Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-12-12
ANOTHER CHAP TER
Further Statements in
Smoke Law Controversy.
THE HEALTH OFFICE
DIR. WooDWARD's COMMENTS AND
MR.. VESTS REJoINDER.
Mr.. Macfarland's Contribution - The
Discrimination Alleged-To Cover
Movable Engines.

mere were interesting chapters added to-
day to the controversy among the District
omclals with reference to the proposed
amendment of the existing smoke law. One
OF these is Health Officer Woodward's
statement as to the administration of the
present law. submitted to Commissioner
| mcfarland today, in compliance with the
| iatter's request Of last Saturday Other
BRIEF chapters in the story are contributed
| by Commissioner Mcfarland who men,
] lions the extent to which the present law
should be amended. and by Commissioner
west VINO comments on DR.. WOodward's
statement.
In his report DR.. Woodward takes I'D in
detail the criticisms made by Commissioner
west several days ago as to the method Of
enforcing the law in the past
With reference to the one-minute limit
| on the emission of smoke. the health off,
Ger states that this limit was adopted by
the commissioners after a public hearing
on the matter and that the adoption Of
the one-mfnute rule was merely the rat
ncation of prevailing practice. The
health department. the report declares has
consistently abfded by the e-minute rule
referred to. except in one instance. and has
instituted no prosecutions upon the basis
OF emissions lasting less than one minute
IN the one exception mentioned the health
oH1cer says that owing to the skillful ma
|
tlon or the furnace each separate emission
| or smoke was less than one minute but at
frequent intervals
Instances Under Observation.
Dr. woodward admits that instances
| not by any means almost innumerable'
| nave come under the observation of the
inspector, In which prosecutions might have
| neen instituted, but were not" He says,
however, that if the inspector "fritters''
away his time in the prosecution of the
| relatively unimportant offenses the grayer
violations of the law will go unnoticed and
unpunlshed. The inspector, he naiyely de-
clareS. cannot be in the corporation coun-
seis office and in the court room and at the
same time be out on the street observing
Smokestacks throughout the CITY If addi-
tlonal inspectors were provided Dr. Wood
ward believes that the law could be en-
FORCED more adequately. He declares that
the smoke inspector at present does not
limit his working hours to make them
conform to the regular official day, but
makes inspections outside of those hours
With reference to the lapse of time be-
tween the discovery of offenders and the
inauguration of prosecutions In the Police
Court, the health officer states in substance
that In order to facilitate the work and to
save time cases are referred to the corpora
ton counsel once each week. Dr. Wood
ward also declares that although the
statute provides penalty ranging from
minimum of $40 a day to a maximum of
500 day for violations of the law vet it
seems to be the uniform practice of the
Police Court to impose the minimum pen
atty. or to allow that amount to be for
feited as collateral regardless of the gray
ity of the offenSe and of the frequency with
which the offenders have been in court
He states that one offender has been allow
ed to forfeit $40 collateral in each of fifty
cases brought against him for violation of
the smoke law.