The Saint Paul globe., 1904-12-30
OHAGE CONTINUES
ANTI-SMOKE FIGHT
Health Commissioners and Busi-
ness Men Clash at Com.
mittee Meeting

DR.. Ohage created a sensation when
he arose at a meeting of the committee
on streets during discussion of the
O'Brien amendment to the smoke ord1-
nance yesterday afternoon to reply to
an argument which large audience
seemed to think had fairly crushed him
and had put an end to his smoke cru
sade.
w. M. Lawrence, president Of the
National Steam laundry, gave detail
ed account of what the smoke crusade
had cost his company. Mr.. Lawrence
said that on account of prosecutions by
the health department his company in
stalled a smoke consumer twenty-one
months ago at cost of $519. Up to
the time the device was purchased he
had been using shavings and coal
which averaged $3.50 per day. During
the past twenty-one months. however,
it was necessary to use better grade
of coal which cost $7.S7 per day, or 46
per cent more than formerly. The total
cost of the extra fuel amounted to
| $3.50, which added to the $519 for the
smoke consumer and $50 paid in fines,
amounted to $3,109.
What Ordinance Cost
THAT is what the smoke ordinance
| has cost u.s." said Mr.. Lawrence, con-
| cluding, and he was greeted with ap-
| plause from about one hundred manu-
| facturers, business men and railroad
men who were fighting for the amend
| ment.
| Rising to his feet, DR.. Ohage, who
| alone defended the present ordinance,
| turned calmly about to the men who
were clapping their hands, and said:
| Gentlemen, that is the strongest ar
] gument / have heard against the smoke
| ordinance. But Mr.. Lawrence, you are
| the president of the National Steam
! laundry, are you not? Well, listen ito
| this and the health commissioner read
| from letter dated July "a, 1903, signed
/ by r. E. Lawrence, secretary and treas
! urer of the National Steam Laundry
| company, referring to the smoke con-
sumner installed two months before.
| 1T has saved us coal, there being no
| smoke whatever, whereas it used to roll
| out of the stack in black volumes.
| 1t has kept our steam UP to
| the boiling point and has been bless
| ing to our iremen, as it requires much
| less frequent firing. Our plant
! would be badly crippled were it to be
removed"
".Who did you say wrote that letter."
asked Mr.. Lawrence after DIR. Ohage
had finished reading 1t.
"R. E. Lawrence replied the health
commissioner.
"oh, that's my son. retorted the
| laundry man.
well isn't he reliable?''
81 suppose so, but if 1 had written the
letter 1 would have worded it differ
emily"
Action Is Postponed
After listening to eight speakers in
| favor of the amendment the committee
took an adjournment for two weeks.
DR.. Ohage had frequent tilts with each
| speaker and the hearing was enlivened
| by several debates.
II. F. Ware. representing the real es-
| tate board, and A. Moorman, president
| of the Northwestern Manufacturers as
/ sociation, declared that manufacturers
| suffered from the rigid enforcement of
the ordinance. r. P. Blake, of the
Northwestern Railroad association.
said that the ordinance was hardship
on the railroads entering st. Paul,
as the grades in the city render heavy
| firing necessary. r. D. Hawkins, of the
Great Northern, showed that tests made
by his company proved that no substi-
| tute could be secured for bituminous
| coal. f. A. F'ogue, connected with the
| 500 line in Minneapolis, and John Ellis,
of the Omaha, supported the arguments
given by Mr.. Blake.