The Washington times., 1925-01-10
WILL
WAR ON
SNOW
Engineer Commissioner Takes
Step to Organize Commit
tee to Aid.Work

Engineer Commissioner j. Frank
lin Bell today proposed the or
ganization of a snow defense COM
mittee in Washington, this body
to formulate effective plans to
clean District streets after heavy
snowfalls and to determine how
much money should be spent.
Colonel Bell addressed letters
today to Ross P. Andrews, presi-
dent, Merchants and Manufac-
turers Association; Isaac Cans,
president, Chamber of Commerce,
and Samuel j. Prescott, president,
Board Of Trade, asking them to
name men for the committee.
Morris Hacker, supervisor Of city
refuse, also will be q member.
Extra Aid Needed.
Consideration OF the snow prob
lem win make it very clear that it
is one that the city refuse division
cannot handle without outside as
sistance," the letter says.
The committee meets next Friday
afternoon.
Commissioner Bells letter in full
follows:
1.-THE problem arising from the
recent heavy fall Of snow have ern.
phasized the need for cooperative
action in the future. Last summer
your organization, together with the
Board OF Trade and the Merchants
and Manufacturer Association,
worked in conjunction with the Dis.
trict authorities in preparing Tor
Defense Day, with most satisfactory
results. 1t occurs to me that 1t
would be desirable to have some In.
terested and competent representa-
tives selected from each OF these
three organizations to work with
the supervisor Of city refuse and
myself on what we might call q
snow defense committee.
when / was in charge Of levee
work on the lower Mississippi
river we had a similar organiza.
ton in which the representatives
of the various levee districts
worked in cooperation with our
office on the approach of floods.
Equipment and materials we're pur-
chased in advance and stationed
gram or order was issued desig-
mating as fully as practicable just
what was to be done on the ap-
proach of the crest of the floods.
Any well-conceived defense plan Is
prepared in advance in this way.
Tentative Plan.
reconsideration of the snow prob
lem will make it very clear that
it is one that the City Refuse Di-
vision cannot handle to best ad-
vantage without outside assistance.
1 will outline some Of the things
that it seems to me should be
given consideration by this COM
mittee.
~ Amount to be expended. 1t is
apparent that for light snow, fall
ing at time when weather condi-
lions are favorable for it's early
disappearance, the expenditure OF
funds in it's removal would be a
waste Of public funds. Our funds
are not so ample that we can afford
to expend any of them except for
very meritorious things. For a
snow Of medium depth, say from
four to six inches. we have a diff
ferent problem. The expenditure Of
some funds would no doubt be
advisable to afford convenience to
the public, even though traffic were
not in any way interferred with.
For a heavy snow of over six
inches, it seems to me that we
should have an approved plan of
just what should be done, as we
had in the levee defense work on
the Mississippi river. We wish your
assistance in determining just what
should be done and how much
money should be e~nended.
1T has been estimated that it
would cost something like $1,000 a
mile to haul snow from our city
streets with trucks. Since we have
nearly 400 miles of streets in the
District Of Columbia 1t is apparent
that to attempt to haul snow away
from all the street ~reas would cost
over 100000 and consume, with
the limited labor, dumping places
and trucks available, a consider.
able amount Of time. 1t is appar-
emit, therefore, that the areas which
should be cleared Of snow by this
method should be selected with
great care.
Different Treatment
(2) Equipment. For our suburban
roads, 1t seems apparent that the
use of scrapers or brushes of some
kind will provide the necessary re.
lief by throwing the snow to the