Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-02-20
STREET SWEEPING SERVICE
EXPLANATION REGARDING
NEEDED APPROPRIATION.
Commissioners Inform Vice Presi-
dent Fairbanks of Necessity for
Dump on Rock Greek.

The Commissioners today addressed a
| communication to Vice President Fair
banks as president Of the Senate in re-
| Spouse to the resolution of the Senate re-
auestfng Information concerning the in
| crease necessary If any in appropriation
streets In order to avoid further dumping
| OF street sweepings and other refuse and
ashes along the banks of Rock creek.
The Commissioners answer follows:
The street cleaning department has
jurisdiction over but one dump along tll.,
banks Of Rock creek and that is located
| on the Washington side between the lines
| of 24th and 18th streets if sad streets
| were extended. distance between 100 and
| $50 linear feet. At the present time and
| prior TO November last nothing but hand
| sweepings and unimproved street sweep
| ings were permitted to be deposited on
said dump. During the interval from
November2. 1907. to February &. 1905 the
| ash collection service from private resi-
dcnces. etc. and in order to save the ex-
pense of much longer hau, ashes were
also deposited on its dump.
Distance From the Water.
with the exception of one point in the
line Of oath street. the base of the dump
is distant about fifteen feet from the
water. To the south of this dump on
the Washington side of the creek ma
chine sweepings and alley sweepings are
being deposited by the respective con-
tractors for such work, who 1t is under
stood. have permission from the owners
or the property to make use CT it 70 .
that purpose. The street cleaning de-
partment. however. has no jurisdiction
IN the premises. nor is there anything
IN the respective contracts which would
enable US to take any action looking to
me discont1nuance of said dumping. Any
the banks of Rock creek on either the
Washington side or the Georgetown side
Is also presumably by permission of the
owners of the abutting property.
early last fall the question of closing
the Districts dump on Rock creek was
before the Commissioners. and the engi-
neer OF bridges, to whom the matter was
referred. reported that the street
sweepings being deposited there by the
street cleaning department could be
nection with the plans for the osad
park along that section of Rock creek.
and that the continued dumping at this
point would not. therefore. be detrimental
to said proposed park treatment
Increase Requested.
In the street cleaning estimates fer
sprinkifng, sweeping and cleaning for the
fiscal year 1909 1t has been asked that the
~ cents per 1000 square yards limi-
tation of cost for hand cleaning be in
creased to p cents per 1000 square yards
One cent Of this proposed increased limi-
tation is to enable the department to re-
duce the hand-cleaning surface area per
man, and the other cent to care for the
increased expense of the necessarily long
er haul in the event that either or both
Of the departments dumps, the one on
Rock creek and the other on Connecticut
avenue extended, should be closed to the
District during said fiscal year The Con-
necticutavenue extended dump is being
filed very rapidly. and it is seriously
doubted that It will be available during
the whole Of the coming fiscal year. The
Commissioners think. therefore, that the
estimate of 1 cent per 1000 square yards
will cover the additional expense to be
incurred in the longer haul necessary
after July I next to dispose of hand
sweepings now being deposited on the
Rock creek dump If the latter is closed at
that time. AS set forth in the estimates,
the Commissioners expect to sweep
500, 100000 square yards by hand during
1902 and the Increased cost for disposing
Of the hand sweepings would therefore be
5000.
During the first six months of the pres
emit fiscal year the cost of hand cleaning
was 1871 cents per 1000 square yards. and
the Rock creek dump could not. therefore.
at this time be closed without exceeding
the nineteen-cent limitation, or so reduc-
ing the hand-cleaning force as to seri-
ously cripple its present efficiency.