Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-01-24
TRANSFER IS MADE
Street Cleaning Service Turn
ed Over to Maj. Juds0n.
SHIFT AFTER CONFERENCE
Civil Engineer May Be Put in
Charge Of Work.
STATEMENT EXPLAINS CHANGE
Commissioner Johnston Will Not
Discuss Possible Removal
Of Supt. Wood.
EXPLAINS CHANGE


ership of the Districts street cleaning
service were taken at noon today, when
Commissioner Johnston turned over to
Commissioner Judson and the engineer
depart ment the entire street cleaning serv-
ice, white wings, inspectors, snow-clean-
ing apparatus, horses and wagons.
The announcement by the Commission
ers that hereafter the cleaning of the
streets would be under the supervision of
civil engineer is taken to mean that the
removal of James NJ Wood as street
cleaning superintendent may be looked
for. Mr.. Wood was called into confer
ence this morning with the Commission
ers. After an hour behind closed doors
Commissioner Johnston made the an
nOuncement that years study OF street
cleaning conditions in Washington Justi-
fed the transfer Of the street cleaning de-
partment to the Engineer Commissioner
The significant sentence in Commits
sioner JohnstOn's statement is:
Il think that the cleaning of snow
and ice should be under the supervision
of a civil engineer"
The Commissioners were asked
whether their move today preceded the
removal of Mr.. Wood:
Commissioner Johnston Reticent.
To this Commissioner Johnston re-
piled:
LET us leap one stream at a time. We
have leaped over a stream today"
The change, as announced by Commits
sioner Johnston, is set forth as follows:
1--WE have been in Office a year today
as Commissioners. During that time IT
has been noted in the press than the trend
ship of the street cleaning plant and
service. 1t seems that some time In the
future the city ought to control its own
collection OF ashes, garbage. waste. etc,
and as q first step in that direction the
board has approved my motion to turn
to that Of Commissioner Judson.
THE highways and streets are, OF
course, already under him and are con-
trolled by competent engineers. The
and alleys seems. therefore, TO be only
a part of highway engineers duties,
since the two are so closely allied. Street
cleaning Is an engineering problem.
think the cleaning of snow and ice should
be under the supervision of a civil engi-
neer.
ALSO 1t seems that the equipment for
cleaning highways and streets should be
under one roof and under one Commits
sioner, certainly under one Commissioner.
Now, the engineer department, and es-
pecially that part which has to do with
highways, has equipment of horses,
wagons and men, and these could very
properly be placed in service when neces-
sary to meet an emergency"
The Commissioners have been working
toward a municipal ownership of their
street cleaning department for year. AT
present there are f1ve-year contracts out
for the removal OF ashes and other waste.
There is an item in the present appro-
priation bill asking for $4,000 for the
start of municipality owned plant.
H2-k>I g.. Cav, TSr~aA
Commissioner Johnston said during the
time the recent double layer of snow
made it impossible for the slim appro-
priation to remove the fall of snow boz
lily from the streets that the proper
measuring of snowfall on city streets
should be taken care of by civil en-
gineer. AT that time there was rumor
in the District building to the effect that
the street cleaning would be changed to
the engineer department or put in charge
Of an engineer.
It was limited by one Commissioner this
morning that the change to the engineer
department while the street cleaning de-
partment had SO recently been under fire
for not cleaning the streets OF snow and
ice might seem to be q confession OF in
ability to handle the situation. After dis
cussing this matter, the Commissioners.
as a board, decided that the move would
be for the best interests Of the city, and
chat the full statement would give citi-
Gems q complete understanding of the
matter
In other words, the Commissioners do
not feel for a second that the trans
fer has any confession of inability in
1t, but the whole matter is an i'm
personal one. done. it is explained, to
give the city the best service with the
equipment it has on hand.