The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1902-04-03
Makes Sarcastic Reply to
DR.. Woodward Regard
sing Smoke Law.
LACK OF DISCRIMINATION
Declares That the Washington Traction
Company Is Doing MO-e Than Any
other Corporation to Comply With the
= Lawn Need of New Information.


Gen. George H. Harries, vice president
OF the Washington Traction and Electric
COMPANY. has replied 10 the recent letter.
OF Dr. W c. Woodward, the District.
Health Omcer, relative 20 the enforce
Ihent OF the smoke Law, which was pub
iished in The Times. General Harries
takes the stand that special consideration
should be given to plants where an hon
est .ef9rt has been made to obey the law
rather than 10 1hose. making no such ef-
fort He especially protests against al
legged insinustions CT parsimony, which
is charged against his company as the d.
motive far moi keeping within the law
General IsrTies says:
D. Lack of Discrimination.
Tt is not surprising that the Health
Department is unable to accept The the
Dry which calls for special consideration
fer such power plants as ours. Nothing in
the smoke pursuing conduct OF the de-
partment could possibly lead anyone TO
Imagine such an acceptance To discrim-
mate between those who are doing 81
that carefully and literally applied money
can do TO obey the law, and those who
are wilIfully disobedieEt would be to do
violence 20 the precepts aud practices OF
officials who construe literally and who
have no communion with the true spirit
OF the rational intent OF law, unless there
shall be dictation to that effect by per
s0nsl- or kindred interests
p -e Need of Information.
AS to the socialistie features Of your
Ietter-in which the Health Department
seeks to discuss franchises and quasi
public. functions after a fashion common
among anti-corporate asftatots
further need be said at this time. 1t was
my hope. however, that the Health De
partment night secure counsel which
would advise IL that there are mechanical
reasons why the smoke ameliorating
tquipping CT a large plant with a variable
load is propOrtiOnateIy a much greater
task sthan the equipping OF q small plant
with a constant load. Reliable informa-
tioB 20 that eject could be secured with
out much difficulty. Non-possession Of
such knowledge by experts on smoke is
% be regretted. and must surely detract
from the value of any opintOn-no matter
how elaborate il may be-which emanates
from your department
Regarded as Humorous,
You have laid some stress en- the fact
that large plants cannot be equipped for
the same absoluta aaount Of money that
VAL install them at smaller establish
mants With that conclusion I must
hasten 70 agree. Let me assure you that
we have never imagined that smoke con
sumers sufficient for our use could be
purchased for tEc sum which would it q
hfiE=hOrse boiler. Your suggestion that
We were so impressed is the first Of its
kind and must in justice to both Of US,
be regarded as humorous
Denies NiggardIinsss.
Touching the financial phase, permit
Ese-to say that we have never pleaded
poverty. nor. until you made the unfound-
ed accusation. have We been accused Of
niggardIiRess. In cur efforts TO comply
with the arbitrary enforcement Of an ar
bitrary law we are now Installing our
seccnd equipment. Twenty thousand dol
lars have been thrown into the scrap pile
and more than SO. eco dollars are also
invested in the device from which we ex-
pect immunity from prosecution. Even
your department-intent though it be on
knocking down the men CT straw you so
carefully set up-cannot assail US and
have that reputation for fairness which
you surely desire.
Efforts to Comply With the Law.
We have done more TO comply with the
law than has. relatively. been done by
any other corporation or individual in the
District Of Columbia Our material in
forests in this city are much great :
than those Of any other aggregation OF IN
dividusls doing business here. We arc
IN close accord with everything that
promises the betterment or Identification
OF the National Capital
IN my letter Of the 2etb instant I pro-
tested against our being CLASSIFIED with
inc ~illful breakers Of the law Today
! hle our protest against baseless and
frivolous charges Of parsim0ny."