Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-07-21

claiming thai many of the contractors men
are reqsred to clean 1900 to $50 .'quare
yards per day. None of them has o. such
task. The average is less than 5000 square
yards per man, and Mr. Stutlcr admits
there are 100 men employed in sweeping.
The average daily route is / 200 900 square
yards, In cleaning which 1J5 men are en-
ployed, which gives less than 5000 square
yards per man.
Regarding the squeegee. nothing had
ever been heard of any complaint that it
was not used by the contractors until this
report was made Not a word of inquiry
or suggestion that they would be relr:ireu.
The contractors have a large number of
them on hand, provided two years ago, bu;
their use had never been required. If they
ever are of any use it is only when slush
and loose ice are on the streets, and they
never have been used. even for that either
by the District or contractors.
superintendent Stutler asserts that the
contractors are short at least fifteen men.
Ills they deny and assert that they have
more men than are requisite to clean the
streets.
THE only report of Superintendent Slut
Ter at hand shows that with thirty-six men
he cleaned 30S,512 square yards daily, or
tractors are cleaning 7,741 square yards
per man. Notwithstanding the fact that
some of the dirtiest streets in the city
have been added to the schedule.
Statement Denied.
Mr.. Stutler is mistaken in saying that
Mr.. Daggett ever said he would not en-
ploy any more men. No such assertion
was ever made by Mr.. Daggett and Mr.
Suffers statement probably grew out of
the fact that Mr. Daggett claimed that the
number of men employed rests with the
contractors and not with the superintend-
ent. He may pronounce upon the quality
OF the work, but not upon the number of
men employed In any event, it is not
true that there were not enough men en-
ployed. Mr.. Suffers figures of work per-
formed by him prove this. If he had con-
nnued to clean the streets as before, TAX
ing MS former average he would have re-
quired only al men to clean the present
route, or fourteen less than are now en-
pioyed by the contractors, by reason of
his forced construction of the contract,
from which the contractors appeal.
THE contractors deny that any instruc-
items have ever been given the men, either
by the foreman or by any other employee
of the contractors, to skip over their work
contrary, the contractors assert that the
men have always been instructed that they
were to clean up all the dirt.
THE contractors submit that Superin-
tendent Stutler was aware that on the 1st
of July or prior thereto the contractors de-
cided thereafter to pay their men on the
lst and 18th of the month, thus conform
ing to the District pay day. All their men
We're employed under such an agreement,
nearly one-quarter of them having been
employed during the past year by Mr..
Stutler on the same terms. Not man
complained and no one expected to be paid
on the 18th instant. But they were disap-
pointed at not being paid on the 18th, when
Mr.. Stuter refused to issue a voucher as
had been his custom without exception
under the former contract. Mr.. Stutler did
not assign as a reason for refusal that the
men had not been paid on the Sth instant
He did say that Commissioner Ross told
him not to issue a voucher, as the work
was reported by Mr.. Stutler as being I'M
satisfactory, Mr.. Stutler thus placing him
self ON record as having cut off more work
in fifteen days than had been cut off in
seven years previous, and then refusing to
pay for what he admitted had been done.
The Company store.
'If the men We're ever notified that they
could get provisions from the store, it was
when payment for the work performed had
been refused The contractors deny that
they have ever required any men to trade
in this store, or have in any way violated
the regulation quoted. The contractors are
prepared to show that this store never has
been source of profit, and was not started
for that purpose. They assert that the
men purchased there cheaper than they
elsewhere, and that they are at perfect lib
erty to do as they please about it. 1t has
simply resulted in a better service, as they
are prepared to show.
They admit that the superintendent has
since July 1 deducted from the contrac-
tors earnings 1886. They deny that he had
any right 10 do So They assert that his
without Justification, and they further as
sert that they have complied with the pro-
visions Of the contract. AS Mr.. Stutler
does not specify any orders that have been
issued by him or his inspectors that have
not been obeyed, no specific answer can be
made to this several charge.
The written report of Inspector Dubant
the contractors have not seen and do not
know its contents. They reserve the right
to answer ii ii there is anything in it that
requires an answer
They conclude this reply by DENYING
that from July / to the date of Mr. Slut
lers report the contractors have violated
the contract
Hours of Sweeping.
declined to permit Superintendent Stutler to
1870 am and begin patrolling, an authori-
ty not vested in him, he has assumed the
position that every solid inch of the
streets, to use his inspectors words must
be swept before L. clock, and that the
broom man must push his broom over
every inch OF pavement, no matter whether
it is perfectly clean or not The contractors
deny his right to enforce any such proyi-
sion which has led to this con1 ention They
are prepared to show that they have done
and are doing this work as we'll if not bet
ter, than 1t was done before, and they re-
spect1ully request that they may be given
hearing Before the honorable Commission
ers, where they may produce witnesses to
prove their assertions.
The contractors further state that thew
have this day placed in the hands of their
superintendent, j. S. La Rowe, the moneys
full up to the 18th day of july 1899 and
that said payments are now being made
Germany's White Elephant.