The Washington times., 1909-04-06
Making Preparations to Par
ticipate in the White
Wings Movement.
FAMILIES TO WATCH
THEIR FRONT LAWNS
Commissioners Will Be Asked to
Have Covers Kept on
Trash Wagons.

Women all over Washington are be-
ginning to align themselves with the
proposed "housecleaning" which is TO
be given Thursday, April 10. when an
effort win be made to clear up every
street in Washington of trash of every
kind
The movement, which was started by
members of the Twentieth Century
Club. has gained wide publicity and
support. and the Street Cleaning Dc
partment of the District Of Columbia
viii be given a lesson as TO just how
clean the city may be made.
Mrs +. Y. Coville, who is one Of the
originators Of the plan, and who is par
ticularly active in the movement. has
been interesting herself in the oper[-
tions Of the trash wagons. which do
duty about the city. With several mem
bers of the club. Mrs. COville watched
wagon No. 9, bearing the name Rub
bish Contractor 26 Be7ning Road" as
II went about its work yesterday.
Wagon Was Uncovered.
The wagon was entirely uncovered
and the driver, when asked, said the
cover was folded up on the seat of the
wagon. He said the covers were only
put on when the wagon was full. In
the meantime, the contents of the
wagon were subject TO every whim of
the breeze.
Yesterday afternoon several women.
who are interested in having a better
system in the street cleaning process,
noticed a trash wagon at Fourteenth
and L streets northwest. The wagon,
which bore the same inscription. except
for the fact that il was No. J. was filed
TO fully two feet above the lattice work
around the body, but some encourage
ment was gained by the fact that when
the paper blew OF the man stopped to
pick il up. The cover was put on the
load as the last lot was dumped on and
evidently went straight to the dump.
L is maintained that the disposition
70 operate these wagons without covers
IS one Of the crying evils in the Situa-
ton and one which should receive some
attention from the Street Cleaning De-
partment The purpose Of the Twentieth
Century Club and the other women of
Washington, who are fast becoming in
terested in the project is to clean up
the city in the hope that the Commits
sioners viii enforce the rules necessary
20 keep II cleaned up.
Improper Street Cleaning.
They maintain that the trash and
paper all about Washington do not cone
from the homes. but are the result Of
an improper method Of clearing the
streets.
The plan for ''housecIeaning day
which will be on Thursday of next
week. Is not luEeN0tQ 10 De AT All spec
tacular. II is INTENDED, instead. that
everybody will see that their own lawns
or pavements are cleaned up that day,
whether by themselves, the children in
the family or servants. There Is no
hour set at which this is to be done
only il is desired that everybody do il
In the morning. and again in the after
noon II. by any chance a trash wagon
should come around and distribute what
II has already picked up from some 9TH
err locality.
Must Provide Covers.
The women of Washington are anx-
ious. also. that the Commissioners make
a ruling that uncovered barrels or boxes
OF trash are not permitted to stand in
back yards or areaways and that a
cover must be provided for these OF
collection will not be allowed
William Leshner, private secretary 10
g member Of Congress, was once the
chief official In a Pennsylvania town,
where he lived aid determined upon a
'hOusecieaniug. The town had ii. UNI
der considerable protest. but when il
had been accomplished excursions were
run up to the little place from other
towns just TO get a look at il and see
how good 81 was 20 be clean. Mr. Lesh-
ner is heartily in favor Of the arrange
rneIlt being made by the women Of
Washington, ana declares that they will
ultimately get the people on their size
as he did in the little Pennsylvania
town