New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-09-16
TROERLE IN TILE AIR.

ooh. there's been a great hullabaloo raised
about nothing was the cignilied and statcs
manlike comment Of Mayor Crokers urbane and
courteous vlce-gerent upon the scheme Of his
coparceners to loot the city treasury or the
pockets Of the public. to the extent OF S2OO
100000 Similar in tone was the reply Of n lead
ing health officer Of this city few months ago
to the complaint that. through his neglect OF
duty sanitary laws were being violated and
the atmosphere of the city being grossly
polluted. to the Disagreement of the city. the
injury of property, the discomfort of the PEI
pie and the impairment of health II was "a
great hulabaoo about nothing The Deputy
Health Commissioner for the Borough OF Brook
lyn could not SEQ clouds of smoke so dense and
black as to obscure the MONDAY sun: and as
for his staff Of inspectors, how could they be
expected to detect violations Of tho law. seeing
that they were in bed and asleep when the
illegal acts were committed?
1--WE told You So is not usually a pleasant
thing TO say II Is not necessary for us to say
it. Circumstances obvious to all are saying 1t
for us in the most direct and unmistakable
manner 1t required no special prophetic gifts
to enable The Tribune to say. months ago that
the immunity granted. through negligence or
to follow his example, until soon the law would
be generally dsregardcd. and the multitudinous
violators of il would claim for their offences the
status of vested rights The observations Of
the Merchants Association on Thursday dem
onstrated the precision with which that pre-
diction has been fulfilled. When The Tribune
began it's protests and warnings. the fragrant
offenders in the whole city could he counted on
the fingers Of two hands To-day they are
numbered by hundreds. The list compiled by
the representatives Of the Merchants AssOca
ton Oh Thursday and published by the Tribune
yesterday was formidable one, yet il included
only those establishments recognizable from the
water front-a mere fraction Of the whole.
There is fine variety in the list. indicating
how widely the spirit OF lawlessness and Of
contempt for public rights and decency has
been diffused: Many Of the offenders, as was
to be expected on a river tour Of inspection,
were tugs and other vessels. These have long
been notorious violators Of the law. both while
steamng about the harbOr and while lying at
piers. One was United States revenue cutter
a fact not creditable to that branch of the
Federal service. But the city cannot complain
Of the Nation, for some of Its own municipal
buildings on Backwells Island are also on the
list. There are sugar refineries Of course old
offenders: and gas works. and paint works,
| and lumber mills. and iron works. and biscuit
| works. and cordage factory and piano fac
| tory and carpet factory, cold storage es-
Establishments. and railroad shops: indeed an
eptome OF the industries Of New.York Many
or these concerns are owned and directed by
men OF public spirit and generous impulses. Yet
through the malefc influence Of official negli-
gence. incompetence or corruption they have
been led into the violation Of just and neces-
sary law.
There is trouble in the air. in the most literal
sense OF the term Every hundred pounds of
soft coal burned by present methods discharges
into the air the corrosive. sufYocating fumes of
a pound Of sulphur, besides several pounds Of
uncOnsumed or partially consumed carbon in
the form Of SCOT. Thus every day tons and tons
Of sulphur are burned under the noses OF the
New-York public and tons and tons of SCOT
poured into their eyes and lungs Our once
pcllucd and crystalline atmosphere Is obscurcd
! buildings are befouled within and disfgurcd