Evening star., 1898-12-05
commissioners have included an item for
that purpose in their estimates for 19oO
Public Play Grounds.

commissioners nave included item for
that purpose in their estimates for 19O1
Public Play Grounds.
The Commissioners feel that the public
should provide play grounds for cities.
where youthful freedom of action is not
only restricted by lack Of available area for
outdoor games. but where the general sa fe-
ty aud comfort require that many of sucn
diversions be prohibited on the streets.
The spaces in the city and suburbs where
sports and pastimes in the open air NAV
be permitted are becoming fewer and
smaller with each successive year and the
opportunities for the municipality to ac-
quire without prohibitive cost tracts with
in the city sufficiently large for the pur-
pose have practically passed
The reclaimed ground at Potomac Park
embraces locations readily adaptable at
moderate expense for public outdoor field
diversions; while the basins in addition to
bathing beach accommodate ton, would ad-
init of the establishment of public facilities
Tor rowing and sailing under municipal
regulation and surveillance.
Disbursing officer.
The Commissioners have been greatly
pleased with the results attained through
the enlarged powers vested in the disburs-
ing officer by the District appropriation act
for the fiscal year 1899. They have heen re-
lieved of great deal of unnecessary and
merely routine labor thereby, and have been
enabled to give their entire time to the
more important public demands, without
the haraSSlng Interruptions and postnone-
mentS, caused by the perfunctory necessity
OF signing checks, to which they We're pre-
viousy subjected The employees have since
been Paid twice month in cash. instead
of monthly by check : before, and CITIZENS
having business with the District have been
paid with a promptness which was imp os-
Sible under the previous system.
Street Cleaning.
The contract for sprinkling, sweening ard
cleaning of the streets and avenues OF the
District will expire on June 80, 1899 This
contract was limited to a term of two
years, the Commissioners believing that at
the end of that time they would be able to
demonstrate to Congress the advisabiity
OF aboishing the contract system and have
the entire work of cleaning the streets,
avenues and alleys done by day labor under
their direct control The attention of Con-
Sless has been heretofore invited to the
eninently satisfactory results attained by
the Misunderstanding system here, and the ad
visibility of substituting it in lieu of the
cthtract system thr, u@hnuJ the District.
In order that 4 comparison might be
made of the relative costs and results of
the contract hand cleaning and the day
labor without contract systems, Congress,
IN the act making appropria tions to pro-
Vlde for the expenses of the government of
the District of Columbia for the fiscal year
ending June 30, 1899, included an item APP
propTiating $l3,Go to be expended under
the immediate direction of the Commits
sloners,' and directed that the accounts
thereof be so kept to show the COM
parative cost of the hand sweeping by day
labor and under contract"
After a four months trial under this pro-
vision, beginning July |, 1s9S the supern
tendent of street cleaning reports that he
mas cleaned daily :ioS 512 square wards or a
total of 2951S,G39 square yards of street
having, at n total cost of S. Cos. 60. which
IS at the rate of triffe less than ~ 1-3
cents per thousand square yards. The con-
tractors price fO' the same kind of work
; - cents per thousand square yards. The
superintendent also states that during this
year under the provision above quoted the
District viii sweep by the hand-cleaning
method, at cost of $l5,obn, an area equal
% that swept by the contractor at a cost
70 the District of $2i,2l2S1.
1t should he also stated in this cOnnec-
lion that the contractor pays his laborers
IN the Misunderstanding work 81 per day. while
the District has paid them for the same
work $1.21 per day No stronger argumen:
IN favor of the abolition of the present sys-
TEN of contract work could be made.
The contractors price for machine clean
ing is I:-i cents per thousand square
yards; and it will be observed that the cost
Of hand-cleaning by day labor without con-
tract 90 1-3 cents is more than q cents per
thousand square yards cheaper. Under the
hand-cleaning system the streets have been
kept much cleaner and more presentable
during the busy hours Of day; there are no
clouds of dust swept and thrown in the
faces of pedestrians, and no noisy, bolster
Gus gangs Of men Fattling carts and
sweeping machines in the middle of the
night. At the same time, more of our wOr-
thy labOring men are given employment and
at better wages, under the hand-cleaning
than under the notwithstanding method.
Petitions and requests OF representative cltf-
zens for the extension of the hand-Cleaning
system have been so numerous and the
results of the operation of that system
here have been so highly satisfactory, that
the Commissioners are convinced that the
entire area of the improved streets and
avenues should be cleaned by hand labor
under direct municipal control without the
intervention of a contractor.
Some comment has been made upon the
appearance of the streets during the early
morning hours. before the accommodations
of the previous night have been removed
by the street cleaning force. This accumu-
latiOn has been practically unavoidable
during the past six Inonths, for the reason
that it was necessary, in order to enable
the authorities to make comparison with
the work of the contractor, to have the
Districts employees work exactly as those
of the contractor. 1t is believed, however,
that if the street cleaners began to work
earlier, as to have the accumulations
moved before business hours the streets
of Washington wouid present the appear
ance which every citizen should desire.
MiIitia.
The Commissioners reiterate the follow
ing recommendation in their annual report
for the fiscal year 1897, relative to the Dis
trict militia:
THE existing law requires that all leases
and contracts involving expenditures on ac-
count of the militia shall be made by the
Commissioners of the District of Columbia;
and appropriations for the militia. shall be
disbursed only upon vouchers duly author
lied by the Commissioners, for which they
shall be held strictly accountable
The great responsibility hereby imposed
upon the Commissioners is without any COR
responding control over the use of any of
the money so appropriated All expendi-
lures of the District government arc made
upon itemiZed acquisitions carefully pre-
pared and approved by the heads of the
departments making the same, through the
property clerk or the superintendent Cf
property and the Commissioners through
these officers have direct knowledge and
control to the minutest detail of the me-
In the matter of disbursements by the mi
ltia a requisition for bulk sum is ex-
pended by the officers of the militia with
out consultation with, supervision over .er
other control whatever by officers appoint
ed or responsible to the Commissioners.
THE Commissioners, in view of this fact,
and in consideration of the further fact
that the militia is more properly a branch
of the War Department, recommend that
they be relieved of the responsibility afore-
said, and that the entire supervision and
control of the militia be vested in the Sec