The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1909-01-24

For the first time the authorities yes
terday used part Of the street cleaning
appropriation for the purpose OF cleaning
the slush from the cutters and cross
walks IN the District.
Commissioner West appeared before
the Senate Committee on the District OF
Columbia in TIE afternoon TO explain
what apparently looked like an infrac-
ton OF a ruling OF the Treasury Depart
ment, which has refused to allow the
street cleaning appropriation to be de-
voted 10 snow removal. and 10 appeal
for necessary amendments to the existing
law.
The Commissioners have to-day under
taken 70 improve the condition OF the
city streets by ordering out the street
cleaning force and trusting to a liberal
Interpretation by the Treasury officials
OF the law, IN the hope that the money
which we expend for necessary and Justi-
fable work Will not be disallowed against
our disbursing officer. who, under the
Law. IS a bonded official and responsible, -
said Commissioner West
would have TO come to Congress and
ask that he be reimbursed.
Amendment Advisable,
1T occurs 20 me that an amendment
in the law might be made which would
Obviate such trouble IN the future Where
the law says. for sprinkHng. sweeping.
and cleaning streets. avenues. alleys. and
suburban streets there might be in
cluded the words. and for cleaning snow
and ice from cross walks and cutters
under the act approved March 2 1855,
5000 or an increased appropriation.
as we ought TO have. for street cleaning.
50 that then We can use the lump sum ap-
preparation not only for cleaning cross
walks and cutters, as We are directed
10 DO By law. but also In cleaning the
I streets when the snow becomes a mass
OF filth and dirt
/ 1t IS true that the law thus amended
would give the Commissioners q wide
discretion The evident intention Of Con-
gress has been, and in fact, the state
ment has been positively made 10 the
! Commissioners. that there is no desire
/ IN Congress 20 spend any money under
conditions such as We find IN New York,
where the snow is bodily removed after
every snowfall
The conditions n New York. where
narrow streets and heavy traffic neces-
state the immediate removal OF snow. do
not obtain here.
( 7 think It can be safely said. however.
/ that the Commissioners never would IN
dertake TO use the street cleaning ap-
/ preparation for the sake merely OF remov-
I ing snow, but they should have the dis
erection. which does not seen TO be now
vested in them. Of determining when the
snow needs 10 be taken away with It's
I CRIME and the mud.
Would Be Economical.
That discretion would be vested in the
Commissioners # The law should be
amended as have suggested. think it
could safely be said that no Commis-
sioners. now or in the future. would
undertake 20 unwisely or extrayagantly
spend money for cleaning the streets by
attempting to remove all the snow, but
they should have authority and discre-
ton, at the time when the condition Of
the streets warrant il, 70 take the ap-
preparation for cleaning streets and use
II for the purpose which under the law
the appropriation seems to have been
made"
After Senator'S Gallinger. Hemenway.
and Foster had questioned Commissioner
West regarding the exact situation. the
latter continued:
"Of course We would have TO have the /
two appropriations, that for cleaning the I
streets and for snow cleaning, made TO-
and when I come TO take up the cues
ton Of the streets I am going to en- 1
phasiZe the necessity Of an increase. Il
wish 10 add there would not be the
slightest trouble IN handling the prob I
lem which now confronts the Commits !
sioners in regard 10 cleaning the streets 4
If It were not for the Law.
we tried yesterday, by attaching hose
10 the fire plugs IN Pennsylvania ave
nue.. 70 clean the Avenue as far as We /
could by a flushing process. We found. /
however. that the snow and ice and filth
choked up the entrance to the sewers,
and unless Ihe materials were much
softer than at present the flushing
IS not effective
Used Filtered Water.
In Paris. understand. they wash the
Seine. In Washington, even yesterday,
when We took the water out Of the fire
plug and attempted TO clean the Avenue.
we were using filtered water. and it be-
comes an expensive operation to throw
thousands and thousands OF gallons of
filtered water. which costs money. upon
a pavement and use il for cleaning pur-
poses"
Capt. Kelly. Assistant Engineer Com
missioner Of the District. at this point
declared that if the filth were washed
into the sewers and catch-basins il is
much more expensive than to collect il
OF the street
Senator Gallinger said:
This snow business has been a kind OF
nuisance TO Congress all along. Nv i'm
preston IS that the citizens feel that We
ought 20 have some better method Of
getting rid of the snow in Washington
than we have at the present tine.
Commissioner West said. in reply to a
remark by Senator Hemenway. that the
appropriations for removing snow had b
been limited. and added: Il
Not only have they been compsrs-
lively small. but not one cent Of the ,
money has ever been applicable to re- ,
moving the snow from the streets. In .
other words, We have never been able to
clean the streets until ,-fter the last yes !
dge Of snow had disar Deared That is
The condition we want TO correct.
With a strenuous determination 10 :
make up for lost time. the street clean !
ng department went to work yesterday !
morning to place the streets of the CITY
n a presentable condition. Commissioner
West issued the order, and he saw to It [
hat It was obeyed
Maj. Bali in Charge.
The situation was complicated by the
act that James F. Wood, superintend- U
INT OF street cleaning. is prevented from 1