The Washington times., 1902-03-13
Report on House Bill Re-
ferred to Com
mlSSlOnerS.
STREET RAILWAY REPLIES.
Expects to Have It's New Plant in Order
Not Later Than November I5-Com-
pany in Accord With Spirit of Legis-
lat:on.

Dill was INTRODUCED IN lhe house Vi heS
resentatives a few days ago, and was re-
ferred to the Commissioners for re-
port With reference to the provisions
of tie bill. DR.. Woodward says:
The law now in force for the preven-
tion of smoke in the District of Column
bia is a simple, direct statement of the
end TO be accomplished, and leaves the
choice of the means by which it shall be
accomplished to the individual. The
pending bill, if enacted, will require
merely the adoption, after six months no
tice. of some method for preventing black
or dense gray smoke which can be made
TO accomplish it's purpose for a sufficient
length of time to win the approval of the
Commissioners.
Notes Various Devices.
I'm the preparation of this bill no no.
tice has been taken of am of the fac
tors entering into the prevention of smoke
except certain mechanical devices, de-
nominated smoke-preventing or smoke
consuming appliances, and it seems to
have been presumed that such appliances.
sitter having been once installed and ad-
vision.
LAS matter of fact. every smoke-pre-
venting or smoke-consuming appliance re-
Quires for its successful operation certain
definite conditions. The appliance which
accomplishes the purpose at one place
fails when tried elsewhere, because it
does not act in harmony with the rest OF
the plant.
THE device which succeeds at one time
fails at another, because of changes in
other elements of the plant. because the
smoke-preventing device itself has not
been kept in repair, because of changes
IN the grade of coal used, or possibly be-
cause of changes in the engineers or fire
men.
Under such circumstances it is mani
festly useless to undertake to secure the
abatement of the smoke nuisance, which
IS the object of all legislation such as that
proposed by this bill, by requiring merely
the application of some smoke-prevent-
ing or smoke-consuming appliance
Means of Escape.
The fact that provision. is made for
the approval of such appliance by the
the situation, SO long as no provision is
made for the withdrawal of such ap-
proval.
..Tte fact that anv offending chimney
Or smokestack had been equipped with
moke-preventing appliance approved by
the Commissioners would in any prose-
cution under the D-oposed law, anord a
complete defence, nc matter how great
the amount of spe. Ike. On the other hand,
any provision whereby the Commissioners
might withdraw approval from a smoke
preventing device once approved would
lead TO endless controversies in which the
Commissioners would have to sit as ar
bitrators, the owner of the furnace or
boiler to which the smoke-preventing de-
vice was attached and the manufacturers
of such device, and to decide whether the
moke-preventing device was or was not
at fault and whether the emission of
smoke was or was not due to conditions
not affecting the smoke preventing de-
vice itself.
1T would be unnecessary to refer to
the fact that black or deLse gray smoke
can be prevented, were il not for state-
ments which have recently been made TO
the contrary. The practicablity of se-
curing heat and power without dense or
by the law now in force, is demonstrated
daily at numerous places in this District,
among which are the public buildings, the
navy yard, the District Building, the Con-
cord apartment house, the Arlington j -
tel. and the powerhouse Of the Capital
Traction Company, located in West Wash
ington.
Street Railway Replies.
THE accompanying letter from the
electric railway companies consolidated
under the Washington Railway and Elec-
trio Company is submitted merely as evil
dence 10 show that the prevention of all
smoke unlawful within the meaning of
the law now III force is regarded by those
interested in the subject in a commercial
way as not only possible, but from
commercial standpoint feasible. even
though they themselves may not have ac-
complished that end.
THE law which this bill seeks to amend
definitely requires the abatement Of the
smoke nuisance The pending bill, IL en-
acted. will require merely a single effort
to do so, which effort need not be made
until after six months notice from the
Commissioners, and which when once
made, need not be repeated. In view of
the foregoing facts, / respectfully recon-
mend that this bill be returned to the |
Committee on the District of Columbia |
of the House of Repre- sentatives, with a |
recommendation that II be acted upon |
adversely"
The enclosure referred to is a letter /
from Gen. George H. Harries, vice presi- !,
dent of the company, which reads:
Work Being Rushed.
''Since our recent conversation relative
TO smoke consumers have endeavored to
secure reasonable estimate as TO the |
time which may be consumed in builG-
ing the enlargement OF our steam plant
snd the resdjustment Of its units in ac-
cordapce with the plans which we have
several times discussed. Unless some
Rfeat and unforeseen obstacle shall in
ferTene we expect TO have the new plant
in order not later that November 15
which means that from and after the date
mentioned there will be no illegal ennis
sion OF smoke from our principal power
and lighting station,
'Coincideht with the construction Of the
large station, arrangements will be made
TO remove thereto units now in use In
other parts OF the city. The ultimate re-
Suit will be absolute smoke extinction so
far as any OF our stations are concerned |
I'VE now have on the ground and ready
for erection and operation what is alleged
Of this time. for which equipment We have
paid more thsR sz0,e92,
we Appreciate y6ur desire to bring
about the sm9keless condition in behalf
Of which the Lhti-smoke law was framed