Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-08-30
CITY STREETS CLEAN
None More SO Anywhere,
Says Supt. Wood.
ALLEYS AND YARDS SWEPT
$33,0S0.S7 Of Appropriation Saved
With This Showing.
DEPARTMENT Is REORGANIZED
Many 0mcials and Clerks Dispensed
With az Measure Of
Economy.
ALLEYS AND YARDS SWEPT
Is REORGANIZED

NO Otner american city can snow
such a regular, frequent. systematic
and thorough cleaning Of Its streets
and alleys. nor can any other Ameri-
can city show such clean vacant lots.
private alleys and back yards as
Washington Is at present showing"
James M Wood. superintendent Of
street cleaning. made this comment in
his annual report, sent to the Commits
sioners today.
To sweep the city. to collect the ashes
aL~ refuse. to keep the cutters clean
and to call at the homes Of $4,000 peo-
pie who complained that the ash man
did not call cost the District for the
year Just SAT-. 473.se which is $50, 9o0.87
less than the appropriation. The econ
omies Of the street cleaning depart
ment are emphasized in the years re-
view.
Reorganization Of Department.
Some Of this saving was accom-
plished by the reorganization Of the
department and the dropping OF en-
ployes whose services were no longer
needed. The ONCE OF stable foreman
was abolished in July. 1909. Mr.. Wood
says in his report that the stable has
been more economically and satisfac-
torily managed than ever.
only memory. for this ONCE was
abolished last June. Other smaller la
boring jobs were wiped out from time
to time. The actual net saving was ST.
1887. as compared with Ave cents saw
ing for the previous year.
The familiar white wings plodded along
last year with brush and pan ahead Of
them and succeeded In cleaning up 543.-
0SS. III square yards. II the 2O2 men
in the gang had confined their efforts
exclusively to Pennsylvania avenue they
would have swept the area from the Cap
itol to the Treasury 1.O44 times In one
year, which means that they would have
had to sweep 1t clean nearl yfour times
gang was out 1854 days during the year.
All this sweeping removed 9.344 loads
OF dust and dirt. Counting the cost OF
everything. from the white wings pay
Of $50. 262.96. down to the purchase of
jute sacks to put the sweepings In. the
cost Of cleaning of the city by this
hand method amounted to 17H cents a
thousand square yards.
When you see q white wing pushing
along and scraping clean a thirty-foot
street, for a distance of hundred yards.
you may know he's doing about seventeen
cents worth Of work at that rate. The
square yards in the year just closed than
ever before.
Lowest Cost on Record.
The cost per thousand yards Is charac-
terized by Mr.. Wood as the lowest ever
reached.
The machines swept 49,. 3g7 ,s15 square
yards during the year at a cost Of $780,
O53.O2. or TN cents a thousand square
yards. The machines. therefore. would
not get quite hundred yards on a
thirty-fOot street for II cents,
During the season OF the year when the
leaves fell into the cutters and tempted
boys TO build fires. an extra machine gang
was put on. With four machines they
swept up $4,000 square yards Of leaves
every day.
The alley gang cleaned up $685., 900
square yards, carried out 5000 loads OF
dirt. removed 12.6O6 cubic yards OF debris
for ever thousand square yards OF alley.
This beats 1909 by q million and a quar-
ter square yards. and cost S5OO.O6 less.
The fourteen sprinkling machines used
worked ITO days and sprinkled 20 miles
OF streets. The public dump worked 81
days, received 37.04S wagonloads of
sweepings and refuse and 81 .O87 loads of
ashes. and only needed seven men at $3.50
a year to handle 1t all.
The Commissioners are informed this
morning that the dumps are In good
shape"
Collection Of Garbage.
On the garbage question the report
says:
The collection Of garbage for the fiscal
year 1910 was nearer perfect than at any
other time in the history Of the depart
ment The deductions for neglect show
only two justifiable complaints during
the year"
On ashes:
During the fiscal year 1910 house
holders received the best ash service
ever rendered in the District Of Column
bia. Deductions for neglect amounted
during the year to 1892. as against s9i8
for the fiscal year 1909"
AS to refuse:
The refuse service for the fiscal year
1910 was the best the people have ever
received
On dead animals:
1.-THE dead animal service for the first
time in the history OF the department
was absolutely perfect during the fiscal
year 1910" No fines were charged against
the contractor. who picked up 1888 dead
dogs. cats, ETC., at cost OF II Clio
cents apiece.
The District had s35, 1915 at its dis
posal for snow and ice work at the be-
ginning OF the fiscal year and spent OF
it only &4.22O73. The purchase Of six
snow-grading machines. which do the
work Of $50 men, has greatly re-
duced the work OF making streets and
sidewalks passable after a snowstorm.
The STRENGTHENING department stable,
which was a sore point with the Commits
sioners for long time. was cleaned out
and made worth while during the year
lust closed. Forage for the horses cost
1.S72. 8S less than last year. while the
pay roll shows an increase of nearly
S1 400, owing to the employment OF men