Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-01-21
AGAINST AMENDMENT
Col. Biddle's Position on the
Local Smoke Law.
ISSU ES STATEN E N T
SUGGESTS THAT LAW SHOULD AP-
PLY TO GOVERNMENT BUILDINGS.
Majority of Board Will Favor Adverse
Report on Measure to
Congress.
ISSU ES STATEN EN- T

Col John Biddle Engineer Commissioner,
Stands pat with Commissioner Macfar-
land in the opinion that the present smoke
law in the District should not be amended
so as to permit of the emission of dense
black smoke at intervals during the day
The decision of Col Biddle was announced
today in a statement made by him relative
amendment of the existing smoke law so
as to allow dense, black smoke to be
emitted from stacks on manufacturing and
business establishments for periods not ex-
ceeding three minutes at one time. This
agreement of the two Commissioners, con-
stituting a majority of the board, will
govern the report to be made to Congress
by the District authorities relative to the
proposed amendment
In his statement Commissioner Biddle
says he is opposed to allowing three-min-
ute emission of smoke even with the sug-
gested amendment that the emissions be
limited to certain number of minutes each
day or hour He recommends, however
that the present law ought to be amended
so as to extend its provisions to govern
ment buildings and to locomotives, especial
ly those used in the switching yards of the
railroads He believes that the officer in
charge of the enforcement of the law
should be allowed to exercise discretion
with respect to the regula tions connected
with enforcing the law.
Col. Biddle's Statement.
In his statement on the subject Col
Biddle says:
THE bill allowing a three-minute ennis
sion of smoke is not approved, even with
the suggested amendment that the total
emission shall be limited to a certain num-
ber of minutes each day or each hour. This
would be, believe, a step backward in the
effort to diminish smoke emission in the
District and would be unfair to those par
ties who have succeeded-as many haye-by
the expenditure of money and care in stok-
ing, in preventing unlawful smoke ennis
sion.
AN amendment to limit the time of al
lowable emission to one minute for any
one emission and not to exceed a certain
number OF minutes in an hour in day
might be free from this objection. in view
OF the practice of the health department in
prosecuting under the present law, but it Is
not thought this would be any more salts
factory to those offenders who claim that
1t is impossible to comply with the existing
law.
Il have collected data with reference to
smoke prevention from various authorities
and manufacturers. A personal investiga-
l
plant of the water department at Trumbuli
street, where the combustion Is carried on
under exceptionally favorable circumstances
1t is evident that the emission of smoke to
an Objectionable degree can be controlled
in steam plants and in such a manner as
to be either an economy or not an unrea-
sonable expense. The cost of first installa-
ton may be greater, but economy would
result in the working.
1T is equally evident that the occasional
emission of smoke at times of firing a new
boiler at the opening of furnace doors or
through some slight accident, cannot rea-
sonably be avoided with the use of btu
minous coal. These occasional intermis-
sions need not necessarily occur daily, or
even weekly. with first-class plant not
forced beyond it's legitimate capacity. They
are quite sure to occur, however, at in
tervals in spite of great care.
Question Presented.
"The question then resolves itself into
one as to whether this occasional, unavoid-
able emission of smoke should be permitted
and regulated in the law itself, or should
be left to the discretion of the officer
charged with its enforcement
II am unable to formulate any amend
me n hn axi fit,u cad lax Hifl,