The evening times., 1900-03-17

Through the prompt action of Congress
yesterday in passing the joint resolution
appropriating $1,000 for the removal OF
snow from the streets. Superintendent
Warner Stutler was able this morning TO
put large force of men at work.
The Street Cleaning Department en-
poys 800 men and sixty horses and carts
in the regular service of sweeping tie
payements and removing the dirt. Ths
force was set at work at the snow today,
and TO it we're added l75 extra men and
about twenty-five extra carts. The addi-
tional men were procured through the
charity. and twice as many could have
been employed if the authorities had been
in possession of a larger appropr alton.
Under Mr. Stutler's orders the street
cleaning brigade attacked the business sec
ton Of the city first, opening the crossings
and cleaning out the cutters. The bright
sun was an efficient aid to the work, soft
ening the ice which formed last night and
causing much of the Snow TO melt and rLn
away.
The days work has told heavily upon the
masses of slush in the streets. and tonight
the CROSSINGS III the puSfItSS StCliOH Va lA-
city and about the public buildings will lie
clear making travel comparatively COM
Portable Ii is estimated tlat the street
cleaners carted away 500 tons Of snow and
ice today.
In the regular appropriations for street
cleaning which were $2O1,0UU in 1899 ana
sl45. coo for the current fiscal year, 81 GOO Is
set apart for emergency work in removing
SLOW from is thoroughfares.
This is sometimes sufficient. But IN
March last year at the tine Of the great
blizzard il proved TO be but drop in the
bucket in comparison with what was
needed. Congress came TO the rescue then
as il has done now first by appropriating
s. Uu0 then SlG.OCN. and finally S&J,Ouu,
which with the 81 eco carried in the regu-
lar appropriation bill made total of 80
O00 made available for renewing the snow
which fell at that time.
From the above sum 81 7G0 was left un
expended until the storm of 4 few weeks
ago. which with the 81 coo appropriated for
the current year made $2.1eo available. Su-
pe1intendent Stutler then put on large
force Of extra men for TWO days, stopping
the work only when the fund mas exhaust
ed This left the department without
dollar TO undertake the emergency work
caused by the storm of last Thursday.
Tn, Treasury Department has passed
upon the question and viii not permit the
money appropriated fer the regular street
cleaning 10 be diverted 10 the removal OF
ice ana snow. Herce the street cleaning
department j. helpless only as Congress
places extra sums at its disposal. as in The
present instance.
In talking about the matter 10 a Times
reporter this morning Superintendent slut
Ter said he thought the appropriation would
-
cutters. and 10 make travel comparatively
/ easy. At this season OF the year he said
snow cannot lie long anywhere and it was
iutimattd that the sum placed al his dis
posal would be used as far as il would 60
. in performing he work most needed.
With reference TO The emergency work
performed by The Street Cleaning Depart
ment in the months OF January. February.
/ and March lSe9 he Superintendent said
/ that the largest force employed for any
one day was 2055 Iaborers and 402 horses
! carts and wagons with drivers. the heayi-
/ est daily ccst reaching S@.255.11. The to-
/ tai cost during the winter was S5o.229.Sl.
/ leaving an uneNpended balance Of 81
! 17o.I$.
Part Of The work vas done under a
/ provision IF the contract for machine
/ sweeping" continued Mr. Stutler, which
provision required the contractors to bs
/ prepared 10 90 NOEh Ct liiS thdldt.rl
/ whenever called upon. and for which they
were 10 be paid the market rate for the
force employed and 10 per cent additional
: for furnishing tools.
The allowance of the 10 per cent proyid-
"a for in the two years contract ended
Jane 90. 1888 amounted on this work TO
I s. O5g.f5. The balance CT the work was
done directly by the Street Cleaning De-
/ uartment. and the aforesaid 10 per cent aa-
ditional expense therefore. was saved 70
1 the District upon this work. The rate OF
/ wages paid for the force employed was the
same both by the contractors and bv the
District. and was as follows: Foreman. So
per day: sub -foremen. s. per daE; la
| bOrers. S125 per day; horses and carts
| with drivers. S1T5 per day; TWO horse wag
ons with drivers S3 TO $3.50 per day. ac-
cording TO he size and kind Of wagon.
In order 10 be prepared for such emer-
| gencies as occurred last winter and 10
! avoid the numerous annoy ing calls We were
/ compelled 10 make upon Congress for ad-
/ ditional appropriations, we should have
an annual appropriation OF at least $50
to be used solely for this purpose and The
! unused balance covered back into The
/ Treasury