Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-01-19
DISTRICT DEFICIENCIES
MONEY WANTED FOR COAL AND
SNOW CLEANING.
Hearing Before the House Apprdpri-
atoms OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES
Vests, Statements.

AS published in The Star yesterday after
noon. an item of $4,000 is included in the
urgent deficiency bill for the purchase OF
fuel for the public schools of the city. This
was within $1,000 of the amount asked Tor
by the Commissioners. The committee
scored the practice of the Commissioners In
connection with this appropriation, MT.
Latimer remarking that 1t was dangerous
practice The published hearings OF the
committee give the views expressed pv
members of the committee and Commas
soner West, who appeared to explain the
deficiency The latter explained that the
amount appropriated by Congress for coal
for the last five years has been $4o,oo0 for
each year, and each year we came to Con-
gress for deficiency. Although the regu-
lar appropriation has been s4hoOo, the
amount actually appropria ted has gone as
high as $4,000, the case in 1So3 sio,ooo
in 1904 and $4,000 in 1905; and TINS deii-
cheney of 5000 is the same amount OF DEN
cheney as was asked for last year anu the
year before.
Mr. West admitted that he didn't think
this was a good practice and Representa-
tive Littauer of New York remarked that
the practice was even dangerous, suggest
ing that 1t might subject the Commissioners
to the prohibition against deficiencies
THE coal contract said Mr.. West, mas
given us in the past good deal of trouble.
Quired Representative Livingston.
IT doubt very much replied Mr.. West,
eff we could buy at the mines
At the suggestion of Mr.. Littauer, Com
missioner West promised to see That the
estimate was corrected.
TT is just that habit that we want to
put an end to-" remarked Mr.. Littauer in
conclusion. TT places the appropriation
entirely in false light.
Snow and Ice Removal.
Taking up the question of the removal
of snow and ice, Mr.. Littauer asked the
Commissioner to explain the matter.
why could it not be carried on by your
regular street cleaning force?"
Il will be very glad to answer that"
replied Mr.. West. when the Commits
sioners endeavor to clean away the snow
and ice from the streets and in congested
places such as street railroad crossings,
and from cutters and sidewalks, they are
met with the decision of the controller of
the currency that the appropriation for
cleaning streets is not applicable to that
purpose; that inasmuch as Congress, from
time immemorial, has made an appropri-
alton, small in amount, of $1,000 for the
removal of snow and dee ice Congress In,
for the removal of snow and ice, and that
the large amount used for street cleaning
could not be diverted to the purpose of
removing snow and Ice, no matter
whether it was not used for anything
else at that time. Under these circum-
stances the Commissioners came to Con-
gress for an increase of the appropria-
tion and asked that this money might be
available for the removal of snow and ice
from the streets, crosswalks and cutters.
The word street" has always been
stricken out, so that the Commissioners
in a measure have fallen down between
two stools. They have never had the
money for cleaning the ice from the
streets, but they have had small amount
flo oil MI walks nd
Street Cleaning Appropriations
1--WE would be very glad If the money
appropriated for street cleaning could be
utilized during the winter months for the
removal of snow and Ice when street
cleaning to some degree is at stand
STILL
I'VE would be glad, also, If the street
cleaning appropriation could be used for
this very Identical purpose of cleaning the
snow out of the cutters. so as to allow the
water to find its way to the sewers when
the snow meltS, and to keep the cross
walks in condition so that pedestrians can
go across the the crosswalks with the least
possible discomfort. But Congress has never
given us any large amount of money for the
removal of snow and ice. If we could get
SIS 600 or $4,000 at a time for this purpose
we would use 1t as economically as possible.
Every cent of it that would be expended
would be subject to the scrutiny of the
Treasury Department officials well as to
our own scrutiny. But Congress, as say,
has never shown any disposition to author
ize the expenditure of more than 5000 at
time for this purpose"
Describing the manner in which the cross
ways were cleaned, Mr.. Vest said that a
place was cut about ten inches wide be-
tween the curbstone and the snow bank
Representative Livingston's Remarks.
"And leave the ice behlnd?" interrupted
Representative Livingston. THAT is a
good deal worse than IL you did not touch
1t. I could go down town and show you
that where you cleaned the streets 1t is
dangerous for any man to walk, and where
you did not he can get along without any
trouble. That has been the case ever since