Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-01-09
EFFECT OF AN AMENDMENT
Increase in Pay May Work Abolition of q
Contract.
Matter of Cleaning the Streets-Con'
tractor Organs Comment Upon
Action of the Senate.

It is believed that the provision inserted
by the Senate Saturday in the District ap-
preparation bill directing the District Com
missioners to hereafter provide in the speci-
fcations for street cleaning that the men
employed on the work shall not be paid
less than S1.2j a day, will result in the
performance of this work by the District.
Such is evidently the belief of Mr.. Michael
a. Dugan, the business associate of Mr..
Albert Daggett, present contractor, judging
from remarks attributed to him in an in
terview Mr.. Dugan had with Mr.. Warner
Stutler, the superintendent of the District
street and alley cleaning department This
interview took place in Mr.. Suffers office
at the District building Saturday afternoon
shortly after the Senate's passage of the
District bill
As has been stated in The Star, the Dis
trict appropriation act for the current fiscal
year provided the sum of $4,000 to be ex-
pended by the District Commissioners In
cleaning certain streets of the city by hand
This work has been done under the direc-
ton of Mr.. Stutler, by men employed by
the District they being paid S1.25 a day,
and the cost of the work being a fraction
less than 20 cents per 900 square yards
The Alleged Rates.
1t is alleged by Mr.. Stut1er that the con-
tractors pay their men but 81 day, and
that the District is paying Messrs.
Daggett Dugan 80 cents per 1000 square
yards for work done by hand. AS stated
in Saturdays Star, an amendment, said to
have been suggested by the contractors
was made by the Senate committee on ap-
preparations to the District appropriation
bill for the coming fiscal year, prohibiting
the District Commissioners from paying
more than - cents per 1000 square yards
for cleaning the streets after July /, 1879,
whether done by hand or by machines.
When this item in the bill was reached
in the Senate Saturday afternoon an amend
ment, suggested by Mr.. Stutler, directing
the Commissioners to insert in the specif-
cations for such work a stipulation that
the men employed on the work shall be
paid not less than s1.25 day, was adopted.
Mr.. Dugan Becomes Excited.
1t is said that Immediately after learning
of this, Mr.. Dugan visited Mr.. Stutler in
the latter's office in the District building,
and in an excited manner said to Mr.. Slut
Ter:
Il did not suppose you would fight US as
you have in this matter
Il simply did what l conceived TO be my
duty" was Mr.. Suffers reply. IT the
District has done, and is now doing this
work for less than twenty CENTS a thous-
and square yards, paying the men twenty
five cents a day more than you are, you
certainly ought to be willing TO pay them
what the District does"
Well said Mr.. Dugan, you have Killed
us in this matter But he continued, Il
have the House conferees fixed, and I'll bet
you 500. and both of YOU" Disbursing Of
ficer Darneilla being present, that FL have
this provision stricken out in conference"
That" calmly replied Mr. Stutler, is
matter for the conference committee to
decide, and not for me-
Mr.. Dugan, whose excited manner is said
to have attracted the attention of a num-
her of emDlOVaS of the District. then de.
parted.