Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-12-05

to the satisfaction of the court that they
had made honest efforts to provide smoke
consumers and so to comply with the law.
The Commissioners We're not satisfied
with this condition, believing that an at
tempt to provide a smoke consumer was
not a sufficient reason for exemption from
the penalties of the law. inaSmuch as II Is
well-known fact that there are other
ways of diminishing volumes of smoke,
and that even when smoke consumers are
applied careless use of them accomplishes
nothing in the direction of prevention; that
the substitution of hard coal for soft coal
Will diminish quantities of smoke; that
careful firing will have the same effect,
and, desiring to have the law thoroughly
tested, cases are now pending in the Po-
lice Court, which, it is believed, will be
carried to the Court of Appeals, so that
final and complete test of the law may be
made.
Law Not satisfactory.
1T is not thought, however, that the law
is entirely satisfactory, as it exempts GER
tain classes of property, and 1t is the opin-
ion of the Commissioners that this beauti-
full residence city should be completely rid
of the smoke nuisance, which is rapidly be-
coming serious menace to the beauty and
comfort of the capital, so as to warrant
the enactment of a law that will make al
buildings alike amenable to its require
ments. In New York city war is being
vigorously waged against the smoke nui-
the law there preventing the use of soft
coal, thus striking at the root of the mat
ter. Difficulties in the way of enforcing
such law should not discourage Vigor-
city of smoke.
The Coroner.
The work of the coroner as shown by
his report is another evidence of the
growth of the District. During the past
year a larger number of autopsies and ex-
ammati tons have been made than ever be-
fore. The improvements in the morgue
have been completed, and, while greatly
better conditions exist than heretofore, the
little bui ding being quite complete in it
self, so far as it goes, 1t is still absolutely
inadequate for such city Washington,
being only remodeled portion of a stable
in rear Of one of the police stations. Delay
in securing an appropriation for large
and complete morgue is only occasioned by
the delay in turning over to the Commits
sioners the wharf property recently de-
clared to be the property of the United
States and placed by act of Congress under
the control of the Commissioners. The re-
suit is now waited of litigation whose OBJ
ject is TO secure to the occupants of the
Wharves compensation for the improve
ments that they have placed on the wharf
property. The Commissioners have re-
Trained from doing anything at all in the
matter until such time as this litigation
shall be ended 1t is the intention. how
ever, when IN possession of this property,
to select a suitable site for the erection of
a morgue and for a sufficient appropra-
ton 10 build one that viii be complete and
adequate in every respect
The total number of deaths investigated
by The coroner during the year was 7s1, an
increase OF lab over last year. For the first
time in the history of the District in con-
Eection with the coroners office, a horse
ana wagon is now provided for the eXcus-
i've use of this branch of the government
ana the morgue keeper has been relieved
OF all duty except the care of the morgue
The wagon does away with the very OBJ
1ectionabie use which has heretofore been
made of the police patrol wagons for re-
moving all dead bodies, and is an improve
nent to the service that it is difficult to
value too highly.