Evening star., 1902-04-05
.CLEAMNGTHE STREETS
Il
Superintendent Stutler Re-
plies to. Criticism.
COST OF FHE SERVICE
COMPARISON BETWEEN WASH
INGToN AND OTHER CITIES.
Claims Streets Here Are Kept in as
Good Condition as Are Those
of Other Municipalities.


House yesterday by Representative Nc
Dermott of New Jersey as to the methods
and cost of street cleaning in the District
of Columbia, Mr. Warner Stutler, Superin-
tendent of the street cleaning department,
today submitted a statement to the District
Commissioners on the subject. Mr. McDer-
mott alleged that the cost of street clean
ing IN this city was greater than in any
other city. Mr.. Stutler shows by table
OF comparisons accompanying his report
that the cost of cleaning the streets in
Jersey City, the home of Representative
McDermott, is five times as great as here.
Superintendent Stutler says:
The questions asked and criticisms offer
ed by a member of the House on the de-
hciency for sprinkling, sweeping and clean
ing streets. etc, as follows:
Way a deficiency in the appropriation
had been caused; that any one familiar
with the city would be aware of the almost
chronic bad condition of the streets here;
that 1t was impossible to alght from a
tram and enter one of the hotels without
Wading through the filth of the streets;
that the original appropriation was higher
mere than In any-other city in the country;
that you could get bond of 81 900 900 from
private company to do this work for 90
per cent Of what it now costs, and do better
work.
Those familiar with existing conditions
here will not gain wrong IMPRESSION yet
other cities will doubtless draw erroneous
conclusions. and I. therefore, deem 1t neces-
sary to call attention to the actual facts.
First. For the current year we have
$6.24O less than We had for the previous
year
Second. One hundred thousand square
yards OF newly paved streets and 10000
square yards Of newly paved alleys have
Eeen added to the schedule to be cared
for. which adds about $4,000 to the an
nual cost of street cleaning.
Third. New streets have been graded
ana the cutters OF these require cleaning
throughout the year, and sprinkling has to
De done during the summer months.
Fourth. The past summer was very hot
and dry, and more sprinkling and day work
Was done than during any previous year.
From the foregoing 1t will be seen that
much more work was required and done
during the current year than was perform
ed last year, yet our appropriation was
less by s624a
LAS the city grows new streets are add
ed to the area to be cleaned, necessarily re-
quiring corresponding increase in the ap-
preparation. = This is the situation We had
to meet this year, hence the deficiency of
500, ,24S. .r....
Not Aware of Conditions Alleged.
The street cleaning department is not
aware that any Of the streets are in
chronic bad condition in so far as clean
illness Is CONCERNED. nor that there is much
filth in front OF the hotels On the con-
trary, We claim that they are at least
as clean as sthose of any other city, and
in support Of this We are constantly re-
ceivng COMMUNICATIONS from business men
and others eongratulating on the manner
in which the work Of street cleaning is
done 1t is true that during the month of
February the streets were covered with
snow and ice, but, the appropriation of
$155OOO was not available for removing
same. We had but $1,000 for the purpose
of dealing with snow and ice, and under
the construction of the law making such
appropriation were restricted to clean
ing the cross walks and cutters. hence we
could not cart away the snow from the
streets.
Matter of Cost.
Relative to the statement that the cost
of street cleaning in Washington is higher
than in any other city in the country,
Superintendent Stutler submits a table
compiled from the department of labor
bulletin No 13. 1t gives the comparative
cost of street cleaning in Detroit, Milwau-
kee. Chicago. Boston. Baltimore, Buffalo.
Cincinnati, Minneapolis Lincoln. Newark,
Jersey City and Washington. In proportion
to the number of square yards of street
Washington Is the lowest of any, and that
of Newark the highest with Jersey City
next highest. The percentage of cost in
the various cities ranges from 56 per cent
to j51 per cent higher than in Washington.
In Washington II. 100000 square yards are
cleaned each week. and the appropria tion
is S155,OO0 Superintendent Stutler shows
that if the same area were cleaned in New
ark, N. j., the annual cost would be ST.
O1O 600 and in Jersey City. $7s0.eOO.
Makes Comparison.
Continuing. Mr.. Stutler says:
I'm reply to the statement that you
could get a bond of 100000 from a pri-
vate company to do this work for 60 per
cent Of what it now costs. and do 1t bet
ter l would respectfully say that three
years ago the handwork was done by a
bonded company under contract at 80 cents
per 1900 square yards, and the machine
cleaning at 25a cents per 1000 square
yards During that year 100000 square
yards were cleaned under contract by hand
daily, and 100000 square yards by ma
chine daily. making in all 100000 square
yards per day. at an annual cost, including
other work. Of $4,000. In the past three
years we have had only 81, 900 increase
which has not been sufficient to perform
the additional work to be done.
During the past three years the hand
cleaning has been done directly by the Com
m1ssioners and not by contract, and the
ccst has been reduced from 81 cents per
1000 square yards under contract to IL
cents per 1000 square yards. which re-
duction in cost has enabled US to increase
the area from 10000 square yards. the
area cleaned daily by the bonded company.
to 2,OOOOOO square yards per day by hanl
and 100000 1by machine. making In all
$500, 600 square yards now cleaned daily. In
addition to this the alleys and unimproved
streets are cleaned, and sprinkled, and
other incidentaI wark necessary to the
proper running of the department. Under
the present rmethoa we are doing more
than double the work. and that with only
a slight increase in the appropriation.
Ontthe Wrong Side.
From the, foregoing facts we think We
are justified dns saying that the 90 per cent
has been placed ons the wrong side. and l
leave IL to those familiar with the methods