The herald., 1898-08-31
FOR CLEANER STREETS
QUESTION OF HAND SWEEPING
AGAIN BROUGHT UP
CITY OFFICIALS CRITICISED
Business Men Discuss the Relative
Merits of Different Methods and
Benefits to Be Derived

The mass meeting called by w. H. Hola-
bird at the assembly room Of the chamber
Of commerce yesterday afternoon to con-
slider the subject of street cleaning was not
very largely attended, but proved to be
quite enthusiastic and drew out an anil
mated discussion. Mr.. Holabird called the
meeting to order and presented the follow
ing paper:
Agitation and discussion of a subject W.
tai to our general welfare is proper and the
privilege of any citizen. That the business
streets of Los Angeles are dirty, that the
present so-called cleaning is a farce, no
sane person will attempt to deny. From
time to time during the last three years
the newspapers of Los Angeles have called
the attention of the city council and the
city officials directly responsible for the
condition of the streets to their deplorable
character, and have pleaded and demanded
clean streets. The disregard shown by
the mayor and the council to the just de-
mands made upon them by the press has
led to attempts by a civic body and by
your humble servant to bring about q
speedy reform.
The city government claims that there Is
not a sufficient amount of money appro-
priated to hand-sweep the streets, hence
hand-sweeping cannot be put into effect
without private aid. Next to an efficient
police, and Ito the credit Of Chief Glass
there seems to be no cause for complaint)
the cleanliness Of our streets Is Of the high
est Importance in the details Of the gov
eminent of the city.
Sweeping has been done by contract since
December l. 1896, and probably prior to that
date. have not examined into that mat
ter. The health officer at salary OF $240O
per annum has supervision over the con-
tractor. The contract provides that 1t can
be Cancelled at any time and hand-sweeping
be undertaken.
During all the past years of filthy streets
the claim has been made and Is still made
by the members of the council that the city
has not the money to defray the expenses
of hand-sweeplng. I would like to ask the
honorable council why In preparing the
flnacial budget this very important matter
was not provided for. 1t was certainly
known that the machine sweeping force
was not satisfactory to the people. claim
that II the money appropriated and paid
out In street work of all kinds was intelli-
gently expended according to modern ideas
there would be no occasion for calling for
financial aid from the merchants, nor
would the filthy streets disgust the resi-
dent or the stranger within our gates.
The city pays out for salaries, contracts,
paving, grading and other expenses, per
year, $154,S70.07. From December 1, 1896, to
December /, 1897, the city paid for machine
sweeping alone $21,15744 From December
i, 1897. to August "a, 1898, $13, 56273
So far as making the streets cleaner is
concerned, the money might better have
hAAn iept III the treasury.
Who Is responsible?
First charge the mayor OF the city with
neglect OF his official duties under the
charter as the executive head OF the city.
1t is his duty to see that the laws and or
dinances are enective. He Is not paid the
salary OF $500 per month to promote the
welfare OF the state at large, or to run a
defined by the charter. SO far as street
sweeping Is concerned ne mas grossly neg
iected them. me members OF the city
couhcil-Messrs. urloer, Ashman' Bianch-
aro' Mathuss ana Hutchlson-are censured
ny al WIG oehhanu cream streets lor Young
10 repeal the nltching ordnance, which
PROMISED 81 lnucn III the way OF keeping the
streets decent. IL may De tnat the tax levy
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~ s,ooo NAVY ~ the sma1,er n,ercbants
c.rnot afrord n nav an edd,t,oraI ann, ~
seo nor annnm One large drv goods borsa
sa,d. eva ofrered IN nav * ana would
rather give AK per month r. we cannot have
cIean streets without" He said the dust
was worse than in. any CITY he had ever
lived. in; II ruins his counters. his goods
and hurts his trade. Another merchant
says he has to close his doors when the gut
ter sweeper "half does his work. In front
Of his establishment.
Whatever good has been accomplished in
the way of advertising the city of Los An
geles-and who can estimate 1.-THE mer-
chants, hotel keepers and professional men
have footed the bill. 1t seems unjust to as
sess them $4,000 per year to perform work
that should be done by the city and at the
general expense.
1t may be that the work can only be done
BY private subscription and under private
rrarooerert b,t 70 vuoh IL 80 ~. t6.
council should cancel all sweeping machine
coutracts and show IN tho suffarino tow