has been largely extended, so that practically the entire area of macadam pavements in the city has been treated with Some preparation; among them, preparations of terracolio, heavy asphaltic oil and glutrin have been experimented with to a considerable extent, and calcium chloride has also been used to the extent of 408,511 square yards. The greater portion of the city, however, has been treated with an emulsion of petroleum containing an asphalt base to the extent of over 5,000,000 square yards, covering 312 miles of streets. This material has seemed to offer the best solution of the dust problem at the lowest price, and although there were some complaints during the early portion of the season regarding the disagreeable properties of the preparation, a canvass of the residents of the streets complained of invariably showed a majority in favor of the oil; and after the hot weather and during the latter part of the season few, if any, complaints were received. It seems reasonably certain that in addition to its dust-laying properties the use of oil on the streets materially reduced the number of mosquitoes and flies, and it is probable that the use of oil was a contributory factor to the low death rate of the city for the past year, the lowest in its history. SEWER DIVISION. Appropriation and revenue, Sewer Division $351,507 36 Expenditures e - e o o 301,145 94 $50,361 42 Unexpended balance . . . . . Transferred to Health Department, $15,326 39 Transferred to Neponset Bridge, rebuilding . . . . . 13,000 00 Transferred to Park Department . 10,237 69 Transferred to city treasury . . 11,797 34 The work of the Sewer Division has been carried on as for several years previous, the expenditures being from three funds, an appropriation for maintenance, a loan for sewerage works and a loan for separate system of drainage for work exclusively in the Charles River Basin drainage area. The expenditures for maintenance for the year have been reduced $103,122.22 from the expenditures of the preceding year, and so far as noticeable without any decrease in efficiency. Considerable work in the nature of repairs has been done, especially at the pumping station, and their effect has been particularly noticeable in the decreased amount of coal and oil used in proportion to the amount of Sewage pumped. A force amounting on the average to 600 men has been employed during the year, but the larger amount of construction work has been done by contract, as usual. The policy of cleaning catch-basins and Sewers by contract has been continued during the year, with marked increase in efficiency and decrease in expense. The loan for sewerage works has been expended largely for the building of sewers on account of new streets and building construction in the East Boston, South Boston and Dorchester districts, and a beginning has been made in replacing the old wooden sewers in the North End district, city proper, with masonry structures. The expenditures for the next year will probably be along the same lines, and it is hoped to rebuild a much larger portion of old sewers in the city proper, and also to attempt the construction of at least one section of the Dorchester high level sewer, so called. The building of sewers for the relief of the South End district has been increasingly agitated during the past year, and measures should be taken as early as possible to provide for the relief of this district. The loan for separate system of drainage, amounting to $895,623.71, has been expended largely in the West Roxbury district, an amount approximating $100,000 being devoted to the extension of Stony brook to Forest Hills square. It is anticipated that the brook will be extended beyond Forest Hills square during the coming season to a point where work can be suspended for a term of years, if thought desirable. so The separation of systems in the West Roxbury district is well advanced at the present time, and it seems advisable that a beginning at least should be made in the separation in the Back Bay district, city proper. Plans have been made for the relief of the district in the neighborhood of Dartmouth street, extending as far north as Church street and as far south as Exeter street, and it is intended to undertake this work during the coming year. As previously stated, this city's share of the expenses of the Boston and Cambridge Bridge Commission has been borne by the general appropriation for the Bridge Division. Considerable repairs have been made on the bridges, notably the strengthening of the draw of the Harvard Bridge and extensive work on Western Avenue Bridge. Many of the bridges are in need of greater repairs, and Some of them, notably the North Harvard Street Bridge, should be rebuilt as Soon as possible. The adoption of electric lights on the Cambridge Bridge has rendered it possible to place a light in each of the lanterns designed for the purpose without materially increasing the cost. The electric lights on the Harvard Bridge have been changed from carbon filament lamps to tungsten lamps, with a considerable increase of efficiency and at a lower price than formerly. The work on these bridges during the early part of the year was under charge of Mr. William H. Joyce and during the latter part of the year of Mr. Francis J. Smith, they being for their terms of service the Cambridge members of the commission. To these gentlemen belong in a great measure the credit for the very excellent work accomplished. The expenditures under the Several appropriations for the year 1909 were as follows: Maintenance . to o to o o to . $3,864,798 52 Street improvements to go to go to e 81,968 83 Highways, making of & o to to e . 123,673 91 Separate system of drainage . . to e . 582,162 57 Sewerage works . © g * g * * . 324,165 73 Bridge specials . e is ~ * * * * g 3,894 11 Paving specials . e e ge go * * . . 23,930 02 Total . . . . . . . . $5,004,593 69 Recapitulation of Expenditures for the Twelve Months ending January 31, 1910. Central Office . . . . . . . . . . . . ... $22,518 63 | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $22,518 63 Bridge Division. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 217,317 43 $3,894 11 221,211 54 Ferry Division. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 222,101 10 | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 222,101 10 Lamp Division . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 719,574 91 | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 719,574 91 Paving Division . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1,172,658 42 23,930 02 1,196,588 44 Sanitary Division . . . . . . . . . * * * * * * * 637,255 93 | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 637,255 93 Sewer Division . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 301,145 94 906,328 30 1,207,474 24 Street Cleaning and Watering Division . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 572,226 16 | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 572,226 16 Street improvements. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 81,968 83 81,968 83 Highways, making of . . . . . . . . . . . . . • * r * * * * * * * * * * * 123,673 91 123,673 91 Totals. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $3,864,798 52 $1,139,795 17 | $5,004,593 69 Comparative Table Showing Cost of Maintenance of the Street Department since 1899. DIVISION. 1899–1900. 1900–01. 1901–02. 1902–03. 1903–04. 1904–05. 1905–06. 1906–07. 1907–08. 1908–09. 1909–10. Central Office. . . . . . $18,799 41 $19,994 66|| $24,999 83| $20,386 04| $21,092 06| $20,853 21| $21,902 91 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $22,518 63 #o Čam- 120,408 72| 138,580 56] 170,866 18 164,082 13| 171,789 52 185,269 84| 184,564 54 $188,235 55 $199,342 12 $180,273 01 198,852 71 Oston an 3.I.Olbridge Bridges. . . 15,998 18 17,353 27 18,394 97 16,400 04 16,715 12 16,263 90 20,878 84 11,609 64 11,230 57 18,524 29 18,464 72 €ITY . . . . . . . . . . . . 211,822 87. 236,999 91| 248,754 06| 227,688 29| 254,535 23, 258,126 20) 273,995, 90] 265,463 83 294,357 82 249,068 39| 222,101 10 Lamp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 826,804 01| 840,016 93| 809,510 06| 719,574 91 Paving . . . . . . . . . . . 705,432 68| 753,562 34 837,831 07| 780,236 39 785,946 38 808,604 99| 874,636 88| 860,246 89. 831,113 67| 775,838 06| 1,089,247 94. Removal of snow... 154,625 18 29,138 38 93,518 45| 121,899 66 114,395 94. 264,840 43| 137,115 89 77,023 96 144,117 96 58,143 37 131,357 56 Sanitary. . . . . . . . . . 567,107 81 609,664 67| 623,000 50| 675,319 64 654,975 87| 706,529 89 703,382 08 767,859 76 790,243 78| 745,200 90| 637,255 93 Sewer . . . . . . . . . . . . 347,133 64; 362,060 24 345,669 05| 301,743 69| 288,679 26, 324,360 72 381,687 '78 374,075 92] 402,389 90| 351,162 41. 301,145 94 Street Cleaning . . . . 322,951 15| 339,747 23| 356,445 72 2,802 09| 403,626 11| 434,172 62| 448,837 79| 465,005 94 501,688 67| 419,275 91] 353,550 33 Street Watering.... 174,625 97. 174,742 45 164,259 36 160,147 25 164,104 74] 165,071 08] 189,347 50| 153,423 07 152,235 45 154,679 90 170,728 75 Totals. . . . . . . . $2,638,905 61|$2,681,843 71|$2,883,739 19|$2,860,705 22|$2,875,850 23|$3,184,092 88|$3,236,350 11|$3,989,748 57|$4,166,736 87|$3,761,676 30|$3,864,798 52 Hired Team Contracts. e Extra, Single, Double, M Favi Sanit S Street DISTRICT. Awarded to Dated per per en, From To 'aying anitary Sewer Cleaning | Total. day. day. d. Division. | Division. Division. Division. No. 1. South Boston and Dorchester North! . . Thomas F. Lynch. . . . . . . . . . . . Feb. 19, 1909 || $2 80 $5 00 || $2 00 | Feb. 1, 1909 || Jan. 31, 1910 $3,145 00 || $1,418 80 || $352 50 $1,151 00 || $6,067 30 No. 2. East Boston”. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Bernard E. Grant. . . . . . . . . . . . Feb. 19, 1909 ..] 3 00 4 85 2 00 | Feb. 1, 1909 || Jan. 31, 1910 ,083 25 nothing 213 40 nothing 3,296 65 No. 3. Charlestown” . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Bernard E. Grant. . . . . . . . . . . . Feb. 19, 1909 3 00 4 85 2 00 | Feb. 1, 1909 || Jan. 31, 1910 53 35 nothing 205 20 | 1,282 13 1,540 68 No. 4. Brighton". . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Clark & Shea . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Feb. 19, 1909 2 75 4 45 2 00 | Feb. 1, 1909 || Jan. 31, 1910 2,916 67 nothing 415 61 nothing 3,332 28 No. 5. West Roxbury”. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . James E. Noble. . . . . . . . . . . . . . Feb. 27, 1909 3 00 4. 70 2 00 Feb. 1, 1909 || Jan. 31, 1910 3,918 55 nothing 218 55 nothing 4,137 10 Nos. 6–9. Dorchester and Ashmont" . . . . . . . . . . . John J. Loonie. . . . . . . . . . . . . . Feb. 27, 1909 3 20 4 50 2 00 | Feb. 1, 1909 || Jan. 31, 1910 8,952 55 2,461 75 2,852 45 nothing 14,266 75 No. 7. Roxbury South and Jamaica Plain!. . . . . . Joseph Sprissler . . . . . . . . . . . . . Feb. 19, 1909 2 90 4 45 2 00 Feb. 1, 1909 || Jan. 31, 1910 8,374 33 1,163 75 nothing 1,809 98 1,348 06 No. 8. South End and Roxbury North". . . . . . . . . William T. McNally Company. | Feb. 27, 1909 3 15 4 50 2 00 | Feb. 1, 1909 || Jan. 31, 1910 6,111 68 1,852 04 373 36 2,133 50 | 10,470 58 No. 10. North and West Ends and Back Bayi . . . . Bernard E. Grant. . . . . . . . . . . . Feb. 19, 1909 3 05 4 50 1 85 | Feb. 1, 1909 || Jan. 31, 1910 4,111 97 217 13 2,488 97 6,947 47 | 13,765 54 1 Advertised and awarded to lowest bidder. |