Evening star., 1900-12-03

| bag carriers, bags, brooms, sprinklers
shovels and all other implements necessary
| to perfect organization. This reduction In
| the cost has enabled them to further en-
! large the daily schedule to 1856. 800 square
| yards, upon which is employed POI deserv-
| Ing men at fair rate OF compensation
promptly paid.
| The machine sweeping, which comprises
/ a daily schedule of 10000 square yards OF
| street surface, the most Of which is swept
| between the hours of pm. and am. Is
| being done u lder contract, at the low rate
| Of 1S cents per 1000 square yards. The
/ work under the present contractor is being
performed in very efficient and satisfac-
| tory manner; but as under the allotment of
| s35. 600 1t is impossible to sweep any OF the
streets oftener than twice week, 1t Is
hoped that the appropriation may be so in
| creased as to allow some of the more Inn
POI tant streets to be swept three times per
| week.
Disposal of City Refuse.
The collection and disposal of city refuse
| has been one of the long-standing prob
| lens with which the Commissioners have
had to contend.
In the appropriation act for the current
year an appropriation of s115,00O was made
for the collection and disposal of all kinds
| of city refuse; and the Commissioners were
| authorized to enter into a contract or con-
tracts for period Of five years for the
disposal Of garbage heretofore has to a
certain extent resulted In nuisance. The
collection thereof. under the careful super
vision Of the .iealth officer, has for several
years past been performed in most eff
cient and thorough manner; but the method
of conveying the material down the river
upon scows and depositing 1t along the
| shores has been source Of endless COM
plaint.
The Commissioners, after careful consid-
GRAFTON, decided that the entire subject
matter OF the disposal of city waste should
be placed under the supervision of the su-
mir tic ri
ment appearing to them to be the one to
which the work most properly belonged
The health office, which had supervised
the collection Of garbage and night soil so
emc1ently for many years, was thereby re-
| iieved OF this burdensome duty and left to
devote its entire time to the special duties
for which it was established.
Regulations and specificati tions were there
fore prepared. under the supervision of the
superintendent Of street cleaning, and pro-
posals were solicited for the various classes
of work. For the collection and disposal
of garbage and dead animals the Washing
ton Fertilizer Co. were the successful bid
ders. at the contract price Of $51 500 per
annum. The garbage and dead animals
will, under the contract with this company
be disposed of by what Is known as a re-
duct1on process, In regard to which it Is
claimed that in no instance has it failed to
give entire satisfaction. The material will
be conveyed twenty miles beyond the city
limits, and in such air-tight receptacles as
to cause the least possible nuisance; and
the people of Washington are to be con-
graduated upon the fact that the shores
of the Potomac river will be freed from the
deposits Of garbage apd refuse whose Of
fensive odors have so long been a source of
annoyance to travellers upon that river
The contract with the Washington Fertil-
izer Company will go into effect December
l. 1900.
The accepted proposal for the collection
of ashes was that made by r. v. Rusk for
weekly collection service from private
residences at $29,979 per annum. The ap-
preparation was not sufficient to allow the
acceptance of proposals for such removals
from other than private residences, nor for
more frequent collections. The contractor
began operations August 1, 1900, and while
the service Is not yet all that might be de-
sired, yet 1t Is very commendable consider
ing the time 1t has been in operation and
the time required to inaugurate a new sys-
tenn.
The proposals Of R. v. Rusk for the coll
lection and disposal Of night soil, at $1,000
and waste paper and miscellaneous refuse,
at $4,000, were accepted; and the services
rendered have been found to be a marked
improvement over the old methods
With a proper spirit Of cooperation be-
tween the citizens and the collectors in the
various branches of the service Washing
ton will soon realize an ideal condition of
cleanliness and comfort.
The Metropolitan Police Force.
During the past fiscal year the police
high record Of efficiency which has char
acterized it for long period Of time.
On the Both of June. 1900 the force con-
sisted Of 571 members. By reason Of sick
ness, details and assignments to post duty
only 315 prlvates could be assigned to pa
troll duty. OF these only seventy-eight men
could be assigned to duty during the day
time and 1o7 during the night. Yet this in
sufficient force upon actual patrol duty Is
expected to project the nit al Cifv of
United States, with its population of 21S, 71S.
and an area of seventyone square miles.
In the list of cities given in the report of
the major and superintendent, showing po-
lice areas and numbers Of policemen, it ap-
pears that St. Louis with precinct area of
10000 acres, has force of 976 men, while
the District Of Columbia, with an area Of
44,32O acres, has a force numbering only
81. OF this force fifty-seven are assigned
to important post duties, and eighty-four to
special duty at localities where the services
of policemen cannot be dispensed with The
major and superintendent has asked for an
Increase In his force of 16O men. The Com
mlssoners have approved this estimate and
they will earnestly urge that approprla-
into law
This increase would be but just were the
interests here to be protected merely those
OF an ordinary municipality. When it Is
considered that the police force of Wash
ington have in their keeping the security
OF the Executive Mansion, the homes Of the
representatives Of foreign powers of sena-
tors and representatives. and of all the resi-
dental officials of the federal government,
1t will be seen that the responsibilities rest
Ing upon them are Of the most serious and
delicate nature, and that no policy Of un-
wise economy should curtail this important
branch of the public service to a number
inconsistent with the dignity of Washington
among the great capitals of the world.
The major and superintendent notes many
recommendations in his report looking to
the Improvement of existing conditions, to
which the attention Of Congress is earnestly
invited
There Is embodied in his last annual re-
port the codification Of the statutes relating
to the police force and analogous subjects.
This proposed legislation has, as to the gen.
erai subject matter, received the approval
OF the courts, the board Of trade and the
Bar Association, and should, in the opinion
OF the Commissioners, be enacted into law
The Commissioners invite the favorable
consideration Of the Congress to the recon-
mendation Of the major and superintendent
that appropriate legislation be enacted In
order that the superior facilities afforded by
the institution known as the Junior Repub-
lie. located in the state of Maryland, for the
reformation of youthful offenders, may be
utilized for the wayward youth Of the Dis
trict.
There should also be made adequate pro-
vision for the payment OF pensions to the