no doubt gratifed to find while traversing
| them that they are in a cleanly condition.
III my opinion. the problem of street
cleaning is one more of organization
than of anything else. 1t requires the
same sort of ability as is required and
| found in large transportation companies
and other corporations employing great
bodies of men. Its technical details are
| comparatively simple, and require no ex-
tended knowledge of engineering orbother
science, though there is, doubtless, room
for improvement in the mechanical ap-
pliances now employed. We will watch
the progress of invention in such ap-
pliances, experiment with them and re-
commend such as are useful"
The amount OF money appropriated for
all the work done by the department last
year was S140.0G8 for work; s2i,eo0 for
salaries, and S10e1 for the removal Of
snow and ice making a total of S165, 900
The entire amount was expended with
the exception of j few dollars.
BY means of the machine sweeping
under contract at q 3-4 cents per 1000
square yards 2iO.521 ,7SS square yards of
surface were cleaned, involving the re-
moval of % 5,256 cubic yards of debris. at
cost of s61 SO. 35-f On account of inferior
work s26S.11 was deducted.
The report speaks of the machine
sweeping in the following manner:
-Four inspectors were employed on
this class of work, their duties being to
follow the machines while at work, see
that the streets scheduled were swept.
note any inferior work done by the con-
tractor and report. One of the important
duties of the superintendent is to drive
over the route in the early morning after
it has been swept. to see If the work has
been done properly; upon his observations
and the report of the inspectors. allow
ance is made for the area cleaned at the
contract rate also deductions for inferior
work at the same rate.
1.-The principal provision of the contract
bv which the contractor is forced to do
good work is by making deductions for
inferior work.
The statement of the work done under
the hand-labor system shows that in 26S
working days, with an average force of
1rrC
cubic yards of debris were removed from
11S, 372 square yards OF surface, at a
cost of 1859.
The report refers to the cleaning or
alleys in part, as follows:
Next in Importance to the improved
streets and avenues come the improved
alleys Although they are not promi-
nent. vet it is very important that they
be kept clean, for the reason that the
sanitary condition of the city depends
largely upon the cleanliness or unciean-
illness of the alleys. The funds for This
branch of the service being limited
and the contract rate high, viz, 80 cents
per 900 square yards. they could only
be cleaned once per week. when
they should be cleaned at least
twice per week. Although the
service was not a satisfactory one, the
people have not complained, knowing
that it was the best possible for the mon
ey available for that purpose, and at the
same time better than for former years.
1.-THE force employed by the contractor
during the year was: Twenty-three la
borers. six horses and carts with drivers
and three one-horse sprinklers. The num-
ber of days worked during the year was
254: average area cleaned per day, ,3SC
square wards, at a cost of S+i.61 per day.
The contract rate for the current year
is s4.O6 less per LOCO square yards than
for the fiscal year 1898, which will enable
us to give better service.
Supt. Stuttler speaks of the sweeping OF
,,nirnproyed streets In the following man
ner:
s'This branch of the service deals not
only with the unimproved streets of the
city proper, but a large area outside OF
the boundary, including lexington, Wash
ington Heights, and Anacostia, also a
number of cobble and rubble paved streets
too rough to sweep by machine.
This work is Done under contract In
connection with that of cleaning the un-
imnroyed alleys and Center Marke,.; con-
tract being to furnish 81 laborers. l.
horses and carts. and tools for the sum OF
$50 per day; with provision to furnish
extra laborers horses, and carts, at 81
and s.. 10 respectively, when ordered by the
commissioners An equal division of said
force into gangs, after deducting la
borers for the market gives laborers and
2 horses and carts to each gang, OF
which are employed on unimproved streets
at a cost of S4S.75 per day, on unimproved
aileys at s9.75. and laborers at the mar
ket at s4 per day.
THE five gangs are assigned to different