Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-10-09
Washington Not a Clean City,
Says Stidham.
FIGURES COMPARED
REORGANIZATION OF FORCE ALSO
DECLARED NECESSARY.
Superintendent Declares Against Con-
tract Method in Present Use
Other Questions Discussed.

| Thorough reorganization of the force at
| his command. large increases In appropria-
| tions for the maintenance OF every branch
| of the work OF keeping the city clean and
! direct departure from the present method
! of street sweeping by contract are the
salient points in the first annual estimates
to the Commissioners prepared and submit
| ted today by Harrison Stidham superinten-
dent of street cleaning. Mr.. Stldham asks
a total appropriation for his department for
the year ending June 80. 1907. OF 1868, 4so.
| which is an increase OF S212. $50 over the
| amount to be expended during the current
year.
Mr.. Stidham makes this surprising state
| ment:
Washington is not a clean city. 1t is
\ only so in spots, and more OF less spas
| medically the mantle of the slender ap-
! preparation Is pulled this way and that IN
the endeavor to cover the different branches
| of the work. The alleys and poorer neigh
borhoods and the great mass of ordinary
| residence streets never be properly
cared for until more money is granted the
| District for its municipal housekeeping. AS
compared with the sums allowed by other
| cities for this important item OF sanitation
| our appropriations are absurdly inadequate.
/ The present area under the care of tins de-
| partment is 7.340,0 600 square yards. for which
| we have 1911, loo for sweeping and for the
| removal of ashes. garbage and rubbish. For
X,
| 311 per cent larger, New York city had, in
| 1897, $30000o0, or nine and one-half times
as much for practically the same area
| While Washington does not need nine times
| her present appropriation. for the cleaning
| alone she should have at least 20 per cent
| more. l am asking for only % per cent, and
there is crying need for every cent of II.
| The 20 per cent mentioned by Mr.. Std
| ham, If allowed, will raise the appropria-
| ton for this portion of the work or his de-
partment from 1900. the amount avail
4 al,lN 81 TO into do
| tailed explanation of the uses to which he
| would put the money Mr.. Stidham says
| that he would apportion S23 26o Cor alley
| cleaning; S74,ST5 for machine cleaning;
| $4,000 for hand cleaning, and $19,5O0 for
| cleaning unimproved streets, together with
| $50 000 for operating street sprinklers. The
balance, IL Is figured, Will be necessary Tor
| Incidental expenses
An Earnest Appeal.
On the general subject of street cleaning.
the new superintendent makes an earnest
appeal for elimination of the present sys-
| TEN of letting the work contract he
| declares that There Is no more reason Tor
| contracting for street cleaning than there
Is for the performance of police, nre anu
| health service through other than munich
| pal employees. 1t presents few II any fea-
| lures comparable with those OF hXed JOBS
| such as grading, sewer laying or bridge
| building. Looked at by one side the super
| intendent is unjust or excessively paruCu-
| lar; by the other, the contractor is not CIV
| ing the city full value for its expenditure
| In addition to the disputes as to what
| constitutes cleanliness are many -otner an
| noyances and complications. The necessity
| for certiication Of areas not only presents
an altogether unnecessary temptation 10
municipal officers, but requires also nluch
| clerical work Conscientious inspectors are
worried all the time for fear that IN keeping
| track of the numerous details, with SIX
scattered gangs to look out Tor ana sou. 90
| square yards to cover each night, they Will
| overlook some block or unswept portion.
| The areas themselves are in question, ana
| a special appropriation of 1000 Will be nee
| essary to continue the work of checking
| both the alley and the machine schedules
| II new contracts are to be let
| Contract Method Bad.
1.-THE contract method also has little. IL
| any. elasticity Gangs cannot be shifted
| about quickly as the need arises; the small
| est change In the schedule requires CORE
| spondence between three District depart
| ments. and before even minor improvements
in methods can be adopted the contractors
| interests under the specifications have hrst
to be consulted. Added to the lower cost
| higher efficiency, simplicity, and better dis
cIpline of the direct method is also the great
| advantage gained through the ability prop
| erly to care for the machine streets in win
| ter when it is too cold to sprinkle and con-
| seuuently to sweep Last winter many
! streets had to be left uncleaned for days at
| a time Doing our own work We could send
| the neighboring hand men into these streets
| to brush up cutters and remove unsishIly
| paper litter.
An appeaI to the heart as we'll as to rea-
son is that which the superintendent OF
! street cleaning makes when. in speaking OF
| the conditions obtaining in the alleys or the
city, he says:
| IAN the alleys in the city are now clean
| ed only once weekly. The traffic on many
| of these is as heavy as that on the streets.
| and the alleys, being narrower, are there
| fore dirtier especially where stables ana
| blacksmith shops are numerous. In some
/ oil fhaSa thOr0lIRnfaTeS
| also have all sorts Of refuse thrown or
| dumped into them, despite the efforts OF
| the limited police force
Weekly Cleaning Inadequate.
"The weekly cleaning. as provided for I'M
| der the present contract is altogether an
| adequate for the alleys with heavy trafnc'
| for all those in the business districts and
| most important-for those used as residence
| places There alleys in Washington
/ where the recent police census shows IN
| one square a population of from 500 TO Soo
| human beings compelled to live under the
| most unfavorable circumstances These
| people should have the best the municipal
4 ity can give them in sanitation 1t Is hard
| ly reasonable to expect from them personal
/ or domestic hygiene with the citys neglect
confronting them six days out OF the seven
| "Of the present $4,000 square yards
| (about It's miles Of alleys want TO sweep
| one-quarter every day, one-quarter three
times weekly, and the remaining one-half
| once weekly. This can be done IL the pro-
| posed reorganization scheme Is adopted.
using our own laborers and carts in COM
| bination with the present patrol system OF
| the hand streets. for So, 265 per year of 20
| probable working days-an increase OF only
| So 400 over the estimated amount for the
| current year. BY contract the same work
/ would cost at least $34.
Other Increases Sought.
/ Next to the items under the head OF
| actual street cleaning, the most important
| increase sought by Mr.. Stidham comes un-
| der the heading City refuse collection and
| garbage disposal" for which the head or
| the department considers $16S, $40 necessary
/ next year as against 100000 this year.
| If the plan for having the city do its
/ own street cleaning work goes through. 1t
! IS recommended that $43, 500 be Appropriated
| for the purchase Of necessary machines.