Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-02-10
THE CITY STREET S
Bad Condition Of Many Wash
ington Thoroughfares.
DUE TO LACK OF FUNDS
EXPOSED REFUSE MATTER a
MENACE TO HEALTH.
Change in the Wording of Special Ap.
preparation Act Prevents
Use Of Money.

The streets of Washington are in the
| dirtiest and perhaps the most dangerous
| condition, generally speaking, at the pres
| ent time that they have been in many years
past and people who have recently visited
New York Philadelphia and other neigh
boring cities vigorous in their COM
ments on the contrast between the condi-
lions prevailing here and those met with
in the cities named. The street cleaning
department, according to a ruling by the
| auditor for the District is helpless in the
present emergency and can do nothing to
remedy the trouble.
When the snow which still remains in the
streets fell there were no funds to speak OF
| in the treasury available for the work OF
removing 1t. The Commissioners asked
Congress for the necessary amount OF
money, but their estimate was cut in half
and altered in the wording, so that the
present condition Of affairs was brought
about. The Commissioners were denied The
privilege Of hauling away the banks OF
snow on the business streets and elsewhere.
Cold weather followed the fall of snow and
converted the fieecy staple in most in
stances into solid ice, that now the
streets for a long distance out from the
curb line are sheeted with ice. In the cases
OF the narrow thoroughfareS the entire
roadway is covered with ice, and unless
some remedial legislation is had will likely
remain so for weeks to come.
which the citizens generally unite in de-
claring positively filthy, there is a menace
to health in the refuse matter that is thus
being accumulated to a greater and greater
extent daily. The facts leading up to the
present conditions make interesting reading
to the District people.
Congress Fails to Act.
Before Congress adjourned for the Christ
mas vacation and before there had been a
miSSiOnerS
urged Congress to make an appropriation
for the removal of snow and ice from the
streets, crosswalks and cutters. 1t was
stated that during the recess there might
be heavy fall of snow and there would be
no way of giving relief. Congress failed to
act in the matter. Twelve days ago, We'd
nesday, January %. the present snow fell.
There was available to the Commissioners
the sum of only $500 to carry out the pro-
visions of the act of March, 1899, which re-
quires the District authorities to remove
the snow from the crosswalks and cutters
of the city
The District Commissioners Immediately
brought the matter to the attention of Con-
gress and requested an appropriation of
10000. They forwarded to the District
committees of the two houses of Congress
the draft Of joint resolution appro-
priating the sum mentioned for removing
snow and ice from the streets, cross-walks
and cutters" At a hearing granted the
Commissioners it was announced by the ap-
prOpriatiOnS committee that the estimate
would be cut in half and the sum Of only
IS, 600 allowed.
Omits the Streets
The appropriations committee Of the
House did not report the joint resolution
In accordance with the draft submitted by
the Commissioners. but prepared another,
appropriating 5000 for the removal Of
snow and ice simply from the "cross-walks
and CUTTERS" 1t will be noticed that the
committee cut out the word streets in
making the appropriation, and it was the
emitting of this word that has brought
about prevailing conditions.
When the appropriation of $1,000 was
made the street cleaning department imme-
diately put between 800 and 900 men to
work cleaning the cross-walks and cutters.
Numerous teams were engaged to haul
away the banks of snow that had been
piled up in the streets by the sweeping of
the adjacent sidewalks. At this juncture,
however, the auditor called attention to the
fact that portion of the money appro-
priated would be available for hauling the
snow from the streets and SO the cleaning
department was compelled to confine itself
to the cross walks and cutters" which
Congress had specified.
Treasury Ruling Forbids.
No part of the money annually appro-
priated for street cleaning can be used
when snow is on the streets. because the
treasury. officials have ruled otherwise,
act and appropriation. Thus 1t is that
| with the weather continuing cold the
! streets Of Washington will gradually get
| in worse and worse condition until such a
| time thaw will permit the street clean
| ing brigade to get back in harness. The
| continued cold spell and the presence of
snow in the streets is working a great
| hardship on the per diem employees Of the
| street cleaning department. They are
| thrown entirely out of work now
| In many places on the most generally
| used business streets of the city there is
| today from twelve to fifteen inches of prac-
| ttcally solid ice. This is especially true of
| the south side of Il street and Of Pennsyl-
vania avenue. In the narrower streets the
| ice covers the entire surface, and in most
| instances the depth is even greater than
| that mentioned above. There is no telling
| when these streets will again be in their
| normal condition.
Awaiting a Thaw.
| The superintendent of street cleaning is
| anxious to put the cleaning force to work.
| and will do so on the principal thorough
| fares just soon as sufficient snow has
| melted to permit the hand sweepers to work
with some degree Of continuity The pres
| what similar condition that prevailed here
| in the winter Of 1896. At that time the
| snow on the streets turned into ice as now
| Congress, after patiently waiting for an
| economic thaw, 1t is declared, appropriated
$4,000 for removing the ice. The cleaners
| had to use crOwbarS. they would now
to pry the cakes of ice off the asphalt
|