Evening star., 1925-02-02
BELL ASKS CITIZENS
FOR VIEWS ON SNOW
Seeks Opinion on Proposed
Deficiency Fund for Re-
movaI Work.

Engineer Commissioner Bell today
took steps through the Federation of
Citizens Associations to find out
whether the people Of the District are
in favor of asking Congress for the
proposed deficiency appropriation of
S53S. 900 to be used for the purchase
of equipment and employment of labor
in snow removal work.
Col. Bell also took occasion in the
letter to the federation to put before
the citizens associations the proposal
that an unofficial city council be Gre
ated, to be composed possibly of heads
of the federation, the Board of Trade.
the Chamber of Commerce and the
Merchants and Manufacturers Asso-
citation. The purpose of the proposed
council would be to advise the Com
missioners on all important municipal
problems.
Text of Letter.
In the letter to Jesse C. Suter,
president of the federation, Col. Bell
said:
THE Board of Commissioners have
in mind the formation OF city coun
Gil, with the president of the FEEDER
alton of Citizens Associations as the
ex-officio president of the council.
What organizations should be affili-
ated with the Federation of Citizens
Associations in such council is d
matter for very serious consideration.
1T is apparent that the council
should be composed of men who will
consider the matters presented to
them in the same disinterested way
that judges dispose of cases pre-
sented to them in court. To state
that such men cannot be found here is
a reflection on our residents and on
our American institutions. Manifest
nd Or N n iaf
should have no place in the proposed
council
Pending the formation of such a
council, there is a matter on which ]
would like advice; and l suggest that
you secure expressions of opinion
from your various associations and
send me a statement of the result of
the vote.
Following the recent heavy fall of
snow. / requested the three business
associations (Board of Trade, Cham
Der of Commerce and Merchants and
Manufacturers Associa tion), to ap-
point representatives on a snow de-
fense committee. That was done and
the committee. That was done and
investiga and formulated a re-
port. The litera on snow removal
has been studied, reports have been
secured from other cities relative to
methods used and expenditures made,
and a very thoroughly worked-up
plan has been prepared for snow re-
moval here. This report will be avail
able for consideration by your dele
gates, but the inclusion of maps, volu-
minous statistics and other material
makes ii impracticable to distribute
any copies.
The committee has formulated a
plan which would require the submis-
sion of deficiency estimate of $685.
900 for snow removal. s233000 TO be
spent for equipment and S125. 900 to
he expended for labor If needed AS
this is not an industrial city where
labor force may be largely aug
mented readily, the proposed expendi-
ture for equipment is relatively large.
With this expenditure the main trav-
eled streets could be kept open by
plows at all times. and the more con-
fourth of our 400 miles of streets)
could be cleared of snow within one
week after a snowfall of six inches.
You appreciate, of course. that
with the lump-sum provision this ad :
ditional expenditure proposed would
come wholly from the taxpayers of
the District. Many Northern cities
spend greater amounts than proposed
here. but there the snow would lie on
the streets for longer periods and
perhaps until Spring were il not re-
moved. Here most SHOWS melt away
within less than one weeks time, and
your attention is called to the fact
that even with the expenditure pro-
posed, the removal of a six-inch snow
from one-fourth of the streets area
would take one week.
Copies of this letter are furnished
for distribution to your various organi-
zations Please let me have yes or
no vote on the proposed submission of
s35S,000 deficiency estimate as soon
as practicable"
Col. Bell also wrote to the trade
bodies, seeking their views on the pro-
priety of asking for the proposed snow
deficiency appropriation.