Evening star., 1913-04-04
SUGGESTION Made to Washing
ton HousehoIders by Clean
City Committee.
CRUSADE LEADERS URGE
ACTIVE COOPERATION
Commissioner Johnston to Be Ad-
vised Of Program-Police to As
sist in Work.

Prepare for city cleaning week by first
improving the sanitation Of your own
premises.
This is the appeal the clean city COM
mittee makes to Washingtonians who
are planning to cooperate with it in the
crusade on refuse and disease to be
Waged during the week of April IA to 10.
Already residents in every section of
the District are responding, but the prep
aration for the campaign is not as gen.
eral as the committee hopes it may be-
come.
Realizing that the amount of rubbish
to be brought out from old hiding places
during the cleanup period will tax the
capacity Of the refuse contractors wag-
ons, the campaign leaders are desirous of
impressing citizens with the importance
Of. beginning now to improve the san
itary condition Of their homes and prem
ises.
Last year. prior to the beginning of the
work was done and a splendid founda-
ton laid for the success Of the under
taking. The health department was
Hooded with complaints Of fnsanitary
conditions existing in different sections
of the city, and remedied many of the
situations complained of before the cru
sade started.
General Program Anticipated.
So general was the preliminary work
that the committee found the question of
improving the sanitation of private prem
ises had been largely anticipated, and
that its principal task lay in the prob
lem of arranging for the cleaning Of va
cant lots. alleys and the homes Of those
persons included in the alley population.
Records of the health department
show that there have not been as many
insanitary complaints filed this spring as
there were Immediately preceding the
campaign a year ago. The committee
does not know whether this is due to a
lack Of interest on the part of citizens
or the fact that the winter just passed
was an extremely mild one and did not
leave the city in as much need Of cleans
ing as it was last April. 1t Is inclined to
the latter view.
Since the city-wide cleanup of twelve
months ago, the refuse collections of the
municipal contractor have shown an in
crease of 80 per cent, 1t is stated. This
is regarded by many as indicating that
Washington not only is more sanitary
than it has ever been, but there will be
less garbage to handle during the coming
campaign.
Wants Plague Spots Reported.
The committee hopes that each citizen
who discovers an insanitary condition
will report it to the health department
at once, so that an inspector may be as
signed to the case and the trouble ad-
justed. 1t is suggested that reports be
made Of all dirty lots. yards, sheds, sta
bles, cellars. alleys and houses that may
come under observation.
With the object of preventing the
dumping of refuse on vacant lots, the
cleanup body also suggests citizens who
discover teamsters engaging in this viO-
laf:on of the law to report the matter to
the police department, turning in the
wagon number so that the driver may be
identified.
BE certain that there is filthy refuse
in the place reported, Is the advice given
by the committee to all citizens who may
be preparing to assist it in the wholesale
war on dirt. Unsdghtly premises must
be distinguished from those OF an insani-
tary character. it is pointed out.
Conference in View.
1t is probable that conference will be
held today or tomorrow between Commits
sioner Johnston, who has supervision of
the police department, and w. II. Rich
ardson, chairman Of the cleanup commit
tee. relative to the character of work
the police will be called upon to do dur
ing the campaign. Commissioner Johns
ton returned to Washington yesterday.
He will be presented with the plan out
lined for the campaign and requested to
instruct the police department to CO.
operate with the committee to the end
that it's work may be carried on in every
section of the District.