The times., 1898-08-02
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. ssz3s!S1ss sl!3lllsl{lIl

| sections of the city, each in charge of an
| inspector, whose duty Ii is TO see that
the roadway is kept clean, the drama ge
OF the cutters clear and free from weeds
ana grass; also TO attend TO complaints,
IL there are any that need attention.
by consulting the table it will be seen
that this comparatively small force has
Kept a large area clean during the year.
and thereby rendered valuable service. as
many Of the unimproved streets are To-
Gated in the most densely populated sec
! tions of the city.
Ihat the force is inadequate to do the
work properly is apparent for the reason
tnat they are only able 10 go over the
territory once in two weeks The force
should be strengthened so as to enable
them to cover the area once in ten DAYS
| During the year Sf,07S.49 was expended on
account of extra labor horses and carts
provided for in the contracts under the
head of extra work, but not included in
the daily rate.
To keep the unmproved alleys clean is
difficult task, and one that requires spe-
eial pains: for the reason that a great
many of them are so narrow that horse
and cart can not be gotten into them
| the laborers having TO scrape the filth
10 the entrance, or carry ii out in small
receptacles. 1t is into this class of alleys
that most all of the filth and rubbish
from adjacent premises finds its way:
besides being made a dumping ground for
the scayenger or ash man, in defiance of
police and sanitary regulations.
This work is done under contract in
connection with that of unimproved street
work, at cost of 1915 per day for eight
laborers. two horses and carts, in charge
of one inspector.
This class of alleys is cleaned once in
seven days, the city having been laid out
in seven different routes and schedules
printed showing the number of alleys.
location and area TO be cleaned each
day.
The statement relative to the work done
at the Center Market is as follows:
While the force employed, with cost
of same, on this class of work is very
small, yet from a sanitary standpoint,
1t is the most important of any work of
the department.
THE territory TO be kept clean is the
streets around the market with those
adjacent thereto. The traffic on those
streets is very heavy and OF a character
that produces large quantities of refuse
which is of such nature that the most
thorough cleaning is necessary. The
streets are so roughly paved that it is
almost impossible TO keep them clean:
having been originally paved with rub
bic, over twenty years ago, and patched
from time to time with hump-shouldered
cobblestones, until at present it is fun
of holes and ruts. into which devayed veg
etable matter gathers.
ITO keep these streets clean is diff
cult, not only from the condition of the
pavement, but from the fact that they
are always crowded with wagons and
carts, If they could be paved with
material which would present a smooth
surface, they could be flushed in con-
nection with brooming, which would en-
able us TO keep them Clean
The report then speaks of the sprinkling
of the unimproved streets and roads and
says:
Although comparatively small sum
has been expended on this class of work
the service has been appreciated by not
only the citizens living on these streets
and roads, but by those who drive over
them.
THAT the sprinkling of these streets
and roads during the Summer months has
been appreciated has been shown by the
absence of complaints. that homes are
invaded by dust, persons blinded with il
while driving over them, etc. Another
benefit derived from sprinkling is the pro-
lection of the road bed.
"As is shown in the table we expended
e.
For the current year $1,000 is available,
which will enable US to sprinkle a few
more streets than we were able to do
last year. To do this work properly we
should have an appropriation of $1,000
The report concludes as follows:
Snow and ice work-This class is done
under provision of the contract for
machine cleaning, which provides that
payment for the necessary force shall be
at the market rate, with an allowance
of 10 per cent extra for tools. During
the Winter of 1895 the sum of S9.0SS was
expended for the removal of snow and
ice The Winter of 1896, being very mild
only $500 20 was expended. Tn 1897 81, ,949 II
was paid.
'eThe work being an unknown quantity
we cannot estimate for the amount neces-
sary. Prior to the act of March, 1897,
| governing the removal of snow and ice,
| in which an appropriation of $1,000 was
made, the work was paid for out of the
general fund for this department Dur
| ing the past Winter it cost $1,139.n to re-
move the snow and ice from the business
streets alone, which was $139.71 more than
| the amount appropriated said excess
| having been paid out of the general emer-
gency fund.
I'm order that we may be prepared to
meet any emergency we should have for
this work an appropriation of at least
as might be found necessary, should be
available only for this purpose.
"Public dumps-Under this head four
teen laborers are employed, at sl.50 pei
diem. or at a total cost of s., ,949.5o per
annum The public dumps are located
in different sections of the city, each in