Evening star., 1940-09-03

Reports Show
Xonten Says Attitude
Of Public Better;
Police Arrest so
The cleanup campaign inaugural
ed early in the summer by The Star
has had a continuing effect, reports
from the City Refuse Department
the Police Department and the Com.
missioners' Joint Committee to pro-
mote a cleaner city indicated today
The Police Department, which In
the six months preceding The Stal
campaign, had recorded only q
negligible number of arrests fol
violations of the trash regulations
reported so arrests for the four
week period ending August 81.
Foremen See Betterment.
William A. Xanten, superintendent
of the City Refuse Department., said
his foremen had commented on the
general improvement householders
had shown, particularly In the
methods of putting up their refuse
for collection. A number of new
receptacles have replaced the bat
tered bushel baskets in which many
householders were wont to deposit
their trash, he said.
He was unable to comment on
possible correction of one of the
most glaring faults of some WASH
ingtonians, the habit of dropping
newspapers, candy wrappers, empty
cigarette packages and similar
pedestrian debris on the street. The
rain, he explained, had kept people
OF the streets to such an extent
that it was impossible to Judge II
this condition has improved.
The joint committee appointed
by the Commissioners to study the
problem of cleaning UP the city
has met twice. Representatives OF
the Districts outdoor Cleanliness
Association, the lay members OF
the committee, have conferred with
members of the City Refuse De-
partment, the Health Department
and the Police Department to ar
rive at an outline of what the prob
lem consists of, to study the ade-
uuacy of existing laws and regula-
tions and to determine the finances
necessary to enable the various
branches of the city government to
perform their specific duties in
maintaining a clean city.
Finances Discussed.
At the second meeting, Jesse G.
Suter, committee chairman, dis
closed today, the finances Of the
three municipal departments and
their major needs were discussed.
Lack Of sufficient funds for LABOR
and supervisory personnel was re-
ported by the City Refuse Depart
ment, whose representative also
stressed the need for . new high
temperature incinerator. The COM
mittee was told that unless en- ad-
ditional incinerator was provided
the department was threatened
with the necessity Of burning refuse
on open dumps.
IN ~
the Health Department., Mr.. Suter
said, stated that 10 more inspectors
were needed for that department,
that the already limited inspection
staff is hampered by lack of trans
portation facilities and that at
present the inspectors can only in
vestigate complaints instead OF
carrying on regular city-wide in
spection.
The committee found, said Mr.
Suter, that a major portion of the
enforcement of, litter regulations
devolves on the Police Department
and that, with all the extra duties
imposed on the police by the Fed
eral Government, the men are not
able to give close attention to the
apprehension of those who violate
trash ordinances.
Mr.. Suter said a third meeting
would be called before the end o1
September to consider the ade.
quacy of the present laws and reg
ulations as they affect the cleanli.
ness Of the city.
Representing the outdoor Clean.
illness Association, Mr.. Suter pre-
sented a summary of the needs Of
the three municipal departments al
the budget hearings held by the
Commissioners. At the same time
he informed them that the Outdoor
Cleanliness Association would car.
ry the plea for expanded budgets
to maintain a cleaner city to Capito
Hill if necessary.
Ask Larger Membership.
The committee, reported Mr.. Su.
ter, also agreed at its second meet.
ing to recommend to the. Commis.
sioners that they expand its mem.
oCI slip W 11ACAuoc 1Cp1 CSC11CdCANC q
Of the ONCE of National Capita
Parks and the office Of the fir'
marshal.
AS for the outdoor Cleanliness.
Association, Mr.. Suter said 1t wa!
now only q nucleus of the organ
ization hoped for. A drive for mem
bership, he said, will get under wa.
in the near future to enlist al
civic minded Washingtonians in tn
campaign for a cleaner city.
In commenting on The Star cam
paign, which had a months inter
mission to discover if, once started
the forces for cleanliness would sta.
on the job, Mr.. Xanten said:
There is no doubt that the cam
paign has had a marked effect al
ready and that it will have q last
ing effect on householders."
He said, however, that the mum
ber Of requests for action by the cit.
refuse department had fallen OF
since The Star stopped publishing
articles on cleanup problems. HI
pointed out that his department i