Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-11-25

Superintendent of Street Cleaning.
the country when it's large STRENGTHENING
area is considered. Some cities boast of
spotless streets but close investigation
proves that the energy of their street clean
ing departments has only been expended in
certain sections.
According to Superintendent Twohey,
municipal officials should not be content to
sweep the streets occasionally say once or
twice q week, as it is declared improper
to allow organic matter subject to decom-
position to remain longer than a few hours
at the most. He Is particular about that
feature of street cleaning here.
Cost Of the Work.
1t costs money to establish the reputa-
ton Of maintaining the cleanest city in the
United States. The expense last year was
$194 600, but the officials regard that sum
as comparatively small when the large area
of the streets and the results accomplished
are considered. The hand-sweeping force
costs SIS, 367.6 60 and the Misunderstanding
force 500 IL. The remainder Of the
money was spent for sprinkling and re-
moving snow and ice.
The act of Congress appropriating money
for cleaning, sprinkling and sweeping the
streets last year provided that the District
should do its own hand sweeping work,
and pay therefor not more than 10
sidered small. Had they been allowed
20 cents a square yard, the off,
Gals say they could have accomplished
much more than they did. They gave the
machine sweeping work to a contractor
whose price was % cents a square
yard. At the coming session the Commits
sioners will ask Congress to raise the limit
for hand cleaning.
AS an illustration of how small is the
sum allowed for hand cleaning work and
how the employees of the street cleaning
department are handicapped, it is stated
that there are 100000 spare yards of sur
face in the District which is hand cleaned,
and 1,S5O,00O square yards cleaned by ma
chimes. Every bit of that territory, accord
ing to Mr.. Twohey's schedule is swept not
less than three times a week and the ma
jority of it every day. To properly come
within the allotted appropriation for the
hand cleaning work it is necessary for each
hand cleaner, white wing to clean q
territory of at least 10000 square yards.
Extent Of Territory.
Certain citizens, who thought the streets
were not being cleaned properly, stated
that one man should not be required to
clean more than $500 square yards of sur
face. Superintendent Twohey says to do
that would be very agreeable to him and
much better results would be attained,
but the expenditure of at least 25 or 80
cents a square yard would be essential.
By the present arrangement there Is no
street in the District not cleaned three
times a week. Streets on which the traffic
Is heavy, such as Pennsylvania avenue,
14th street. AZ street. M street in George
town, East Capitol street, Connecticut ave-
nue. g street northeast, North Capitol and
South Capitol streets, are cleaned daily by
hand sweepers and nightly by machines.
The section of the city from @ street
between 21st and North Capitol streets to
the Mall northwest, and from Q street to
Pennsylvania avenue, from North Capitol
to 4th street northeast is cleaned by the
machines every night. All other sections
of the city except alleys and thoroughfares
in the suburbs are cleaned three times q
week. An order was issued recently which
requires all alleys within the fire limits
to be cleaned twice a week. The work
will be done by machines and will cost 40
,eentsra square yard.
To Obtain Best Results.
Superintendent Twohey says the best re-
suits are obtained from combined hand and
machine cleaning, but that hand cleaning
Is more thorough, while the machines cover
more ground
The next most important step to the regu-
ri nd fra0uency Of laan tho cfroots