Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-08-04
SWEEPING STREETS
Commissioner Ross Report Upon the
Result of Hearings.
FACTS JUSTIFY CONTRACT SUSPENSION
This VIII Not Now Be Done, but
viii on Further Delinquency.
CONTRACTORS NOTIFIED

90 n L II A CIO II . N III q b ~
The District Commissioners, as intimated
would be the case in yesterdays Star, to-
day approved recommendation of Com
missioner Ross that Messrs. Daggett &
Dugan, who hold the contract for cleaning
the streets by the hand system be notified
that the Commissioners have concluded
that the charges preferred against them by
Mr.. Warner Stutler, the superintendent of
the street cleaning department. have been
sustained. The Commissioners also, upon
the recommendation of Commissioner Ross,
who has immediate supervision of the street
cleaning department, decided to notify the
contractors that, while the contract with
them will not now be suspended and others
employed to do the work. the Commission
ers will not hereafter hesitate to take such
prompt and decisive action looking to the
apnument of the contract If repeated and
willful disregard of the essential require
ments of the contract are reported to them.
MIR. Ross Recommendation.
Mr.. Ross recommendations were en-
Bodied in the following report to his ssso-
ciates, a copy of which was Today for
warded to Messrs Daggett & Dugan:
"On July II, 1899, a written statement was
submitted to the Commissioners by the su-
perintendent of street cleaning containing
specific allegations that the contractors for
the hand-cleaning of the streets and ave-
nues of the District for the year ending
July l, 1900 had failed to perform their
contract according to its terms. and rec
commended that the contractors be called
upon to show cause why the contractors
should not be suspended and other parties
employed to do the work
by order of the Commissioners copy of
tnls written statement was duly served
upon the contractors, with notice to them
TO snow cause as requested by July 81 1899.
ON that date a written reply to said
charges was filed by the contra ctors with
request that they be heard before the board
of Commissioners. The hearing so requested
was mad in the board room of the District
building on August l and ., 1899. at which
nearing Judge j. NJ. Wilson appeared for
the contractors, and witnesses, not under
oath, were examined in behalf of the con-
tractors and of the District res1ectiveIv
An argument in behalf of the contractors
was submitted by Judge Wilson and on the
part OF the street cleaning department by
superintendent Stutler
The Charges Made,
Substantially the charges were as fol-
lows:
"F'irst-That there was want of proper
equipment of bag carriers, etc.
with regard to this charge it was adj
AAAN''N ~ Ihc toHlIdClOTS at the nearing
that bag carriers had not been fully sup
piled to the force until about the 18th of
July. They stated, however, that they had
given an order to manufacturer, APP
proved by the superintendent, in time for
proper delivery, and that the manufacturer
mad failed to deliver at the time expected
1t is not considered by the Commissioners
that any valid excuse was given for the
non-equipment of the force with bag car
rlers prior to the list of July, inasmuch as
the contract was awarded to Messrs Dag
sett Il Dugan on the 18th of April seventy
seven days prior to the time of the insttu-
tlon OF the work under the contract But
lnaSmuch as these bag carriers are now
practically supplied, it is not deemed neces-
sary to devote more attention to this
charge.
The second charge, that not enough men
are employed to properly perform the work
Is. in the opinion of the Commissioners
fully sustained by the proofs relating to
that and to the third allegation, with re-
gard TO the large area assigned to some of
the employees of the contractors. 1t was
shown at the hearing that one of the patrol
men paid another man out of his own wages
In order to complete his work on time The
foremen of the contractors admitted that
many of the men failed to thoroughly clean
the area assigned to them by noon, as re-
CURED by the most liberal construction of
the contract; and the reports of the District
inspectors and by the police force show
that large areas have not been cleaned at
all on certain days.
AS to the fourth charge, the contractors
admit that they did not supply the men
with appliances known as squeegees
"As to the fifth statement that certain
foremen had instructed the contractors
men TO skip over certain spaces, the evil
dence is conflicting. An employee who had
resigned, because, as he stated, he could
not obey the orders given him, testified
that he had been instructed. The fore
en- employed denied that they had given
such instructions. The Commissioners do
not regard this charge proven beyond
doubt.
Charge number six, that the contractors
had failed to pay weekly, as had been the
custom under the former contract was
answered by the contractors with state
ment that they had notified the men that
only two payments per month would be
made under this contract: and that the
payment due on the 18th of July was post
poned by the failure of the District 20 pay
on that date, about which time a strike
had occurred among the street-clea Ming
employees This matter is not deemed by
the Commissioners to be of great moment
in this controversy. An alleged part pay
ment to the men in goods was admitted by
the contractors, who declared their inten-
ton to pay only in cash hereafter
Aside from the formal charges pre-
ferred, the fact developed at the hearing
That there had been q constant failure on
the part of the contractors men to Sprin-
kle the street surface, as required by the
contract. The contractors alleged that
their instructions in that regard had been
persistently violated by their employees.
Facts Justify Suspension
THE facts as found by the Commission
ers upon the issues presented would, in
their opinion, justify an immediate sus-
pension of the contract; but, inasmuch as
but only one month of the contract year
has expired, and in view of the statements
of Judge Wilson and his clients that the
contractors are DESTROYS of avoiding the
shortening Shown in the hearing referred
to to have thus far occurred, and that they
are willing to accept the construction of
the contract placed upon it by the Com
misSionerS, it would seem that no valid in.
terest of the District would be injured by
giving the contractors an opportunity to
redeem the pledges so publicly made
"A clause (section 81 of the contract
specifications is as follows: The sweeper
or patrolman will thoroughly clean such
area may be assigned to him, going over
the entire surface in the morning, after