New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1902-05-30
STRIKES AND SMUT SMOKE.

The coal mine strike has. after all. another
very direct and important interest for the public
Of New-York, apart from the great increase in
the price of anthracite. That is TO be found in
the increase of smut smoke Two or three wears
ago. under not particularly efficient admins
tration of the local Health Department we had
occasion to comment upon the wide disregard
of the law against such output from chimneys.
At that time dozens of chimneys in all parts of
the city were belching forth black clouds of soft
coal smoke in open defiance of the law. Largely,
as we are encouraged to believe because of The
Trbune's publications upon the subject, the nui-
sance was in great part abated, so that a month
or two ago offending chimneys were few and
far between. But with the beginning of the
coal strike they began to increase and multiply,
until now the sky is darzened with dun clouds,
and buildings, outside and in, and the clothing
of the people are befouled and disfigured with
greasy carbon.
1t is pleasant to record that the Health De
partment is theoretically prosecuting offenders,
regardless of their plea that in the absence of
anthracite they are compelled to use bituminous
coal. That plea is not altogether true. There is
still good supply of hard coal on hand. 1t
costs more than it did, of course but still it is
obtainable. Therefore people who now burn
soft coal do so not because they cannot get hard
coal, but because the soft coal is the cheaper.
The same reason would have been just as apt
and just as ineffectual-a year or five years ago.
Soft coal has all along been the cheaper, and
people could have saved money by using it.
But that plea was not valid before the strike,
and Ii is not valid now. In another respect that
plea will not avail Note that the law is against
smut smoke, not against the use of soft coal.
man may burn soft coal ali he pleases so
To-, ho Hno~ Ia+ hoIn FORT
and create a nuisance. We are aware that
many men have devoted much attention to
smoke consuming devices with varying results.
Whether there is any perfectly satisfactory de-
vice of the kind is question we are not now
discussing. 1t is, at any rate we'll known that
soft coal can be consumed without giving off
offensive smoke, simply by the exercise of suffi-
cient care in stoking 1t means more work and
expense no doubt TO stoke with soft coal so as
to render combustion practically perfect and to
prevent the emission of black smoke, but it can
be done, and if those who are saving expense
through the use of soft coal are not willing TO
do it they should be compelled to suffer the
penalty of broken law.
Doubtless II is not pleasant for manufacturers
and others TO be compelled to pay high prices
for anthracite coal or to pay more wages for
stocking btuminOus coal. But neither is it
pleasant for the houSekeeper to nave to pay
high prices for coal for the kitchen range and it
certainly would be ntolerable to have the crys-
talline atmosphere of New. York, which has long
been one of the almost unique glOries of this
capital degraded TO the condition of murky
fouIness characteristic of some other and less
favored places Strike or no strike. there are
those who are continually and perslstently seek
ing TO evade the law for their selfish gain, re-
CARELESS of the public comfort and welfare.
Strike or no strike this one peculiarly offensive
menace to the beauty and attractiveness of the
city and to the comfort and health of the people
must be checked. Strike or no strike New
York must be kept free from the curse of smut
smoke.