Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1920-03-13
Winston Judgment"
Cost City S38,0OO
Z ontinued From Page One

'''"''N'' f'N" VS. w"
lie statement were from memoranda
made prior to Chief H"pburn's 5 derar-
turr for Harrisburg, and during his
clean mp Of the Department Of Street
Cleaning. They had reference TO the
dcducton Of $40 for each fire plug: 50
for failure to remove snow and ice
for space Of ton feet and 81 for
failure to furnish the specified mum
hor Of men at tn" time and place spcci-
fed.
Hepburn Waited I3 Days
As Director Winston remarks do
duction of S. for each plug is for de
lay in removing SHOW Put how long
are contractors per mitted to delay /?
Till conHagralions strike the city. as IN
tn" instances | cited. and Grcmcn are
prevented from doing their work by rca
son OF frozen fire pulGS: Chief Hepburn
waited thirteen days on tho contractors
to clear the fir" plugs. then had TO
threaten 10 de- the work with his own
men.
In the lateral longth or each city
block. as on Chestnut or W'Ilnut streets. .
there arc four crossings. two inlctS and
four pathwalS to cars. II tho total of
these hucS amounting to $40 were added
II would have been $50 for narh length
OF n city block instead of $40: that is
If Chief Hepburn had gone TO extremes
in recommending fines rs Director Win
ston intimatNS. But Hepburn was con
servative.
AS eVcrN citizen sadly remembers.
failure Of tho contractors to clean cross =.
lngs and PATHWAYS to trollcys was one
OF the hindrance> to foot travel That
is what ! meant when | spoke of fail .
ure 70 remove SNOW IN the EVENING
PUH'IC LEnTER Of March 10. Director
Winston says:
"Th" removal of SNOW i, paid for by
IN" Inad or by the yard and the bills
Tor thls remOvaI have not yet. been
audited.
This is also true. hut Director Win
ston evadps, or forgets. or was ignor
ant OF, the following specification
When the streets are covered with
snow or ice so that the regular worI,
OF street cleaning cannot he prose
Cuted. the contractor shall employ a
sufficient force 10 keep clear all cross.
ings. fire hydrantS, inietS and cutters
leading to inietS. Ii is to be dis.
tinctly understood that when snow
Is on the ground all the equipment.
Including wagons, must be engaged
In Its removal. and any equipment
absent will be subject to specified de.
ductlOnS.
This applies 10 the whole city and
not TO the downtown snow removal dis
trict And not a single contractor oh
served it; yet some Of them were draw
Ing from 5000 10 $500 per day for tbi.
with only twenty men on the job.
Other Items In Specification
And then the specification goes on n,
follows:
All street crossings for n width Of a,
least eight lSl feet. inlpts, cutters
approaching same and all cutters nee
cssary to drain crossings within one
hundred 1OOb feet Of iulets ard
streets in front Of hrepugs for
radius Of ten 10I feet. must he kept
clear of dirt, mud, ice and snow. A
pathway at least six ~ feet in width
between curbline and the car tracks.
at suitable distance beyond all in.
tersections, must be kept clear at all
! times of ice, snow. mud and water.
so as to enable pedestrians to com
fortably enter the rear end Of trolley
cars, where rear entrance cars are
operated.
Controller Walton has estimated tha'
the city's bill will be at least XlZD, ,OO(
TOR snow removal during February. Il
the director had accepted the Hepburn
recommendation the taxpayers bill
would have been only $50 900 instead o
$40 900. This S12O 900 is velvet" IL
| the pockets Of the downtown stree
! leaning contractors, who took thpi
teams from ash and rubbish routes, al