The Washington herald., 1909-04-15
CLEANUP DRAMA
OPENS At 9 A. NJ.
Great Scenes by Women and
Rubbish Collectors.
EXHIBITS TO COMMISSIONERS
These VIII Consist OF Evidences OF
work Left UndOne Following the
Departure OF the Trash Carts.
Commissioners West Laughs at a
RcpOrt-But He Has Sympathy.

Great scenes will be enacted this morn
ing some time before o'clock. If the
plans Of the Twentieth Century Club
don't go asuay Ike the wisps OF paper the
women are trying 10 lead back into the
straight and narrow path that leads 10
the municipal dumping ground.
The women have prepared a Machiavel-
Ian plot by which they viii either hold
Up the street cleaning department as a
dsrelict Of efficiency floating about in the
submersion OF its own futiIity. or vindi-
cate it in the light OF the supreme test OF
this morning.
The idea is this: 1t Is absolutely logi-
cal, and can't miss II the cleaning de-
partment fails TO come up TO specifca-
tons. there VIII no longer be any chance
for preiudiced friend 20 stanc on the
brink OF the whatness and peer into the
depths Of the why, to discover mitigating
circumstances for the failure TO keep the
public highways in the pink OF condi-
ton. The idea runs as follows:
A SDOtIess City.
There is bound TO be more or less litter
accumulated every day in the streets
and private parkings in front Of houses.
This litter the women OF the city. either
personally or through their agents. chill
dren, husbands. or their servants, will
tuck securely up under the lids OF their
trash boxes. Result: A spotless city. with
the insidious cause of all the rumpus out
Of sight.
Now comes the STRENGTHENING depart
nent-the villain in the drama. The
agents Of the cleaning department back
their wagons up to the trash boxes and
commence 10 remove the rubbish for
transportation to the dumping ground. II.
after the removal. the streets are still
clean. the department is exonerated. If
the streets are again Uttered. the depart
ment, ipsO facto. is all TO blame. Ergo.
therefore. and Q. z. D.. likewise c. Q. d.
The plan has been carried TO such a fine
point that gunny sacks have been collect
ed IN which TO deposit any scraps that
blow out Of the street-Cleaning wagons.
These gunny sacks, when filled, will be
properly labeled. with the names OF Wit
nesses thereuntO attached and will be-
come Exhibit A" in the list Of dana ging
evidence. It is even reported that '@Ex-
hibit A. will be carried 70 the Office OF
Commissioner West tomorrow morning.
Commissioner West. however. denied
late last night any knowledge Of such a
contemplated invasion Of his Office. and
laughed heartily when it was suggested
10 him that he would better leave town 20
make room for another sack
I am in perfect sympathy with the
women" he said, in their campaign for
clean streets and parkings. have prom
fSnd fha-71 my crrrr,orF e
that the street-cleaning department is
derelict or inefficient, 1 shall take the
matter UP.
The street cleaning department IS
without money Furthermore. it hasn';
the right 10 enter on private lawns os
houSeholders in quest OF waste material,
and the lawns are one Of the most pro-
life sources of the litter that finally finds
its way into the streets.
Cleanup Crusade.
''Since started the cleanup crusade. 4
tremendous amount OF work has been
done. Hundreds Of wagon loads Of waste
have been carted TO the dumping ground
at Benning, and canvas covers were OBJ
tained recently for the ash wagons.
The Twentieth Century Club sent out
10o0 invitations to women on Tuesday
asking them TO cooperate in the move
ment. A number Of other clubs have en-
tered into the work. Yesterday the
women who were placed in charge OF
their respective blocks were busy visit
ing housewives and getting their assur-
ance that their own lots would be cleaned
up
BY 2 o'clock this morning the lid vii
be clamped down tight on the municipal
ash box