Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-12-07
PUBLIC POLICY AND THE SMOKE.


The events as we'll as the atmosphere of
the past month or two bring US face to face
with the prospect of return of Pittsburg's
smoke. Having clung with our utmost
faith to all tie assurances and indications
given in the early fall that full supply of
gas would continue, the shutting off of the gas
from the mills and the consequent over
casting of our skies with leaden clouds, has
convinced us that though we may still hope
for a supply of gas for domestic consumption.
we can no longer rely upon natural gas In
the mills to keep our skies bright and our
city clean.
But it does not by any means follow that
we must submissively accept the return to
the days of smoke and griminess. Pittsburg
has had the benefit of some years OF e1-
perience on the benefits of freedom from
smoke. Since 1885 instead of being
the smokiest of American cities, we
have rejoiced in a clearer atmosphere than
most of other Western cities; and we have
learned from actual observation what a vast
difference it makes in city improvement.
We have seen what an impetus it gives
to the erection OF handsome buildings, the
ornamentation of residence Streets to know
that the improvements will not at once be
made dingy with smoke. We have learned
that the trade in books, pictures and fine
merchandise is capable of the greatest ex-
pansion when articles of artistic value and
fine fabrics are not subject to depreciation
OF forty per cent from soiling after they have
been kept in stock for six months. Above
all we have learned the vast difference it
makes when the attractions of life in a city
are sufficient to keep the residents after they
have retired from active business life, in
stead of being such that people work
until they have made money, and then leave
to spend the money elsewhere. After such
experience of the great commercial as we'll
as social value of freedom from smoke we
should not permit it to escape from us with
out public and organized efforts TO preserve
them by such means as can be brought
within our reach.
Two lines of action are open to Pittsburg
in its effort to prevent the permanent return
of its smoky era. One is TO establish the
general and compulsory use Of smoke con;
sumers wherever bituminous coal is burned.
The other is to advance by all the means
within the power of public organization the
use of fuel gas in all the mills, as well as
to prepare that supply for domestic con-
sumption if the natural supply should con-
tinue to diminish. The first method, of
course, contemplates the imposition of PEN
alties for the use of bituminous coal in a
wav that clouds the atmosphere. This is
within the proper sphere of municipal gov
ernment 1t was contemplated in Pittsburg
before the gas era, and has been put into
practice with greater or less success in other
coal-burning cities.
But there is an undo ubted advantage in
the resort to methods which will not annoy
the manufacturing industries that form
the foundation of our prosperity, or
increase the premiums already unwisely
created, on locating industries outside
OF the city. That danger may
not only be avoided. but there is possibil-
ity of the premium being reversed by sys-
tematic effort to develop the production and
use of cheap manufactured gas. If the
claims made some time ago for certain pro-
cesses in turning out cheap gas at from four
to six cents per thousand had been we'll
founded, there would be no need of offering
inducements for their adoption. But the
ability to produce gas being demonstrated
and the fact being we'll known that the
surest way to secure the cheapening of any
product is to test its economies in actual
practice the thing for Pittsburg to do is to
stimulate the adoption Of fuel gas processes.
1t would be well worth the money if a pub
lie fund should be established to give prize
of thousands of dollars for every fuel gas
process which in extended operation can pro-
duce gas as cneaply as ten cents per thousand.
The city should be liberal in franchises
which will permit manufactured gas COM
panies to distribute their product to the best
advantage. 1t should not give its franchises
so as to favor a monopoly, but should form
them on the plan of permitting everyone
who can manufacture fuel gas the easiest ae-
cess to those who will consume that fuel.
is possible that Pittsburg can secure for her
industries as marked an advantage in the
use of fuel gas as they had four years ago in
the use of natural gas.
The public duty in view of the gathering
smoke clouds is as indicated above to dis
courage the wasteful and smoky methods of
burning coal, and to encourage the use OF
fuel gas. The vast importance of keeping
away the smoke certainly calls for the
earnest use of every possible means of con-
tributing to that end.