The Washington herald., 1907-07-01

New 1OTk, June SU.-Enere was little
change to-day in the strike situation in
the street cleaning department. the bulk
OF whose drivers quit work several days
ago, because their demands for an eight
hour day and the modification OF the
rules concerning fines for infractions We're
not granted The day, however. was 81
llvened by a series Of incidents. which
made the situation more interesting than
ever.
N the first place, a handful Of men oc-
cupying mental places in the classified
service were able to continue TO hold up
practically all the garbage removal from
the most congested district in point Of
population in the world. And yet there
was not the first sign OF disorder in the
Ghetto. or in the other streets of the
East Side. most directly concerned in the
huge surplus Of filth and garbage which
fills the public highways there, and
threatens, if the strike is prolonged I'M
I'll real hot weather sets in. TO breed a
plague Of diseases, especially among chill
dren.
Men Scarce ut $3.50 Per Day.
1t is not to be understood by this state
ment that no work was done to-day to-
ward the amelioration Of the nuisance.
for the health department, under the
immediate direction of Sanitary Superin-
tendent Bensel. and the street cleaning
department. under Commissioner Craven,
and his deputy. Bill Edwards. worked
2,
hand to lessen the ever-increasing noun
tains Of refuse which now cumber the
streets Their greatest difficulty, strange
TO say, was their inability to get suffi-
Client men To the mind of the mayor,
who was on duty all day In the city hail.
this seemed a remarkable demonstration
Of the prosperity herasbouts in these
days. The pay OF a driver for nine hours
work is $3.50. or more than school
teacher gets when she first begins work;
The task is simple one, and I'm other
large. cities, where the garbage is re-
moved by contract the pay is rarely
higher than $50 a day for ten hours
Naturally. it was expected by the city
authorities that there would be a great
AHiA luz AittCt jptf1s d1 LiAt b1tltE DiOAfi-
ton afforded is simply perfect but the
fact is that comparatively few men ap-
piled for them, and the force was not
greatly increased to-day.
Force of Men Fails to Come.
Bill Edwards. who had been active in
securing aid from outside the city, had
the disappointment Of his life to-day He
had made a bargain with a Philadelphia
firm of contractors for 800 men. who
were to come here over the Pennsylvania
Railroad Arrangements were made TO
meet them at Jersey City. and to take
them on a tug from there around the
Battery. and up TO the foot Of East Sew
enteenth street, which is within hailing
Of stable A, and thence &c march them
into the building before the strikers and
their friends even if they were so in
clined. could make an attack on them.
But alas for Edwards dream. Not a
solitary man from Philadelphia showed
up at the appointed time. Later Mr..
Edwards said that he expected 100 Of the
men TO show up some time in the night,
so that they could go to work in the
morning He said the contracting firm
had promised to supply him with 1850
men II he needed them.
About twenty old employees returned TO
work i'm stable @ to-day Stable q is in
Hamilton street, and II controls all the
work I'm the heart of the East Side where
the garbage situation is at its worst. Up
TO to-day the strikers had succeeded in
tying up this stable completely, but eX-
cellent work toward clearing the mass
away was Instituted to-day. when 142
loads We're carted to the dump at the
foot Of Clinton street The work was
continued to-day, and It was expected
that a great many more loads would be
carried away before midnight. There
was no trouble Of any kind,
Ghetto Children Play In Garbage.
A tour Of the East Side streets this aft
ernoon showed that conditions have not
been exaggerated. All through the
Ghetto the streets were piled high with
mounds of garbage so bulky that there
was scarce room for the cars or other
vehicles 20 pass. The streets, as usual,
swarmed with children, who were obliged
TO play on the garbage heaps while the
s'NrL.Ntl az til+i4tot AllAitFA tAhifs - hi'AN
on a Second avenue car, as it runs
through the East Side streets, would con-
vince any one Of the annoyance and even
danger of the situation
But there are streets that cannot be
seen from the cars where conditions are
even worse. According to the reports of
the health inspectors, the very worst
conditions prevail in Elizabeth street,
from Prince to Houston. This thorough
fare is we'll nigh impossible. so great is
the amount Of garbage deposited there
Other streets which are in an especially
bad way are Orchard. from RivingtOn
10 Houston; Ludlow, from Rivingto1 TO
Houston; Ridge. from Delaney to Hous-
ton. Pitt, from Delaney to Bro0me:
Eleventh, from Avenue 4 to Second:
First avenue. from Eleventh to Twelfth
Conditions Are IndescTibabIe.
In these thoroughfares the conditions in
respect to garbage are simply indescrib-
able Huge masses Of decayed fruit.
vegetables, meat, and other household
refuse rear themselves everywhere. while
the air is literally poisoned with the odor.
The filth in many cases is scattered about
Dy the horses, play OF children, and the
tramp Of many feet. The rain Of Satur-
day night and the GOODNESS of the air to-
day helped percepubly to keep down the
danger Of contagion. but it was asserted
that If the temperature rises to any con-
siderable degree dangerous putrefaction
is bound to set in. and no one can tell
what the result will be If the refuse is
not entirely removed or cut down to q
marked degree within the next forty
eight hours Dr. Darlington and the
other health officials would not admit
to-day that there was any immediate
CANCER Of an epidemic. They said that /
they Rad the situation well in hand. con- !
sidering the handicaps under which they
were working, and they hoped for marked 4
improvements in conditions tomorrow.