The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-01-08

A few days ago The Times printed a re-
port of the Superintendent of the Street
Cleaning Department on the system of
hand-cleaning that has been inaugurated
during the past year in a small section OF
the city, as an experiment. under the I'M
mediate supervision of the Street Cleaning
Department. II was stated at that time
that the District could do the work much
cheaper than it could be done by contract,
and in order to prove the statement Super
intendent Stutler has prepared a COMPARE
sen OF the cost of the work as performed
by day labor under The direct supervision
OF the District and the sum paid for the
same work under tbs contract system. The
experiment of hand-sweeping was com
menced several years ago. but il has here
tofore been done by contractors at heavy
expense to the District, and last year was
the first time in the history of the city that
any portion of the work was done by the
District with its own employees. In his re-
port MIR. Stutler says:
The District appropriation act for the
fiscal year ending June 30, 1899 provided
that sum not exceeding SIS. 900 might be
expended out of the amount appropriated
for street cleaning for experimental hand
cleaning, under the immediate direction of
the Commissioners, without contract, with
a further provision that said SIS 600 shall
be SO expended and the accounts thereof SO
kept as TO show the comparative cost Of
Misunderstanding by day labor and under con-
tract. Preparatory TO commencing this
work, on July /, 1898, We made up a sched
ule of streets for daily hand-cleaning,
amounting to 30s.512 square yards. The
force employed TO clean said area was
thirty-eight men, at a salary of s1.25 per
diem, and four horses and carts with
drivers, al s1Fper diem each. necessary
outfit for doing the work was purchased, as
follows:
Thirty bag carriers. at SIS each, $3.50:
200 bags, at Z IL cents, BIS; dozen hand
sprinklers, at IS per dozen, 500; dozen
shovels, at $40 per dozen, s2s.s0; IL dozen
brooms, at 81 per dozen. s4S; dozen
clamps and -serapers, at IS per dozen, s24;
total. s5S5.Se. IL
The total area cleaned during the year
was 75,356,3s5 square yards at total cost,
including the outfit and all incidental ex-
penses, of s13,564S7, which is at the rate
of is cents per 1000 square yards.
"A comparison of the cost of hand clean |
ing by day labor without contract with |
that of the cost OF hand cleaning under |
contract, ! have thought might be OF in |
terest 10 you, and / therefore submit tie |
The contractors price for hand |
cleaning was 80 cents per 1000 square |
yards; whereas the cost OF the same work |
by day labor without contract. as shown |
by the foregoing statement, was is cents, |
or IA cents per 1000 square yards less than !
the cost of the work under contract. In |
other words, the actual cost, including incl |
dental expenses, to clean $685. square |
Yards daily from July !, 1898, to June 30, |
1899, a total area of 70 ,356,3s5 square yards |
Of street paving during the year was |
sl3,5s4.s7. An equal area cleaned under |
contract from July ], 1888. to June 30, 1899. !
at the contract rate, 80 cents per / 600 |
square yards, has cost the District s24 ia. |
Or sl0,550 more than If the work had been
lone by day labor without contract. IL the |
otal area, 1s4,s15,755 square yards, cleaned |
by the hand-eleaning system during the
year had been done entirely by day labor
without contract, 1t would have cost the
District S25,S74 less than IL done by con-
ract.
ITO clean daily the entire paved area Of
he city, about 5000, 600 square yards at
he contract rate go cents. for go days, the
Iverage number Of working days in year,
would cost 1911, 04o; without contract the
anne work could be done al an annual cost
# sl1i,960, a difference of sl3s, ESQ in favor
# the abolition of the contract system.
This showing has been made in the face
4 the fact that the laborers employed were
,aid but 81 per day by the contractors,
While they were paid Sl.25 per day by the
District
In addition. 10 the above report, Superin-
endent Stutler submitted report on the
by contract and its results,
S follows.
ION account OF the showing made on our
experimental Misunderstanding work by day
abor without contract for the first four
months Of the year, a provision was insert
d in the District appropriation act for the
urrent year limiting the rate to be paid
nder contract TO % cents or less per 1000
quare yards, and we were thereby en-
bled, by securing a contract at q IA
ents per 600 square yards to further en- |
srge the daily hand-cleaning schedule to
over a daily area of j zoe, 900 square yards
o clean this area during the current year,
N an average of go working days, will
ost the District, at the present contract
ate, q Ia cents per 900 square yards,
SIS. $50. To clean the same area by day
abor without contract would cost s58,320
r 1880 less than by contract.
"As has been previously shown, the worl;
erforned by the contractors for hand
leaning was never up to the high stand
I'd OF efficiency set by the Commits
toner's in their expenditure OF the
Experimental appropriation Of $4,000 by
ongress; but now the reduced price |
aid to them under the present con-
act for hand-cleaning has caused them |
D exercise their ingenuity In every |
ossible manner 10 cut down expenses, re-
ardless of the efficiency of their service. |
he result has been numerous complaints
rom citizens from all parts OF the city |
here the hand-cleaning system is oper-
ted; deductions amounting to 500 from
heir earnings for inferior work done in
ne two months Of July and August, and a
igorous reprimaDd by The Board of Com
lissioners for wiliful violations OF their
ontract and Specifications have been