The Washington herald., 1919-03-06
Streets Of City Can Be
Swept Only Once a Week
on Lick and Promise"
Lines Unless Citizens Lend
the District 100000.
800 "WHITE WINGS"
DROPPED FROM ROLL
Voteless City Had No Voice
to Plead Dire Need of
Money, Hence Filibuster
Did Not Halt for Urgent
Deficiency Bill.

Congress has folded its tents and
departed until June. and Washing
tonians awoke yesterday to the fact
That 1t failed to appropriate a penny
TO Keep the streets OF the city clean
in the interim.
Other municipal activities must be
curtailed or suspended because of
failure to provide funds to meet bills.
This absurd situation, which could
prevail in no other city of the coun-
try because the people would I'M
tremendously kick out of office the
municipal authorities responsible for
1t, must be endured by voteless Wash
ington.
Due to Filibustcr.
This condition is brought about
through shortage of appropriations
due to failure of the urgent deficiency
bill to pass Congress. The Senate
filibuster prevented its consideration,
Engineer Commissioner Kutz, of the
District government. and Morris
Hacker. superintendent Of street
cleaning. decided last night TO spread
out the $4,000 which remains of the
street cleaning appropriation so as
to provide for sweeping by machines
about every six days.
Faced with street cleaning ap-
preparation which would not last a
month. the District officials were
obliged to WELD the pruning ak. and
300 employees OF the street cleaning
force were notified yesterday that
they faced suspension until such time
as funds for their salaries were made
available by Congress.
sheIve "Hoky-Poky- Carts.
Following a series of conferences.
it was decided to transfer about 100
of the laborers to jobs driving the
horse-drawn street sweepers, but
'hoky-poky" carts viii be stored
until an appropriation is passed
No other course was possible un-
der existing conditions unless
enough money was obtained by pri-
vate subscription to continue normal
service. Superintendent Hacker sug-
gested this plan, but there is no
authority under existing law to per-
nit the District to solicit money to
maintain activities. officials still
are considering the plan OF having
public-spirited residents loan $1,000
each to make up a fund Of $50. 900 to
NOiiSihOt sAittl ClednlnE Work, Dut
they could give no positive assur-
ance that this money would be re-
paid.
Former District Commissions
Cuno Fl. Rudolph suggested last
night that the citizens band them
selves into associations comprising
tenants Of each block and person
ally attend to keeping the streets
in presentable condition.
These associations. he believes
could appoint a supervisor to direct
the details OF the work and the
members of the association could
''whack up" the expenses.
Pruned Estimate; Got Nothing,
There was an item of $4,000 for
street cleaning in the deficiency meas
ure. 1t was s55,O0U less than the Dis
trict commissioners asked for. bu,
they were preparing to do their best
to operate on this reduced sum. With
adjournment of Congress they get
nothing.
District Commissioner BrownIow
stated that the appropriation for for
age for the fire department horses
had been exhausted and that officials
CONTINUED ON PAGE TWO.