Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1920-07-26
Street CLEANING
BY CITY IS URGED
nuremberg Says Municipal op-
GRAFTON Would Prove to Be
Cheaper Than Stated
CONFERENCE ON BIDS SOON

ll I"Fru 10 40 IT'S own Srcct cicnnlng DN
January 1. 1921. as made virtually
mandatory BY the now city charter. in e
stead Of searching about for trans
parent excuses and technical justifca
zion" Tor continuing the contractor sys-
tenn.
This orinion was voiced today by
Frederick r. Gutenberg. director Of the
Bureau Of Municipal Research.
Mr.. Gutenberg agreed with Council.
man Dcvclin. of West Philadclphin
that the taking over Of the street.
cleaning equipment by the city would
Z cost 81 800 900 to 50 .OOO. 900. accord.
ing to an engineering commission. in
Sstead Of $1,000 900. the estimate
credited 70 the Mayor by Mr.. Dcvrlin.
Mr.. Develin explained thnt the cost
of cleaning the streets by the city would
be $4,000, 900. and that hence tho city
would not nay more than SG.0oO. .00o
II the highest figures were realized.
Would Save 81 .o0O. 900
Under tho present contract system.
Mr.. Devclin added. the city has TO noy
6.2N.O 900 to the contractors. and Il
wonId have to pay only 5000 600 nd.
uitionai to clean the streets and take
over thc equipment. provided tho mini.
mum figures were realized. Thereafter.
ne said. the city would save 81 .0OO. .OOO
annually.
Mr., Develin predicts n break in tbc
administration ranks in Counc;, n ,bo
Mayor socks to defer municipal street
cleaning later than the date fixed BIZ
the charter. "
Mr.. Gutenberg. who has made spc.
ciai study Of the problem. said That
the figures given by Mr.. Develin were
"The problem. said Mr.. Gruenbcrr.
lis much easier of solution than many
people sccm to think. All the citv
has to do. In my opinion. Is to 70 out
and buy the ennipmcnt. nui IL the
present street cleaning contractors do
not wish to sell their second hand
equipmcnt. thcy can throw 1t on the
Junk -hean and the city can get new
machinery.
"Ever since January I the admins
tration has been on notice from the
Bureau Of Municipal Research, both BY
letter and in numerous conferences.
I'm which the Administrations attention
was called to its duty in carving out
the provisions of the ctv charter to
uphold which 1t was elected.
F ''Thc matter, however. was allowed
to drift until just before Director Win.
eton's death. Acting Director Wagner
5 did all temporary incumbent possibly
could do to get action. and II was due
largely TO his vigorous efforts that the
commission of three engineers got under
way.
'"The vacancy in the Office of tho di.
rector of public works was allowed TO
exist for many weeks, and now, at the
eleventh hour. with August almost upon
US, n decision has to be made"
May Divide Wares District
Relative to advertising for bids for
street cleaning by contractors, which
The administration announces II will
ask as tentative measure. Il confer
sence will take place soon in the Office
Z 81 Mayor Moore. The conference will
include administration officials In charge
OF the street CLEANING specifications. II
y expected to result in splitting the
territory now cleaned by Senator Ware.
The Largest street cleaning con.
tractor in the world" ns the senator Is
often known. now cleans the streets
in, the two digtricts lying south of
Poplar street between the two rivers.
Friends of Senator Ware say that IL the
districts cleaned by him are SO split
thnt they will cut the size of his con
tracts materially he will withdraw from
the street cleaning business in Phila-
dclphia.
The contractor politician Is said to
have been asked by other cities 70 clean
The streets, and that If the specifica
lions and boundaries Of the districts ara
regarded as unfavorable by him he will
move his equipment to other Climes.
The districts az Mt present constituted
are expected to be materially altered
at the proposed conference. The officials
tLnt will attend the conference besides
the Mayor will be Director Cavcn, City
Solicitor Smyth, John II. Necson, act
Ing chief of the Bureau of Street Clean.
ing; engineers from the Street Clean
Ing Department and Chief Dunlap, of
the Highway Bureau.
me city. 1t is said, may be split
INTO fifteen districts by the officials, with
possibility that every one of the
present ten districts may be cut In two.
That change would materially cut down
the size of the districts to be cared for
oy each contractor and. in addition, |
give other contractors an opportunity
70 break in on the practical monopoly !
In street: cleaning work that has been .
others,
As would be expected, Senator Ware
IL absolutely opposed to municipal street
cleaning. Yesterday he refused to com.
hent on the situation. saying that he
would be guided entirely by the develop.
ator, however. while on the subject Of
municipal operation Of any bureau. re.
Ierred to street paving. He said that Il
was costing the city 50 for every ward
OF asphalt laid. while contractors, he
said, could do the same work for 50 %
and still make money. In the dnys
prior to the advent of the municipal
paving, contractors did the work for 81
per square yard. \ recent check by
man who followed one of the pavlng
gangs showed that the work cost the
city 50. 20 yard. he said.
:. lie also CRITICIZED the manner in which
a the commission which made the recent
survey in the street cleaning field had
worked. He cited the example Of its
taking Trenton as one Of the cities to
observe conditions. Trenton. he said,
would fit in half Of one of our large
city wards, and therefore the compari-
son Of this city with that municipality
proved nothing. New York and Chi.
cago, he said. were the only cities
where good comparison would be
available.
Research Bureaus Plan
A bulletin of the Bureau OF Municipal
Research summarizes city program
for municipal street cleaning and gar
bage disposal az follows:
Buy the contractors plant and
equipment.
'"Use the $4,000. 900 balance of coun- :
IL