Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-09-28


ance with the amount appropriated. Our
calculations are based upon the average
number of working days during the year,
and II the appropriation is small the sched-
ule must be arranged accordingly, whether
productive of good service or not. If the
total number of working days during the
year proves to be less than the estimated
number. which can only be ascertained near
the close Of the year, we have a balance;
but II more days are worked than the es-
innate called for the schedule must be re-
duced in order to avoid a deficit. 1t has
been the custom in former years, when. to-
ward the end of the year it was ascertained
that there would probably be a balance to
enlarge the schedules in order to prevent
such balance, for the reason that 1t was
believed by the superintendent that Con-
gress would not grant an increase in the
appropriation in case a balance should be
unexpended from the previous appropria-
ton L do not consider that to enlarge the
schedules during the last month of the year
Is productive OF good effect for the Tea-
son that when the people find their streets
frequently swept and kept thoroughly clean
curing the month of June, and in the next
month. the beginning of the new fiscal year
the old schedule is returned to, they are
greatly disappointed and blame the depart
ment for 1t. -s-.
ance shown in the above table was saved
from the special appropriations for the
snow and Ice work, and this amount will
be available and probably used during the
current year"
Comparative Statement.
"A comparison of the distribution made
of the appropriation for sprinkling, sweep
ing and cleaning, etc, among the various
branches Of the service for the current
year with that intended for the fiscal year
1901 shows a total for current year of
S145,OOO; total for 1901, s2O5,OOO
THE estimates for the fiscal year 1901.
with the exception of the amount asked for
snow and Ice work. are less than those sub
United for the current year, notwithstand-
Ing the fact that 100000 square yards Of
neWly-paved streets and between $4,000 and
1000 square yards of newly paved alleys
are added to the schedule annually. The
reduction In the estimates Is due to the
fact that a considerable reduction In the
contract rate for doing the work has been
gained.
My estimates are submitted after care
ful and painstakng calculations strictly
In Keeping with the amount of work neces-
sary 10 be done. and cannot be revised or
reduced without materially affecting the
service. Every resident of Washington
Is, and every American citizen should be,
proud of the capital city; and there Is no
work under the District government that
has more to do with the health, comfort
and beauty of the city, and the stimulating
of the pride of its citizens, than the keep
avenues clean, which, 1 am sorry to say,
has not yet been properly done and can
not be done with smaller appropriation
than that which have asked for
Violations of Regulations.
Mr.. Stutler explains his estimates, which
have been published in The Star, strongly
urging that the work of cleaning the Dis
trict be done by the municipality instead
of by contract, and concludes his report
follows:
1.-The most annoying obstacle arises from
all i.,l ttf,r,S nff ha
regulations, in the persstency with which
many of our householders, storekeepers,
marketmen and others sweep or throw
refuse of all kinds, such as banana and
orange Feelings, scraps of paper. bags,
boxes, tin cans, broken crockery, old
shoes, rags. broken bottles, etc, into the
streets and alleys. AS many of our streets.
avenues and alleys swept but once a
week, it is evident that many of them are
made filthy largely by this pernicious prac-
tice.
Many citizens have the mistaken idea
that when cleaning their front or back
yards they have right to cast into the
street alley whatever refuse may have
collected therein. They sometimes allow
such refuse and Objectionable matter to
accumulate on their premises until they are
forced by the health authorities to remove
the same; but this does not always end the
trouble, as complaints are continually being
made at this office of the dumping of this
filthy material upon our dumps and upon
vacant lots in the city.
In the year 1896 the Commissioners
recommended to Congress that sufficient
appropriation be made to destroy the com
bustble waste of the city, and | would
respectfully suggest that if such an appro-
priatiOn could be made and the ashes and
refuse could be collected by the District and
properly burned, it would be a wonderful
improvement. Our streets would then no
longer be Uttered up by such material; COM
plants of fires and offensive odors at the
dumps would cease, and the standard of
health for the city would be improved.
Source Of Complaints.
Another source of many complaints is
the dropping of dirt from carts and wagons
loaded with excavations. While some of
the contractors exercise commendable care
in keeping the streets over which their
hauling is done clean; there are man 9TH
ers who seem to forget the requirements of
the police regulations and neglect to make
even an attempt to keep the streets clean
MANY persons, in sweeping off their front
walks and sidewalks persist in sweeping
the dirt into the middle of the street and
if they would only learn to sweep it just
over the edge of the curb the streets would
present a much neater appearance and
fewer complaints would be made of dirty
streets.
Attention is invited to section 3 of the
snow and ice law, which requires the Com
missoners, after failure on the part of the
owner, agent tenant, to cause the
nova of snow and ice or any dirt, sand
gravel from all paved sidewalks and alleys
in the city of Washington and assess the
cost thereof as a tax against the property.
A recent decision of the Court of Appeals
has declared that the law applied to
agents is defective and l beg to suggest
that in section there is another defect, in
that it requires the Commissioners to do
certain work. and makes appropriation
whatever with which to carry it out. This
department has been called upon to use the
funds appropriated for street cleaning in
the enforcement of this law and | have
been compelled to decline to do the work
for the reason that We have not had suf-
fcient funds for the purpose and for the
further reason that do not believe it legal
ing in the enforcement of an entirely differ
ent act. l would suggest that, to make the
law effective, an appropriation be made of
so 600 with which to perform the work
quired by it,