Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-12-14
SENDS FOR GEN. JOHNSTON
Commissioner Explains That Their
Is Shortage of Funds.
SUM OF $4,000 ALREADY USED
Thousands Of Dollars, It Is Elk
planned, Will Be Required to
Make Headway.


Commissioners why snow and ice still
remain on the streets of the city.
The President went walking yesterday
afternoon and has been out several other
afternoons of late. He has been disap-
pointed over the condition of the streets.
Sending for Commissioner Johnston to-
day, he asked why SO little had been
done in the way of cleaning up. Gen.
Johnston explained to the President that
lack of money was the real reason for the
snow and ice remaining on the streets,
but stated that a great deal had been
done with the funds on hand. The
President asked for written statement
of the situation and this is to be fur
nished by the Commissioners as early as
possible.
| Gen. Johnston said that of the ten
thOusand-dollar appropriation available
! for snow and ice cleaning 81, 800 has been
expended in clearing crossings and inter-
sections, and the remaining $500 would
do comparatively little, SO little as to be
barely appreciable, when it is considered
that the whole city is covered with deep
| snow and ice.
Matter to Be Considered.
Gen. Johnston said that many thou
sands of dollars would be required for
making any headway in the work of gen.
eral cleaning, and that Congress fully un-
derstood the situation, which was ex-
/ planned to the District subcommittee of
the House appropriations committee yes
/ terday.
! When Gen. Johnston left the White
| House 1t was understood that he would
go at once to the District building to take
the question up with his fellow Commits
sioners.
i IF We carted every ton of snow away
from the streets it would have cost us
! sS4 900 for this las, snow alone" said
I Commissioner Johnston. after his visit tC
the White House, when a Star reporter
asked him the situation in regard to the
I cleaning of snow from the streets.
Nearly 80 Cents a Ton.
THE public does not have any idea OF
the cost of lifting a ton of snow and
carting it off the streets to the river, ol
wherever it is to be thrown. Withou,
figures to get the exact amount, l would
say it costs us between 20 cents and ~
cents. 1t was estimated that this las
snowfall weighed 10000 tons. If yo,
want to find out what it costs to car
snow just telegraph over to New Yori
to Bii! Edwards, the street cleaning
commissioner there. He told me recently
that it costs between 5000 and $4OO 90,
to clean up and cart away all the snow
from the streets.
Il think every one is familiar with tn,
status of the snow appropriation Con
gress appropriated $4,000 for the re
moval of the snow three years ago A
that time the street cleaning department
was required to clean up street crossing
and that was about all. That winte
was an open winter and little money wa
spent Twenty thousand dollars of tn
| appropriation was covered back into tn
Treasury. leaving the District $4,000.
Money Spent for Equipment.
AT the same time the activities of th
street cleaning department were extended
, because the appropriation act includes
: the removal of snow and ice from side
walks and streets. In that first yea
much OF the money spent went for euuiu
, ment. Gutter plows and sidewalk nlou
and grading plows were bought Th
city was marked off into sixteen side
, walk plow districts and twenty-four on,
ter plOw districts. e~'
Nhen this recent snow fell the eo,,in
5 ment got 10 work, but blowing snn,
, from cutters does not cart il and carr
IL away Sidewalk plows showing m
l snow on the walks do not cart it ava,
! The work the street cleaning denartuer
! has done on the snow up until tndau hn
cost $3.50, or nearly that sum When
1t inquired that to cart away every shovelf
of snow would cost, say. eight tin,
the entire snow appropriation for m
whole winter, the matter appears in m
light of problem.
I'VE are getting to work this afternoo
to clean up some of the piles of snnu
the downtown districts where traf3c
e endangered"