Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1919-01-11
ASK $4,000 MORE
TO COLLECT ASHES
Commissioners Action Is
Forced by Scarcity of Labor
and Higher Costs.
CONTRACTOR IS ABS0L WE'D

Facing practical inability to obtain
I aGessarY labor and confronted with
constantly climbing cost of opera
tions. including wages. maintenance,
equipment, etc.-the street cleaning
department of the District of Column
! bia Is at present working under han
dicaps in collecting ashes and trash
such as never have been suffered be-
fore in the departments history.
To help out in the difficulty the Dis
triet Commissioners have asked Con-
Kress for supplementary appropri-
alton of $4,000 for collection of ashes
and trash.
Many Complaints Daily.
Complaints from hundreds of Wash
ington householders are reaching the
department daily regarding failure of
the contractor for the removal of
ashes to make scheduled visits to
premises in all parts of the city. To
these complaints Morris Hacker, SUI
perintendent of street cleaning, has
only one reply-that the. department
knows conditions are almost intoler-
able. but that it is doing everything
in Its power to see that ashes are
hauled away as rapidly as the con-
tractors forces are able to cover the
ground.
y. w. Bean, general contractor for
the removal of ashes, had laid the en-
tire matter before Mr.. Hacker and the
District Commissioners. High wages
In other lines OF work. Mr.. Bean as
serts. have made it virtually impos-
sihle for him to obtain the necessary
labor. A consequence is that on some
days as many as fifty or more horses
and wagons are idle because of the
lack of drivers and helpers.
During the last week, Mr.. Bean re-
ports that he has been able to ale
waite conditions to some extent by hir-
ing men and teams belonging to con-
tractors or individuals in other lines
Of hauling.
Has Suffered Losses.
according to his reports to Mr..
Hacker, Mr.. Bean already has suffered
serious losses in attempting to carry
out his contract with the District for
removal of ashes. Basing the figures
Of his bid for the work on wages and
other costs that have since scared
skyward. the contractor is doing
eyerything in his power to live up to
the terms Of the contract. according to
Mr.. Hacker. even though the wages
paid to laborers now, as well as the
cost OF upkeep of equipment, feed for
horses. overhead expense and every
thing connected with the work have
shown marked increases.
.Householders may not realize it,"
safd Mr.. Hacker today, "but they are
Themselves largely responsible for
present conditions. At Christmas
many householders were so liberal
with tips to the ashmen that the lat
ter simply laid OF work for several
days. The contractor has never been
able to make up that lost time.
Higher Wages Factor.
Another cause of the labor short
age is that wages are SO high for
common labor in other lines that men
who otherwise would be available for
fcol3ecting and hauling ashes simply
turn up their noses at jobs on ash
wagons. Contractor Bean has been
compelled to hire boys and men who
knew nothing of the work. because
they were the only laborers he could
ret. The result has been slow and
inSHicient work.
The District Commissioners have
asked Congress for a supplementary
appropriation Of $4,000 for collection
CLASHES and trash. II this is granted
tho work can be taken care Of prop
er1y. Under the present conditions,
hoTever. the contractor is doing the
hest he can. and it is safe to say the
Bfetrict could do no better if 1t were
10 take over tile remainder of Mr..
d..