Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-01-16

nuisance. in this city,and, except fer loco
motives, he thought there was not much
smoke. This is not a manufacturing city,
he said, and the nature of the business
done does not cause much smoke efe
The government buildings" he de-
clared, ARE very lavish in their contri-
button of smoke. The Post Office Depart
together with the general land office, runs
a race neck4afld meek to see which can
emit the largest quantity of smoke
He said that the bureau of engraving
and printing and the Treasury Depart
ment also are offenders in this respect
The Treasury Department" he said,
fills the Presidents weekly wash with
cinders continually"
But that is charged to YOU" said SEN
atOr Gallinger.
Gen. Harries replied that he appreciated
that fact, but their chimney 200 feet high
and half a mile away was hardly to be
considered as the source of these cinders.
He said the chimneys of the Treasury De-
partment are low being almost level
with the roof, and he thought it was from
that source that the trouble arose at til ;
White House.
General Harres said that the use of an
thracite coal would more than double the
cost of coal to his company because while
anthracite is not double the price of btu
mipous coal its steaming qualities are fully
% per cent less than bituminous COAL
General Harries, continuing, said that
fines and arrests did not have any effect on
his company in the matter of the smoke
nuisance for the reason that they are doing
all they possibly can anyway to lessen the
smoke nuisance. But in view of the diff
culties that were met he hoped to have
some amendment of the law.
Il would say" said General Harries
that six minutes should be the limit for
the emission of smoke when fires are built.
It should not exceed six minutes 1 suppose
an hour a day would cover the entire ennis
clio nf fllri fba
hours"
Commissioner Macfarland then spoke.
Mr.. Macfarland read to the committee a
letter that he had sent to the President
early in January in response to inquiries the
President had made in respect to the en-
forcement of the smoke law in reference to
the Potomac electric power plant at 14th
and b streets.
This letter fairly outlined the views of
the Commissioners. Mr.. Macfarland stated
that the smoke law, approved February D.
1899, took effect six months after it's pas
sage.
The constitutionality was attacked, and
in other ways it was kept in litigation for
over two years after that time. 1t was
sustained in several cases by the Court of
Appeals of the District of Columbia and a
case was taken to the Supreme Court of
the United States by one of the resistants,
but was dismissed for want of jurisdiction.
This long litigation interrupted somewhat
the operation of the law, and it was prac-
tically suspended when the coal strike made
it impra cticable for the plants generally to
get good coal. Nevertheless, substantial
results have been obtained from the en-
forcement of the law, especially since the
coal-strike period ended, although the Com
missioners regretted that it had not been
successful in number of Instances. =.
during the last calendar Year 134 plants
were under observation. lOf that number
Il complied literally anda14 Substantially,
30 offended rarely, y offeuded coca s1onally
and only 16 were habituat off enders.
Mr.. Macfarland stated that the practice
was to give warnings at hrst weekly and
then daily to the owners of plants Offending
against the law, and in -many cases the
difficulty has been remedied in that way.
But plants offending repeatedly have been
prosecuted in the Police Court, and an i'm
provement in smoke conditions has been
secured thus in many instances. In every
case the entire record of the plant has been
considered.
The general desire to comply with the law
was manifested by owners of plants. Coy
ernment plants were kept under observa-
tion, but the Police Court ,Aecided that gov
ernment buildings were not within the pur-
view OF the law, and 1t was then that the
Commissioners brought the matter to the
attention of the President in the matter of
public buildings.
Congress had provided no special inspect
ors to execute the law, as is done under
smoke laws elsewhere. But the Commits
siOnerS were authorized ito make details
from the health department inspectors, to
act under the supervision of the health Off
GERS.
The Incumbent of that Office, he said, has
zealously and honestly performed this as
he performs other duties. 1t is impracti-
cable for one inspector TO observe all the
violations of the law. The Commissioners
had asked Congress for two inspectors for
this purpose. The enforcement of the law
had been hampered by the inadequacy of
the fines imposed, Or the collateral eXacted
in the Police Court.
Persistent effort, he said, had been made
to enforce the law. He then referred to
the electric power plant, which he said
had received more attention than any other
plant. Up to December 1904, sixty-six
prosecutions had been brought against 1t
in the Police Court and it had paid in fines
and collateral over 500.
Mr.. Macfarland was followed by DR..
Woodward. He stated that he was in full
sympathy with the Commissioners in their
view of the law. He wanted to do the right
thing by these offenders of the law, but at
the same time he had a duty to perform to
were subject to this law; that is, they need
done by one inspector. He said there should
be several inspectors at least. In order to
thoroughly enforce the law everyone of
these buildings should be watched con-
stantly, but he thought that with 7four or
five inspectors the work could be done in
practicable way.