Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1921-08-23
HALnNG
STREET IMPROVEMENT
Central Labor Union Inquiries OF
S. and S. Dept. About Lay
Off of Workmen.

In letter to the directors of the
Street and Sewer Department. read
AT their meeting this morning. the
Central Lator Union asked why it had
seemed necessary TO hold up the work
&C improving the streets about the
city at this time, especially during
the open weather. when it was pos
sible to employ large numbers of rnen
outside and when the employment. %
citizens was so vital to the interests
Of the city at large because of the
Industrial conditions existing at this
time and so many men were seeking
employment.
The union explained that the i'm
ouiry was brought about by reports
that there had kccn extensive lay offs
among the employees of the depart
ment, especially in the street. gangs.
The department was urged TO continue
with the original program of street
improvements so that employment
could be provided for all the men Ii
was possible TO ENGAGE,
Street Commissioner Pierson ex-
planned to the directors that there
has been no general lay off in tho de-
partment He read TO the members
statistics covering the past six wrecks
relative to the nurlber uf men who
have been employed and these figures
showed that the weekly average has
been between 45o and 500 men. He said
this was UP TO their standard. There
have been a few men dropped, he eS-
riained, but they are always going
and coming and the department. pay
r.l is never KEEP! at a fixed point so
far as the number OF men engaged is
concerned.
Mr. Pie-son said there had been one
gang laid of, but they we're taken on
only for temporary work so that GER
tain street work could be caught mp
with other work that was being done.
He said they are so far ahead now in
son.e OF their work that. they mad to
stop as several streets were opened up
and they have to guard them until
the opcrat ons are finished. He esti-
mated it will take 100 working days to
finish rhe streets that are now Under
eaui Sc OF construction.
Explain Situation.
He was directed hy the heard to
make reply to the Central Labor
Union and to explain to that organ
izstion just what the actual situation
is in the department with respect to
the employment question.
The pay roll for last week amounted
20 s6.076.06 and the cart hire was
s2.175.12, both of which we're ordered
paid. These figJfres have been about
the average for the summer work.
City Engineer Harry L. Maier ex-
| planned to the board that this year
they have finished about 20.0e0 square
yards of new street work. They now
have 1890 yards of concrete work
laid. They are at present working on
ss, 200 yards of street work in various
sections of the city, which does not
| include the concfete work referred to
above and they hope 10 have il all
completed By November /. The bal
ance of the fall, he said, viii be spent
! in doing asphalting or surfacing of
these streets. He said there is a total
OF 81 600 square yards of new streets
under construction at this time.
The city's asphalt plant win turn
out about 60o yards day so that
they are estimating it viii require
about I03 working days, given good
weather, to finisn up on the seasons
work.
All this does not include the work
the the department proposes doing
along Market street, between Vande-
yer avenue and Twenty-third street
This is the section about which there
has been so much complaint from
residents of that. section. The board
hopes TO get started there about the
/ first of next month or shortly there
after and as soon as the underground
work has been completed they will
start the new paving. They are plan
ming to have all this done this fall,
but the stretch between Vandever
| avenue to the bridge VIII not be
touched until next year