APPENDIX F. REPORT OF THE DEPUTY SUPERINTENDENT OF THE - STREET CLEANING DIVISION. 921, 922, 923 TREMONT BUILDING, Boston, February 1, 1903. HON. JAMES DONOVAN, DEAR SIR, - Following is the report of the Street Cleaning Division of the Street Department for the year ending January 31, 1903: EXPENSE. The expenditures of the year show an increase over those of any previous year in the history of this division. This increase is not attributable, solely, to extraordinary expenses, but is almost the direct result of the natural expansion of the sweeping district this division is obliged to cover. To quote from the message of his Honor the Mayor, accompanying the current year's appropriation bill, these expenses are “in the nature of fixed charges and do not permit of reductions without detriment to the public service ’’; and, again, these “fixed charges increase each year by a small percentage in proportion to the growth of the city.” Hence the annual appeal made by this division for a more liberal appropriation. EXTRAORDINARY EXPENSES. If there have been any unusual or unlooked for expenses during the year, prominent mention must be made of the stable in South Boston, which had been leased, about a month previous to the incoming of the present administration, for a term of five years at a rental of $900 per year. This stable was found to be in a most dilapidated condition — unsafe, unfit, unsanitary — and, although over $3,000 have been spent upon it to make it serve its purpose, it is still and will continue to be a source of much expense to this division. What may also be classed as an extraordinary expense is the high price we had to pay during the year for hay and grain. For this item alone it cost this division over $6,000 more than for the previous year. The coal strike, whose resultant distressful features are still an occasion for calls upon our service, was an additional and unprovided for expenditure. Over $1,200 have been spent carting coal to relieve the public distress; and this was done, of course, to the prejudice of the regular work of the division. This distress continues and the streets are neglected that we may relieve it, yet the public complains. In connection with the subject of extraordinary expenditure, it must be stated that the cost of the SNOW WORK of this division is out of all proportion to the provisions made for it. In fact, there has been no provision made for it; and it is earnestly recommended that, when the Committee on Appropriations is considering the needs of this division, a certain sum for snow work be appropriated or the amount allowed for general maintenance be materially increased. STABLES. Attention has been called in previous years to the cramped quarters allotted this division for its live and its rolling stock. Provision was made in the last loan bill for the improvement of the West End and Charlestown stables. Some arrangement must soon be made to care for the horses, carts, and sweeping machines in Roxbury, where there is hardly room for an extra horse, and where the rolling stock is often exposed to rain and Snow for lack of space to shelter it. STOCK. Many of the horses of this division are no longer able to do the work required of them, being old, diseased, or crippled. As a matter of record, about twenty of them have been officially condemned and ordered to be shot, and, although the order for good reasons has not yet been carried into effect, it is only a question of a short time when it must be done. The carts might be characterized in the same way, very many of them not being worth the cost of repairing. A recommendation was made last year to purchase a number of carts, but not a cart has been added to the stock. They have been repaired over and over again, but it would be in the line of economy to replace them with new ones. The sweeping machines are in fair condition. PAPER LITTER. This continues to be the most vexing problem confronting this division, and it is simply repeating the experience and recommendation of previous years to state, that the remedy is outside the Street Department. There is certainly law enough to prevent this littering of the streets by storekeepers, tenants, and the general public. If the earnest and practical co-operation of the Police Department could be secured, this nuisance could and would be, at least, minimized, if not entirely prevented. PUSH-CART WORK. In line with this subject of paper litter must be recognized the work of the patrol system or push-cart force. If this service were discontinued the work of our machine sweeping gangs would never satisfy the public. When the weather permits (nine months in the year or more) all the down-town districts, and much of the up-town sections of the city are machine-swept during the night,; but, if this work were not followed up during the day by the push-cart men, these same streets, which were swept the night before, would present a very unsightly appearance, even in the early hours of the day. Too much credit cannot be given to this branch of the division; it has expanded from year to year, and it should continue to do so. Every deputy, recognizing its service, has recommended its extension, and it is herein advocated that it should be added to in proportion to the growth of at least the paved area of the city. SLIPPERY PAVEMENTs. The work of sanding asphalt streets has been done under the supervision of the patrol system. The one sanding machine in use is not capable of sanding all the asphalt streets of the city, and, if it is the intention of this department to furnish adequate service in this respect, the equipment should be added to and the force increased. DUMPS. Provision must soon be made for more dumping places. The low lands in most of the suburban districts are rapidly filling up. Back Bay will soon be “without a single dumping lot. The single scow at Fort Hill Wharf, to which all of the down-town sweepings are carted, is inadequate. A suitable and available place for another scow would be at the city wharf on Albany street, and another at Charles River avenue bridge — a very convenient place for the North End, West End and Charlestown gangs. SIDEWALKS AROUND PUBLIC SQUARES. An attempt was made during the present winter to transfer the care of the sidewalks around public squares, particularly those of the Common and Public Gardens, to the Public Grounds Department. For some years this division had been burdened with the care and cost of keeping these sidewalks clear of snow and ice. Custom, or rather it seems because the other department had not the money to pay for the work, was the reason alleged for putting these sidewalks under the care of the Street Department. If the custom is to be preserved, a special appropriation should be made to warrant it. The streets in the vicinity of these public grounds are neglected in consequence of the time spent on the sidewalks. In any event it may be intimated that an arrangement might be made between the Public Grounds Department and this division that would be mutually satisfactory. It is not so under existing conditions. PUBLIC ALLEYS. It is no exaggeration to state that, relatively, more complaints have come from the public alleys, particularly those in the Back Bay, than are heard or received from the abutters of our main thoroughfares and ordinary business or residential streets. The people who complain are often blamable in the matter, but they do, nevertheless, insist upon better service. These alleys are cleaned once a week. To do them oftener will necessitate either a special gang of men or a considerable addition to the force of the Back Bay District. NEW DISTRICTS. It was expected that there would be a sweeping gang of this division established early in the year in Dorchester, but the hope is still unrealized. The Paving Division, which does the street cleaning of this territory, has called upon our South End and South Boston gangs to go out there and sweep its main thoroughfares, as it has neither the men nor the equipment to do the work. Of course, South End and South Boston are meantime neglected. The same may be said of Brighton. The Back Bay gang gives it a spring and fall cleaning, but always at the expense of its own district. Provision should be made at the earliest possible moment for the establishment of a permanent street cleaning force in the suburban districts, to the end that the residents may have the same service as those of the Back Bay district. Respectfully submitted, FINANCIAL STATEMENT. Appropriation, 1902–1903 . o g g . $340,000 00 Transferred from Paving Division te § e 27,800 00 Transferred from surplus revenue . o . 25,002 09 Total expenditures e e go * . $392,802 09 OBJECTS OF EXPENDITURES. Salary of Superintendent . go e e . $2,825 00 $9,441 52 Machine Sweeping of Paved Streets. This includes cost of sweeping, loading, and removal of street dirt. District 1, South Boston to * g e . $13,096 46 District 2, East Boston te & o e to 6,144 73 District 3, Charlestown to so e e © 11,178 19 District 7, Roxbury . • <o to * & 14,667 12 |