Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-02-07

business Mems Association, showed that q
chimney on his own farm of thirty-fve
violation OF the lawg just as 1t would be II
It were In the Center OF the city,
Efforts to Obey the Law.
Mr.. Jacobs manager for Woodward a
Lothrop. told,the committee Of the efforts
his firm had Made TO comply with the law.
He said the firm had expended q good many
Thousand Of dollars, In attempting to COM
ply with the law and had tested four diff
ferent smoke preventers, socaIled.
The fact was there were no smoke pre-
venters. Some devices might tend to lessen
vent 1t. In making contract for the
fourth device tried by his firm, he had In
serted clause providing that It should
operate to comply with the law OF the DIS
trtct, but that provision would not De &C
cepted by the firm from which they pur-
chased 1t. They intended to comply with
the law as Tar as possible, but they did not
believe 1t possible to use soft coal and do SO.
No device could be absolutely effective at
all times. He thought that If they had q
period of three minutes for the emission OF
smoke they could comply with the law.
He said that MIR. Lothrop OF his firm had
been taken before the Police Court on a
charge OF violating the law, In spite Of ev-
erythfng they had done to comply with 1t,
and had to pay a fine. He said 1t vas not
the money they cared about, but they did
Police Court for violating the law when
everything was done that money could de-
wise to comply.
DR.. Swope, vice president Of the Wash
ington Loan and Trust Company, said that
his company had been fined seventeen
times, SO each time, for violating the
smoke law. At no time was the emission
Of smoke more than two minutes, and many
OF these times 1t was but one minute. They
had done everything they could to COMPLY
with the law, putting in devices that were
recommended and paying personal atten-
ton to 1t. but they had found compliance
impossible. He said that every one was
disposed to avoid violating the law as
much as possible.
Mr.. Edward Graves OF the Havenner
Baking Company said that his company, IN
baking bread found It necessary to build
up hot fires twice a day, and each time
there was an emission Of smoke of ten Or
fifteen minutes, and there was no way he
knew of that this could be avoided. other
than these two periods in the day, ne said
they did not make smoke in violation OF
the law.
Vice President Harries' Experience.
Gen. George H. Harries spoke OF the eff
forts OF the Washington Traction and Elec-
trio Company to comply with the law. He
said that their horse power was 1900, and
vastly in excess Of any other concern In
the District. making compliance on their
w.
others.
There has never been a time," said Gen.
Harries, when we have not tried the best
devices available to prevent smoke"
Gen. Harries explained that during the
afternoon and in the evening. when the
power generated by the electric light COM
panies must be greatly increased in short
time in order to provide for lighting the
city and for additional power when the
street car, traffic greatly Increases it Is i'm
possible to prevent smoke.
I'VE have spent $4,000" said Gen. Har-
ries, 'in our efforts to comply with this
law. We have now in operation in our
main plant two devices. supposed to be the
best on the market for preventing smoke.
We have not hesitated to do anything, re-
gardless Of expense, to comply with the
law, but we have not found 1t possible to
do so.''
Gen. Harries explained the various
methods in use by his company for lessen
ing smoke, and he was satisfied that there
was no device anywhere that could do 1t.
He said that he could not secure a guar
antee Of more4than 80 per cent of combus-
ton from any of his boilers, and suggested
that If the law was SO framed as to allow
10 per cent Of smoke it would be in con-
formity with, the pest knowledge Of en-
gineers, and could be complied with.