Evening star., 1902-01-08
AFTER THE ASH COLLECTOR
NINETY-TwO COMPLAINTS FILED
WITH COMMasSI0NERs.
Fourteen of Them Declared to He
Well FOunded-Statem
by superintendent.

The District Commissioners have recently
received large number of, complaints
against the ash collection service In the
city. During the month of December a to-
tai of ninety-two complaints was rolled up.
This state of affairs has called forth a re-
port from Mr. Warner ,Stutler. the superin-
tendent of street cleaning, who has super
vision of the ash contract. In his report
filed with the Commissioners this after
noon, Mr. Stutler points out that the ash
man makes total Of 10000 COLLECT iens
during the month and. that the fourteen
well founded complaints Is therefore not
excessive. The specific complaint ~on which
the report had been made is that of r. w.
Sheekles of 1910 New Jersey avenue north
west.
1.-The ash regulations" says Mr.. Stutler
which are made part of the police regu-
lations and which include a penalty clause
for failure to comply Herewith. We're pub
hshed in the daily papers and distributed
lection was made to the regulations herein
quoted during the thirty days that they
were advertised, and prior to their becom-
ing part of the police regulations.
The Law Quoted.
''The regulations in question are as fol-
lows:
Sec. L. Occupants of premises from
which ashes are collected at public expense
shall provide for the use of such premises
sufficient number of metal receptacles to
contain all ashes that may accumulate on
said premises during the usual interval be
tween the collections of ashes therefroIu,
and shall keep such receptacleS at all times
In good repair; each such receptacle or re-
ceptacles to be provided with handle. No
person, without permit from the Superin-
tendent of street and alley cleaning, shall
for COLL in,
Gle having capacity of less than ten nor
more than twenty-four gallons nor in
more than one receptacle containing less
than twenty gallons.
Sec 13-Reeeptacles when filled must be
placed in such a position as to be easily ac-
cessible to the collector between the hours
of o'clock am. and O. clock p~m of each
day on which. the collection is made from
the premises.
Sec. 14-Any person violating. any of
the provisions of these regulations shall on
conviction thereof be punished by fine of
not less than 81 nor more than $40 for each
and every offense' Sl~' -" r q" :"
THE writer" continues Mr. Stutler .'does
not make point against the regulations
but merely indulges in what he evidently
considers to be sarcasm. The regulations
are not any more stringent than those OF
other well regulated cities. and We're pro
mulgated after careful censideratio The
clause requiring metal receptaces was
adopted as a result of representa ion by the
M department ludI majority OF the hreS
in the city were due to placing hot ashes
in wooden vessels.
Capacity of Receptacles
THE clause limiting the capacity of re-
ceptaeles was embodied In the contractors
bid. and his reason for same was to limit
the number of trips to and from the a 81
wagons Without such limitation the BID
to do the work would have been much
c n,.lt- h
the Commissioners which was within the
appropriation available Ii was accepted
and the District cannot now disregard the
terms of the contract
During the month of December 1901 we
received total of ninety-tWo complaints
and upon investigation by inspectors of this
department 1t was shown that in fourteen
cases the contractor was at fault, and fines
were accordingly imposed. In the remain
ing seventy-two cases the householders had
failed to furnish the proper receptacles
some of them having placed ashes In as
many as thirteen vessels, such as wooden
boxes, coffee pots, small cookers dishpans
&c.
Reports of InspectOrs
From reports Of my inspectors 1T is
shown that about 5000 householders have
provided themselves with regulation recep-
tacles and are receiving prompt and salts
factory weekly service. In consideration
OF the fact that the contractor visits 80, 900
houses once per. week, or four times per
month. making a total of 10000 visits each
month, it certainly indicates that fourteen
complaints in which the contractor was
found to be at fault and fined was not an
excessive number.
"A very small per cent of the household
ers have not as yet complied with the regu-
lations, and it is from this small minority
that the complaints come. We hope how
ever, that in the near future they will see
the wisdom of the regulations and observe
them and not compel us to ask for an en-
forcement of the penalty clause
Army Orders.