New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1905-05-03
SKY OR SNOKE9

These fine spring days. such as we have just
been enjoying, convey to the obserVant clIlZen OIL
New-YorI an unmistakable reminder LhaL 1t ~
..,n TO" the people of this city TO decide Whelher
they will have above them a crystalline SKY
such as has been characteristic of New-1o rk OF d
foul and dun canopy of smoke, such as mat noln
which some less favored communities have suf-
fered. A glance over the panorama OF the city
ON any clear day reveals large and increasing
number of offending chimneys which in defiance
of law and of common sense send forth clouds
of black smoke to poute the air, to dehIe the
buildings of the neighbOrhood and their contents,
to poison the lungs of the people and, Incidental
IL. to make melancholy exhibition OF ignorance
sIovenliness and wastefulness. Perhaps THIS
last point is the most effective Of all to be
pressed home to the offenders for the men VINO
care little about breaking a law, or dishgurlng
the landscape or causing other people discom-
fort, do care a good deal for the almighty
dollar"
The smoke nuisance has its origin indeed, in
a desire for GAIN or for saving expense which is
the same thing Men burn soft coal because 1t
is cheaper than anthracite. If they had as much
sense as sordidness they would burn their soft
coal in the most economical and most effective
way instead Of the most wasteful If they did
so they would give no offence. Their chimneys
would emit no black smoke. 1t is not because
they are burning soft coal that their chimneys
offend, but because they are burning 1t IN an
ignorant, slovenly, ineffective, wasteful way.
This point was well brought out by Mr.. Charles
T Barney in the report which-as the result Of
q painstaking and public spirited Investigation
be made recently to the Mayor upon the subject.
Calling attention to the interesting historic fact
that the inventor Of the steam engine, hundred
and twenty years ago, invented and coupled
with it a device intended to avoid smoke nui-
sance. Mr. Barney justly said: THE problem
to-day is the same as It was when Watt I'M
"dertoOk to solve II. 1t is one Of stocking and
apparatus, and not exclusively, as has been In
SISTED on. one of fuel Seine soft coal properly
stocked is practically without smoke; some hard
coal no matter how stocked, is offensive"
1t may be added TO the words which we have
quoted from Mr.. Barney, and which are exactly
true that ample experiments have demonstrated
that soft coal can be so stocked as TO be pracd-
cally smokeless and that when thus stocked 1t
develops much greater heat and generates
much greater steam power, and thus more than
pays for the slight cost of extra labor or ad-
ditional apparatus. The demand for suppress
sion Of the smoke nuisance is not, therefore,
demand for the USE Of the costliest fuel 1t is
not demand for increased expense TO the pro-
prietors Of factories and engines. On the con-
trary, compliance with it means a decrease of
expenses and an increase of profits TO every
establishment that is now pOllutng the air with
unconsumed carbon. The smoke nuisance ought
to be suppressed, and must be suppressed, re-
CARELESS Of cost But when the facts we have
cited taken into consideration 1t is evident
that It's suppression ought to be accomplished
voluntarily and eagerly. The very men who are
now offending ought to be, because OF the very
impulses that have moved them to Offend the
first TO abate the nuisance If not If they per-
sst in being blind TO their own interests as well
as regardless OF the law and OF the public vel
fare. then the Mayor and the Health Commits