Los Angeles herald., 1905-01-10
CLEAN STREETS
ARE DEMANDED
INTERESTS UNITE AGAINST
DUST NUISANCE
BUSINESS MEN HEAVY LOSERS
Merchants Say Present Conditions
Are ntolerable-Committee
to Seek the Best
Remedy


At a gathering of business men rep
resenting many of the civic and com
mercial interests of Los Angeles, held
in the assembly room of the chamber
of commerce yesterday afternoon, pre-
liminary action was taken to provide
ways and means to keep the business
streets of the city free of dust and in
a sanitary condition.
After extended discussion a resou-
ton was adopted directing that COM
mittee of three from each of the civic
organizations be appointed to meet and
formulate a practical plan to rid the
city of the dust nuisance permanently,
the plan to be presented to the city
council for approval and action.
The following attended the confer
erence: Percy II. Clark, Byron Erken-
brecher, A. F.. Pomeroy, f. w. Flint,
jr., and Herbert Burdette, representing
the realty board; II. B. Gurley and
Fred l.. Allies, the chamber of COM
merce; c. D. Willard, the Municipal
league and the Jobbers' association;
Maj. E. r. c. <lokke president of the
art commission; Secretary F. j. Zee
handelaar and H. w. Frank of the
Merchants and Manufacturers associa-
ton; Chief Engineer Kurtz, represent
ing the Los Angeles electric railways;
II. G. Whitmer, j. A. Fairchild. DR.. Le-
Moyne Wills, f. Goode, Theodore f.
n Il n
c. M. Staub, J. B. Bonner. F. e. Ken
dali, A. c. Bruce, F. D. owen, J. w.
Eckles. Harry Calender, DIR. William
Dodge, Col. George De LaVerne,
James Hanley, street superintendent,
and others.
To Fight Dust
Byron Erkenbrecher, who presided,
said the conference had been called to
consider the question of the best
method of keeping the streets clean
and free from dust. He said members
OF the realty board and others in the
real estate business are the first to
hear the complaints of the tourists as
to the condition of the streets, and
that they do not fail to say what they
think
Percy H. Clark, who had suggested
the meeting, said the dust had been
forced on him; that the dust had ruined
the goods of merchants, it gets in the
eyes and throats of the people and that
the railroad people had told the
speaker that often tourists had come
into the offices asking for tickets so
they could get out of the city as quickly
as possible. The speaker said the down
town district should be cleaned first,
from Temple to Tenth streets, down
Main, Spring, Broadway and Hill, and
as taxpayers the people will stand by
the superintendent of streets.
Haney Needs Men
James Hanley, street superintendent,
said there are only twenty-five hand
sweepers and two steam sweepers now
in service. He said: "The dirt upon
the business streets is carried down
from the hills; we must use water to
care for the dust; the dust is certainly
great injury to the merchants; if the
streets are too wet the steam sweepers
cannot take up the dust. The board
of supervisors of San Francisco IA
vors hand sweeping, and 1t costs 500 a
mile to keep the streets clean. We are
up against it. gentlemen, and it is up
TO you to devise ways and means to
meet conditions. have been in office
only a week. Later 1 may have some
recommendations to offer. Present
methods may be changed; L believe in
doing the work by wards. The depart
ment needs more men; now there is
only one hand sweeper for two blocks.
A week ago the city council dropped
112 men from the pay roll and five of
them were from my department l be-
lieve the city council will do the right
thing. We have to face the music and
do the best we cam"
f. j. Zeehandelaar said he was sur
prised to learn that there are but twen-
ty-two men to sweep the streets. He
urged that the streets be put in a clean
and decent condition, and added that
he believed that If the city was short
of money the merchants and property
dollar or two month to keep the dust
off the streets. He alluded to the prac-
tice of some saloon keepers and mer-
chants who, he said, swept the dirt
from their places of business into the
streets in violation of existing ordi-
dances, and he also condemned the
practice of permitting hacks and ex-
press wagons to stand on the principal
business streets
Suggests Flooding
DR.. Wills said there is no reason why
the streets should be made livery
stable. He suggested that the streets
be flooded with water once a week at
night by the firemen.
II. w. Frank said he had become ex-
asperated at the wretched condition of
the streets. The way to clean the
streets is to clean them. The present
system does no good. The men do not
pick up the mud and dirt. The busi-