Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-09-09
CLEANING STREETS
Superintendent Stutler Sub
mits His Estimates of Needs.
MORE MONEY WANTED
employees SHOULD GO ON THE
ANNUAL ROLL.
Increase of 100000 Urged-New Item
for Collecting Ashes "A
Stable Wanted.

during the fiscal year beginning July 1 next
and concluding June 80, 1905. Mr. Stutler
asks for a total of $411.O5O, as against ap
preparations of $347 IS for the current
year, an increase of $63 766.25. This increase
includes $50 600 asked for the extension of
the ash collection service to hotels, apart
ment houses and business establishments
and $500 for the erection of a combined
stable, repair shop and storage building
The superintendent again asks for the
transfer of all the members of the office
and inspection force from the per diem list
to the annual roll and shows that under
the new arrangement the District will save
$3.50, while at the same time deserved in
creases may be given to certain employees.
For the current year the salary list
amounts to SAL ,2S3.75. For the fiscal year
1905 Mr.. Stutler asks SAL 200
THE above estimate" he says, provides
for transfer of the per diem men to the
per annum list. No new places are asked
for, and the total estimated amount for
salaries for 1905 is $S375 less than what will
be paid out for that purpose during the
current year.
The only proposed increases in salary
are $500 for the chief inspector, 800 for one
OF the clerks in the office and 800 each for
three of the inspectors on street cleaning
by hand work. The chief inspector in adj
dition to exercising general supervision
over the field forces during the day, is
obliged frequently to report for duty at
night in connection with the machine
sweeping and flushing, and this without
any extra compensation. For these rea-
sens, and because of the fact that several
of the inspectors receive the same salary
as he, it is hoped that the estimated In
crease will be granted. The duties of the
clerk for whom the additional 500 Is asked
are very similar to those of the other clerk
in the office. and the purpose of the IN
crease is to more nearly equalize the sal
aries. The three inspectors on hand work
perform duties similar othe other inspect
ors who receive 81 100 for the same serv,
ice, and it is, therefore, only just and
equitable that there should be less of
discrepancy in their salaries The Increase
of 500 for these men will accomplish that
end and at the same time preserve a
graded list.
I'm the transfer of the per diem employees
to the per annum roll no increase Is asked;
On the contrary. If the change is made each
man will receive a less amount than he is
paid at present. The chief clerk, whose
salary is below that of any other employe
In the District government holding sim
liar position not only performs the exact
ing duties which are assigned to him, but
in the absence of the superintendent ana
the assistant superintendent he acts In the
former capacity. The inspectors on city
refuse although entitled to all legal holl-
DAYS with pay, almost invariably report for
duty on those days. The reason for this is
that the collection of the various classes OF
city refuse goes on without reference 10
HOLIDAYS and the inspectors in order to ex-
ercise a PROPER supervision over their re-
spective districts, must see to 1t that the
work is not neglected The foreman OF
repairs makes all necessary repairs TO the
apparatus and tools owned by the Depart
ment and during the past year has efec.ed
a saving of 81 1000, as compared with what
such work would have cost on requlsltlon
and under contract. If we deduct his com
pensation from this amount the balance
represents net reduction In expenses VI
about 1000 for this kind of work.
tha tran
employees to the per annum list the appro-
p-iation for the collection and disposal OF
CITY refuse may be reduced from $l15,ooo
to S1O2 800 the difference OF $1265o repre-
sentine the estimated amount for salaries
for the men now paid out of that appropria-
ton. "a ,
change will be adopted as it will not only
place the men on an equitable basis, out
il will also tend to increase the efhclency
of the department.
An Increase Asked.
For sprinkling, sweeping and cleaning
streets. avenues, alleys and suburban
streets. including purchase, maintenance
and livery of horses, purchase. maintenance
and repair of wagons and harness and
necessary incidental expenses, and work
done under existing contracts, as well as
handwork done under the immediate direc-
ton of the Commissioners without contract,
I.
apainst $4,000 appropriated for the cur
rent year With regard to this increase he
says:
"For the fiscal year 1904 estimate of
s2O5 600 was submitted for street cleaning.
Congress, however, appropriated but Sl9O-
600 for this purpose, the same amount that
had been allowed for 1903. This notwith-
standing the fact that the area to be
cleaned during the current year Is 8 per
cent greater than that of last year, due to
the addition of newly paved Streets the
opening of public alleys and the grading of
new streets.
Because of the nsufficiency of the appro-
pria ton for 1903 we were obliged to sus-
nend work on all classes of street cleaning
for thirty days during the last half of the
year. and also to dispense with the serv-
ices of ten of the hand laborers, in order
that deficiency might not be created. By
dispensing with these laborers the daily
area cleaned by hand was reduced to the
extent of the work previously performed
by them, and said area was added to the
machine sweeping schedules. The result
of this was that some of the streets that
had heretofore been swept by machine
three times per week were swept but twice,
and many of those that had been swept
twice were given but one sweeping per
week During the current year the same
conditions will obtain, and for like reasons.
1.-The estimated increase OF $30,OOO for
street cleaning Is made up as follows: $lO,-
600 to meet the per cent increase in newly
SO, coo for the further per cent increase
in area during 1905, and $1,000 for the 25,
coo 600 square yards of streets to be flushed.
ION June 30 last the contracts on all
classes of street cleaning expired. In the
early part of that month the Commissioners
entered into contracts for three years from
July l. 1903, for machine sweeping or flush
ing at 18 1915 cents per LOCO square yards,
alley cleaning at IS cents per 1000 square
yards and unimproved street cleaning at $64
per day. While 1t Is true that the present
machine sweeping rate is less than the old
contract price of 18 cents per LOCO square
yards, yet this decreased rate Is offset by
the increase in the alley cleaning rate from
80 rs cents to IS cents per 1000 square
yards. and also by reason of the increase
in the cost of hand cleaning from 1914 cents
in 1902 to about IT cents per 1000 square
yards in 1903, due to the increase last year
in the laborers' pay from SIPS to $3.50 per
diem.
1.-THE specifications for cleaning paved
streets and avenues by machine upon which
bids were asked last June. contained pro-
vision that the work should be done either
by sweeping or flushing, the area to be
cleaned by the latter method to approx
mate 25,OO0,0O0 square yards per annum
The lowest bid for cleaning by the two pro-
cesses was, before stated. 10 1915 cents
per 1000 square yards for period Of three
years. and this was accepted. Before the