The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-11-22
FAULTS OF THE AsHMAN.
A Complaint That the Service Is An.
nOying and Ineffective.

A Complaint That the Service Is An.
nOying and Ineffective.
W. c. Severn, of 21O First Street north
east. has sent communication to the
| Commissioners in which he complains OF
the failure of the employees of the con-
| tractor to collect ashes from barrels and
asks for ruling as to whether the driv-
ers can be required to remove ashes from
barrels. Mr.. Severn says it would seem
! from the methods employed by his en-
ployes that the sole object of the con-
| tractor is to SO disgust householders with
! their lack of attention, insolence, and
poor service that the latter would prefer
to pay for the removal of ashes, and al
low the contractor to draw pay for ser
vices his employees do not perform.
MIR. Severn states that he complained
once in the Office Of the Superintendent Of
Street Cleaning, and that the latter caused
the driver of wagon No. Is to do his work
properly for few days. when it ended
He tells the Commissioners that he went
once more to the office Of the Superintend-
ent of Street Cleaning and was told by one
Of the men in the Office that ashes to be
collected must be put in metallic recepta-
cles. He states that he was also informed
that there was no objection to his going
back to the old way in having his ashes re-
moved by private parties. But Mr.. Severn
hesitated to do that when a contractor is
paid by the District for the service of re-
moving the ashes.
The Commissioners are Informed that
during the first month under the new con-
tract system no service whatever was
rendered in Mr. Severns neighborhood,
and ha declares that the service is now
avoided whenever possible. Mr.. Severn is
in doubt whether the service is leased out
on sanitary grounds or is intended to
promote the public safety from fire, or
whether 1t is done in the interests of
uniformity and cleanliness, but he in
sists that If it is done at all it ought to
be we'll done.
Mr.. Severn explains that he has
steam safety boiler and kitchen range
which combined yield about three or four
twenty gallon cans of ashes each week,
and he asks whether. if he is to receive
attention, he must purchase that number
of cans. He says that the men who han
die them are not at all careful in doing
SO, and he fears that the life of an ASH
can would be very brief.
In closing his letter Mr.. Severn asks for
a ruling on the point of the obligation Of
the collector to take up ashes deposited
III els
Warner Stutler. the Superintendent of
Street Cleaning, in reporting upon Mr..
Severn's complaint, states that the regu-
lations as well as the contract for collect
ing ashes provide that the householder, in
order to receive the service, must place
ashes in metal receptacles that can be
lifted by one man, capacity of said recep-
tacle not to exceed twenty gallons. Mr..
Stutler further states that from the re-
port Of his inspector as well as that of the
contractor 1t is evident that the collec-
lions have been regular, and that all ma
terial placed in proper receptacles has
been removed. Under the conditions OF
the contract" Mr.. Stutler says. I'VE can
not force the contractor to collect ashes |
from barrels or boxes, as it is shown was |
done on one occasion in the report of the |
inspector"
Commissioner Ross has approved the re-
port of Mr. Stutler with the recommends
ton to his associates that the complain
ant be informed in accordance Herewith.