Evening star., 1902-03-13
PREVENF|0kOF SMOKE
Health Officers Report on
Pending Bill.
ADVERSE COMMENT
REGARDS. 1x1sgF1Ho Law AS
PREFERABiE 70 SUBSTITUTE.
Recommends That Bill Be Disapproved
and Returned to House Dis
trict Committee.

Health Officer Woodward has submitted
a report to the District Commissioners on
House bill 11S49, IAN act for the preven-
ton OF smoke in the District of Columbia"
recently introduced and intended as sub
stitute for the law now In force. DR.. Wood
ward opposes the new law, saying:
1.-The law now in force for the preven-
tion OF smoke in the District Of Column
bia is a simple. direct statement Of the
emo to be accomplished. and leaves the
choice Of the means by which it shall be
accomplished to the Individual. The pend
ing bill. If enacted, will require merely
the adoption after six months notice of
some method for preventing black or
dense gray smoke. which can be made to
accomplish its purpose for a sufficient
length OF time to win the approval OF the
Commissioners In the preparation of this
bill no notice has been taken OF any of
the factors entering into the prevention
OF smoke except certain mechanical de-
vices, denominated smoke-preventing or
snoke-consuning appliances. and 1t seems
ahces. after having been once installed
and adjusted. require no attention or su-
peryision whatsoever. As q matter of fact
every oke-preveHttng or smoke-consum-
ing appliance requires for It's successful op-
Grafton certain more or less definite contii-
tions. Tho appliance which accornpl pliehes
its purpose at one place fails when tried
elsewhere: because 1t does not act in har-
mony 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-preve enting device itself has not heen
kept In repair; because Of changes in the
grade Of coal used; or. possibly because of
changes in the engineers or f1remen. Under
such circumstances 1t Is manifestly useless
to undertake to secure the abatement and
to prevent the recurrence of the smoke
nuisance. which Is the object Of all legis-
lation such as that proposed by this bin,
by requiring merely the application Of some
smoke-preventing or smoke consuming ap-
pliance.
Features Discussed.
THE fact that provision is made for the
approval of such appliance by the Com
missioners does not materially alter the
situation SO long as no provision is made
for the withdrawal Of such approval: the
fact that any offending chimney or SNAKE
stack has been equipped with smoke
Commissioners would in any prosecution
under the proposed law afford q complete
defense: no matter how great the amount
Of, OF smoke: On the other hand. any pro-
vision whereby the Commissioners might
withdraw approval from a smoke-pre-
venting device once approved would lead
to endless controversies. In which tho
Commissioners would have to sit as arbi-
traitors, among complaining citizens, the
owner OF the furnace or boiler to which
the smoke-preventing device was attached
and the manufacturers Of such Device
and to decide whether the smoke-prevent-
ing 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 device itself.
Practicability Demonstrated.
1T would be unnecessary to refer to
| the fact that black or dense gray smoke
can be prevented were 1t not for state
| ments which have recently been made to
the contrary. The practicability Of secur-
ing heat and power without dense or thick
black or gray smoke as required 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 Hotel
and the power house of the Capital Traction
Company located in West Washington. The
accompanying letter from the electric rail-
way companies. consolidated under the
Washington Railway and Electric Com
pany. is submitted merely as evidence to
show that the prevention of all smoke
unlawful within the meaning Of the law
| now In force is regarded by those inter-
ested in the subject in a commercial way
as not only possible. but. from a CONNER
cial standpoint. feasible. even though they
themselves may not have accomplished that
end. -
1.-The law which this bill seeks to amend
uciNltcty requires 3lHc aUdAcHeHt OI tu0
smoke nuisance The pending bill, II en-
acted, will require merely q single more
or less successful 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.
I respectfully recommend that this bill be
returned to the committee on the District
OF Columbia of the House Of Representa-
tives. with Recommendation that 1t be
acted upon adversely"
Vice President Harries' Letter.
The letter referred to by the health officer
Is from Vice President George H. Harries
Of the Washington Traction and Electric
Company. and reads as follows:
"Since out recent conversation relative
to smoke consumers I have en6eavored
to secure reasonable estimate as to the
time which may be consumed In building
| the enlargement Of our steam plant and the
readjustment of it's units In accordance
with the plans which we have several times
discussed. Unless some great and unfore-
seen obstacle shall intervene we expect to
have the new plant in order not later than
November Is, which means that from and
after the date mentioned there will be no
illegal emission of smoke from our prfnc-
4 zNx Tow,