Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-02-07
Testimony Of Local Business
Men.
PROPOSED AMENDMENT
CLAIMED THAT THE EVIL CAN
NOT BE PREVENTED.
A Change Wanted in the Interests OF
Justice-Hearinga at the
Capitol.

subcommittee of the Senate committee
on the District Of Columbia held hearing
today on the House bill to amend the smoke
law. This bill provides that the emission
Of black or dense gray smoke shall De
limited to three minutes, the present law
having no limitation Of time. but making
punishable by fine any emission OF black OF
dense gray smoke in the District OF Column
bia.
There was a large delegation Of represen-
tative citizens in the room Of the District
committee today when the hearing was De-
gun.
Senator Dillingham;, chairman OF the SUD
committee, and Senator Clark OF Montana
a member of that subcommittee were pres
ent and showed great interest In question:
ing those who appeared for the bill. MI.
w. B. Moses was the first speaker. and ne
was followed by Mr.. o. G. Staples. MI;
Thomas w. Smith, president OF the boara
Of Trade; Mr.. William F. GUIDE, presloent
of the Business Mems Association; NAT. a.
GUIDE, president Of the Anacostia Business
Mems Association; Mr.. Jacobs, manager OF
Woodward & Lothrop; DR.. 'Swope, vice
president of the Washington Loan ana
Trust Company; Mr.. Edward Graves OF the
Havenner Baking Company, and Gen.
George H. Harries, vice president OF the
washington Traction and Electric Com
pany.
Ali of these witnesses testified to their
efforts to comply with the smoke law, ana
to their belief that in its present form 1t is
not enforceable. because there Is no device
or method by which smoke can be abso-
lutely prevented.
Commissioner Macfarland and Health
officer Woodward were In the committee
room during the hearing 1t was the pur-
pose of the subcommittee to hear Dr.
Woodward on this subject, but there was
not time to do So and another hearing was
arranged for Monday morning at II o'clock.
when DR.. Woodward will be able to state
reasons for the retention Of the present
law. On that occasion other local witnesses
may be heard by the subcommittee If appli-
cation is made.
Mr.. Moses Safes His Objection.
Mr.. w. B. Moses was the first called upon
to state his objections to the present law.
Mr. Moses said that he had found 1t i'm
possible to comply with the law in Its pres
ent form. He had been notified at least a
hundred times that he had violated the
law. and he could not dispute the charge.
This was from last September to the pres
ent date. He explained that the law re-
quired that no smoke should be emitted.
He had attempted to procure some smoke
preventing apparatus that would be ef-
fective, and had secured one that was high
out of order he had been taken into the
Police Court, and the court ruled that evil
dence relating to his inability to comply
with the law could not be received.
The only question to be considered was
whether smoke was emitted according to
the restrictions of the law. All the evil
dence that would have shown that his
smoke consumer was out of order was re-
jected and he was fined. He thought that
some provision should be made in the law
allowing citizens to show their inability to
comply with it. this evidence to be consid-
cred in the case. He was In sympathy with
the movement to reduce the smoke nuisance
to a minimum, but the present law could
not be compiled with.
The smoke consumer he had purchased
cost $3.50 for each boiler. He said that when
the consumer was in order it lessened the
smoke, but he thought that as good results
could be secured without any smoke con-
sumner.
II do not think It is possible to avoid
smoke entirely" said Mr.. Moses. II think
many of our plants could lessen smoke ma
terially, but the law cannot be complied
with If hard coal were used 1t would be
SO much more expensive as to prove a great
hardship to the community"
Mr.. o. G.. Staples Views.
Mr.. o. G. Staples said that when the law
was passed he supposed that the smoke had
to be pronounced nuisance to. enforce the
penalty. but he discovered that the Police
Court did not take this view Of the matter,
and convicted merely on the fact that black
or dense gray smoke was emitted from the
chimneys He had tried four different
smoke consumers, and at the presen time
had fifth device in operation. but 1t did
not produce the required results. He could
show before the Police Court by the best
experts OF the country that there was no
device known today to prevent smoke. 1t
could be lessened, but not prevented.
1.-THE public buildings" said Mr. Staples
make as much or more smoke as any pri-
vate institution here"
In Pittsburg, Pa, he said, there Is time
limit to the smoke he thought. Of three
minutes, and If such provision were en-
acted 1t would be a great assistance to the
business people of this city. He said that
the Board of Trade and the Business Mems
Association have sought to have this law
modified in the interest Of securing a law
that would be enforceable.
Locomotives run up and down our
streets" said Mr.. Staples. "and are exempt
from this law. Nothing is said about them
They make more smoke than all other Of
tenders in this city. I would be glad to get
rid Of this smoke nuisance entirely, but It
has not been possible to do So"
Mr.. Staples thought that three minutes Of
the issuance of smoke would be Satisfac-
tory.
President Thos. W. Smith Heard.
Mr.. Thomas W. Smith. president of the
Board Of Trade. said that he thought 1t de-
volved upon the Commissioners Of the Dis
trict to point OF. some way by which smoke
can be eliminated.
1--WE finc at the present time" said Mr..
Smith. that the Commissioners are like a
schoolmaster who stands over a child with
a club and tells him to SPELL without point
ing out the way of teaching him his letters.
He said a proposition had been made be-
fore the Board of Trade for the formation
Of a commission by Congress of three or
five persons to investigate this subject in
this and other countries where soft coal Is
used. Such a commission should be COM
posed Of men familiar with mechanical en-
Rineering and should renorf fo Copprasz a