Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-02-11
Pass the Smoke Law.

There should be no doubt of the passage
ut this session of some such measure as
the bill to amend the present smoke law
which was yesterday reported favorably by
the Senate District committee. Despite the
refusal of the District Commissioners to
endorse the measure with their approval
there is evidently strong sentiment in the
upper house of Congress in it's favor. and
there is no reason to doubt that similar
sentiment exists in the lower branch Ine
arguments offered by the citizens in sup
port of the laws amendment are virtually
unanswerable. They are based upon Sc
we're experience with an impracticable law'
confessed to be such by the executive au-
thorities and enthusiastically amended
without warrant.
The present smoke law Is an inequitabie
imposition upon the business men of Wash
irgton, who are by the statute declared
to be offenders. as experience proves, de-
spite their sincere and continuous efforts
to avoid violating the statute. 1t imposes
a hardship upon them that is not borne by
the residents of any other American city.
II is imperfect in that it does not include
within it's prohibitions the chief offenders
and that it bears harshly, even tyranni-
cally, upon the least, who are at the same
time anxious chiefly for fair chance to
obey fair law.
The bill yesterday reported to the Sem
ate by the unanimous vote of the District
committee accomplishes two of the three
objects desired by the business men of
Washington 1t includes the government
departments in the scope of the law,
whereas now they are exempt according
to the rulings of the Police Court, and it
makes the law susceptible of enforcement
without injustice. 1t does not include,
with other smoke emitters, the railroad
locomotives, for an excellent reason which
will be appreciated by those who are aware
of the urgent need of the other features of
the proposed legislation and are cognizant
of the blocking powers at a short session Of
Congress of the interests affected by the
inclusion of the locomotives.
If the pending Senate BILL either as 1t
stands or with notifications. is not passed
at this session, the business men of Wash
ington must wait at least another year for
relief from the intolerable burdens which
they now bear protesting1y. They will be
hailed to court in squads and fined heavily
despite their persistent efforts to comply
with the noncompliance law. There will be
no certainty of immunity from this punish
ment if they spend thousands for expert
mental boilers and devices for the preven-
ton or reduction of smoke. There will al
ways be times when smoke must inevitably
arise, such as when new fires are started,
and at times of stocking in certain conditions
of the atmosphere They cannot hope to
escape detection when they thus unwilling
ly offend, even though the force of inspect
ors Is small and plainly inadequate. They
VIII spend in fines which they cannot avoid
sums WHICH they would gladly quadruple If
they could be assured of results meeting the
requirements of the law, whether as con-
strued by the courts or by the health officer
1t is not to be thought that Congress, with
a full knowledge of the case, will allow this
Intolerable condition to continue for another
year.