Evening star., 1902-03-15
Anti-Smoke Legislation

Some OF the health officers criticisms Of
the bill to amend the present smoke law
are evidently we'll founded, and should re-
suit In notifications of that measure If 1t Is
to be used as the nucleus Of wise anti
smoke legislation. Clearly the municipal
authorities must exercise q greater degree
of continuing control over the smoke-pro-
ducing furnaces than is involved In the
single act Of approving a smoke-reduclng
device unaccompanied by subsequent au-
thoritative inspection and supervision of the
equipped furnaces and their management
Washington does not wish any change in
the anti-smoke law which will reduce in the
slightest the earnest and constant effort Of
everybody In interest to reduce the emission
of dense smoke within the city limits to
an absolute minimum.
But the business men of the city feel
that 1t is reasonable to ask that the mu
nicipal authorities themselves shall share
the responsibility of ascertaining what IS
the most effective and practicable method
Of abating the smoke nuisance. short OF
aholishing furnaces from the District OF
Columbia. 1t may seem simple and easy
solution OF the problem from the official
point OF view to construe the law as max
ing criminal the emission from furnace
even for only few seconds Of dense gray
smoke and to view the Commissioners as
burdened with no responsibility in the mat
ter except to watch for such smoke ennis
sions. as well as they are able, and to pun
fish the offenders. Such law. thus
construed, Is, however. an fntolerable hard
ship upon enterprising members OF the busi-
ness community. whose expensive and pub
lic-spirited efforts to rid the city OF smoke
do not suffice to remove them from the
category OF lawbreakers; and the tendency
OF such construction Of the law Is to dis
courage the honest endeavor to conform to
It, and to nullify 1t by reducing 1t to an alb
surdity.
The purpose Of our anti-smoke campaign
Is to reduce to a minimum the emission Of
dense smoke In the capital city. When
every furnace in Washington Is furnished
with the best appliances In existence for
smoke reduction or uses hard coal, and
when every fireman and stoker by the pres
sure Of vigilant and intelligent supervision
50 handles his furnace as to emit the mini
mum of smoke. then the object of the cru
sade Is fulfilled.
The law does not intend to demand i'm
possibilities and thereby discourage all ef
forts to reduce the smoke nuisance and
thus in the end nullify itself. The law does
not intend to prohibit all furnaces except
In private residences within the District OF
Columbia But this is it's effect. if nothing
short of the absolute absence Of dense
smoke during every second of the twenty
four hours Is to be accepted as compliance
with it, since neither the use of the COM
mercially practicable grades and sizes of
hard coal nor Of the most approved and
most expensive smoke-preventing appli-
The law exempts from notice the smoke.
even dense smoke. emitted from private
residences. probably on the principle that
the law will not take note of small things,
and that the amount of smoke emitted
therefrom is too insignificant for the law
= regard. But II the business mans fur
mace. through the use Of expensive appli-
ances or buckwheat coal emits volume Of
smoke SO reduced in density and for so
short periods that the total injurious ennis
sion falls below the smoke output Of the
private dwelling, why should the owner OF
the former be punished while that of the
latter Is untouched? Why Is absolute per-
fection required from the business furnace
when the emission of the small furnace in
private dwelling is disregarded? Does
not the law by exemptlng emissions from
private dwellings as too insignificant for
notice suggest standard of minimum pun
ishable emissions which could reasonably
apply TO business furnaces?
If 1t Is impossible for the authorities to con-
strue the law In this easonable fashion SO
well adapted to carry out Its object, then
they should cooperate to bring about an
amendment OF the law in this particular.
In order to accomplish the best practical
results in smoke-abatement in Washington
our law should be so worded or construed
as not to take note Of and punish the acct
dental infrequent. very brief and damage
less smoke emissions from furnaces which
are equipped with absolutely the best
smoke preventing devices on the market or
which go to the expense Of using some form
OF hard coal.