The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1898-08-05
SPRINKLE VS.. SWEEP.
Mayor Hoos' Eyes Opened
by Traction Manager
Young's Letter.
CONTRACTOR HARRINGTON BLAMED
Some Streets Dirtier After
aCleaning" Than Before--
Water Too Dear
to Scatter.

The answer of General Manager DAVID
Young of the North Jersey Traction
Company. refusing to sprinkle the streets
unless the city supplies free water, mas
nettled Mayor Hoos. The Mayor As not
SO displeased with Mr.. Young as ne ls
with certain busines men who uninten-
tionallv gave him wrong "
was on fhes representation of business
men that Mayor Hoos asserted that the
trolley companies of Paterson and Brook
lvn sprinkled streets used by them. The
Mayor had no means of ascertaining II
the was correct and.conse-
auentlv took it for granted that what
was told him had been learned by com
munication with officials of other cities.
In future, the Mayor says, he viii exer-
else more care and investigate the truth
of information before he commits him
self to 1t.
General Manager Young says the com
panies Of Paterson and Brooklyn do NOT
sprinkle the streets except under certain
conditions, and the Mayor has found TINS
to be true. MI. Young's statement that
there would be no dust nuisance II the
streets of this city were cleaned as they
are in .sother civilized communities dad
not displease the Mayor.
ST cannot agree with Mr.. Young on that
point.o he said. The city makes quite
a liberal allowance for street cleaning,
but the work is miserably and carelessly
done. The streets could be kept in much
better condition If a closer watch were
kept on the street cleaner"
The Mayor sent Mr.. Young's letter to
the Street and Water Commissioners and
he UNDERSIGNED the paragraphs relating
TO the filthy condition of the streets. The
Mayor also proposes advising the Conf
rnissioners to look over the schedule OF
streets to be swept under the contract the
city has with Thomas Harrington. me
Mayor expresses his belief that they are
not swept as often as required. There
are streets which should be swept once a
week which the Mayor contends are not
visited once a month.
When there was trouble about the
street sweeping last year, a plan was
adopted whereby "tabs' were kept on the
contractor. 1t provided that policemen
should report to their respective Cap
tairs every time a street on their post
was swept. For some weeks Mayor Hoos
has been ~endeavoring to get a report of
the work done by the street SWSSPUr Pos
to no avail. The Mayor intends demand
ing that a closer watch be kept on the
contractor and he is also going to sug-
gest that the police again assist in keep
ing "tabs" on the contractor. The Mayor,
too, will insist that the streets be swept
with more care. Instances have been
brought to his attention where streets
were dirtfer after being swept than they
were before. For such slovenly work the
Mayor contends ne payment should be
made.
with the money appropriated our
streets should be kept in fair condition,
said the Mayor. eff the work is properly
done there will be little or no room for
complaint about dust.
mo matter whether the Street and
Water Commissioners keep a closer watch
on the street work or not, I cannot con-
sistently agree to give the North Jersey
Company water with which to sprinkle
the streets free of charge. There is no
telling how much the company would use
and under the present arrangement water
costs too much to be scattered over the
streets. We will have to do the best We
can until the city is wealthy enough to
throw away water which costs from $40 to
$50 a million gallons.