Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-10-01
THE STREET SWEEPERS
Superintendent Suffers Re-
port for Past Year.
THE AREA COVERED
COST OF THE SERVICE IN ALL
BRANCHES.
The Appropriation for Present Year
Stated to Be Insuf6cient-Less
Than for 1908.
THE AREA COVERED

Mr.. Warner Stutler, superintendent OF
street cleaning, today submitted to the
Commissioners his annual report MT.
Stutler says for the year just closed an es-
innate for S2O5 600 was recommended. $15,-
GOO of which was to be used to increase the
pay of the hand laborers from $1.2o to
81 so per diem, and the balance to enable
him to take care of the yearly per cent
increase in area of newly paved streets ana
new alleys and unimproved streets How
ever Congress appropriated but Sl9uoo"'
and $4,000 of this sum was given Tor
the purpose of increasing the laborers' pay,
as Indicated in reality the net amount
available for street cleaning was $24S less
for 1903 than for the previous year Owing
to the fact that the full estimated amount
was not granted the department was
obliged to suspend work on all classes Of
street cleaning for thirty days during the
last half of the fiscal year, in order not to
create deficiency in accordance with a
provision to that effect in the appropriation
bill.
Continuing. Mr.. Stutler says:
'"There was decrease of 52,915,115 square
yards in the area cleaned by mana during
the past year compared with l9OZ rms
was owing to the fact that we were Obliged
to suspend work for thirty days during the
last six months of the fiscal year. ana also IN
March, 1903, to dispense with the services
of ten of the hand laborers in order that
deficiency might not be created. w men me
force was thus reduced the area of 100000
square yards previously cleaned by the ten
men in question was transferred to the
machine-sweeping schedules
1.-The cost per thousand square yards Tor
the past year was ia cents, as against 15.4
cents in 1902 This increase of 2 cents per
thousand was due to the increase In the
laborerS' pay, to which reference mas al-
ready been made.
The Machine Sweeping.
Speaking of the award of the contract for
machine sweeping and flushing for the cur
rent year Mr.. Stutler says:
Before the contract was signed the ques-
ton as to what effect flushing would have
on asphalt was raised and in order that
the engineer department might investigate
the matter further provision was inserted
in the contract whereby the contractor
was to flush but 10000 square yards per
night until such times as the engineer de-
partment could ascertain what damage, II
any, resulted from flushing. At the time of
writing this report 1t has not been DEFINITE
ly decided as to whether the damage, II
any caused by flushing the streets would
outweigh the benefits to be derived from
same, but it is believed that If the pave
ments are shown to be affected the IN
creased cleanliness insured by flushing will
more than offset the slight increase In cost
necessary to keep the asphalt in repair.
Last March, in accordance with Com
missioner Vests suggestion, the depart
ment purchased three two-horse sprinkling
wagons for use on the principal paved
business streets which the traction COM
panies run. The reason for this was that
the fine dust which could not be removed
by sweeping machines hand brOoms set
tied in the rail grooves and in the depreS-
sons in the pavement Immediately adjon-
ing the tracks, with the result that when
ever car passed, especially If running at
more than ordinary speed, the suction
caused the accumulated dust to rise in
clouds
These sprinklers have done very good
work in overcoming this Objectionable fea-
ture, and as attention is also given TO that
part of the streets which is used for veh-
Gle traffic the benefits of the innova ton are
greatly appreciated by pedestrians, mer-
chants and househoders on the three routes
sUrinkled'