Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-01-25
CLEAR THE STREETS OF DIRT
MEMBERS OF DISTRICT CLEAN
ING DEPARTMENT BUSY.
Finish In Northwest and Then Turn
to Other Sections Of
the City.

The work Of cleaning the streets Of the
accumuations of dirt Is proceeding.
. Having completed its task in the north
west section Of the city Saturday and yes
terday. the brigade Of the street cleaning
department today moved on the northeast.
southeast and southwest sections, armed
with shovels. scoops. sweepers and
brooms. to make the paved streets of
those sections passable for pedestrians.
Yesterday was a period of great indus
try, SO far as the street cleaning depart
ment was concerned. AS early as 4
o'clock in the morning Supt. Wood
was at the District stables direct
ing the start of the street cleaning force
and of the many wagons and carts The
first break of the Sunday dawn saw the
cleaning work beginning and by 8 o'clock
upward of 375 men. using 100 wagons,
were busy with shovels. brooms. scoops
and sweepers, trying to make the paved
streets look less like country roads. Com
missioner West was in consultation with
Supt. Wood before o'clock.
Cover $500, 900 Yards.
During the day the streets of the north
west section of the city were pretty thor
oughly cleaned. 1t is estimated that ST.
100, 900 square yards of pavement were
cleaned and more than 100 wagon loads of
dirt hauled to the dump or thrown into
the sewers.
In appealing to Congress for a change
In the law so as to grant the money fol-
street cleaning and handling snow and
Ice in a lump sum, Commissioner West
last Saturday, the records show, repeated
suggestions made by his predecessor and
| by himself in former years.
AS far back as 1900 the late Commits
sioner Ross. appearing before Senate
committee, called the attention of Con
gres to the condition. There Is always
great trouble about snow here, Commits
sioner Ross said to the committee, and
he asked the committee to frame the law
SO as to give the Commissioners discre-
ton in the expenditure of the appropria-
ton.
Appeal for Lump Sum.
Warner Stutler, who was then the
superintendent of the street cleaning de-
partment and who appeared with Mr..
Ross before the committee, also appealed
for a lump sum appropriation in order
that the street cleaning department might
be able to remedy the conditions such as
existed In this city last week. But the
controller OF the Treasury" said Mr..
Stutier. has held that so long as we have
specific appropriation for snow and ice
work we cannot draw on the fund for
sweeping and cleaning streets"
Commissioner Ross made q statement
which is exactly in line with the situa-
ton at present. He Informed the COM
mittee that snow had fallen and added.
1--WE were severely criticised because 1t
was a very warm day and the Slush was
fearful on the streets. II we had had
that appropriate when the snow came 1t
would have been removed in the morn
ing"
Questions by Mr.. Burkett.
Before the House committee the same
question was again presented to Congress,
and Mr.. Burkett. then a member of the
committee and now in the Senate. asked
some questions as follows:
Mr.. Burkett-You have an appropria-
ton for street cleaning and sweeping.
Now when it SHOWS here why cannot you
take those men who clean and sweep the
streets and put them at the work of
cleaning out the streets and cutters?
Mr.. Ross-Because Of the accounting
officers.
MIR. Burkett-They will not let you clean
the snow up with street sweeping force?
Mr.. Ross-No, sir. That is a settled
construction.
The reports of the hearings before the
Senate and House appropriation commit.
tees also show that under the present
board Of Commissioners this situation has
been called to the attention Of Congress-
but at no time. despite all the informa.
ton which has been presented to the COM
mittees on the subject has Congress ever
undertaken to remedy the situation.