Los Angeles herald., 1906-08-13
POLICE MAY STOP
SMOKE NUISANCE
TALL STACKS AND DEVICES
THE REMEDY
Tourists Commenting on Inky Pail
over Los Angeles Call Attention
to Recent Violations Of
the Law

Despite numerous complaints from
merchants and property owners Of the
smoke nuisance little has been done by
the city to abate the nuisance.
City Prosecutor George Beebe said
yesterday that he was ready to GO
ahead with all cases presented to him.
! hit the health department or police
must first obtain evidence before the
city prosecutors could take any steps
There is an ordinance on the books
| calling for the prosecution of manu-
facturers allowing their chimneys to
belch out smoke for period exceeding
| ten minutes, with certain exemptions
| in the case of gas companies and the
| like.
High Chlmneys Remedy
f, For the protection of manufacturers
no prosecutions are permitted where
the chmneys are 25 feet in height
| 1t is stated by experts that the smoke
nuisance would be reduced to the min
imum If all factory chimneys were
built to that height, as the trade winds
from the Pacific rapidly sweep away
the clouds of smoke.
1t Is claimed, however that many
violations of the ordinance can be
found in the manufacturing district,
where the owners attempt to rave ex-
pense by erecting chimneys in many
instance not more than so feet in
height.
Many persons who have the interests
of Los Angeles at heart say the smoke
nuisance is becoming a serious prob
lem, inasmuch as the thousands of
tourists who have always spoken of
the exceptional cleanliness of Los An
geles, in contrast to many eastern cit
To-. . L.. A..-k 49,
griming effects of clouds of black
smoke belching from hotels, laundries,
factories and the like
Confined to District
The permitting of factories in the
residential sections of the city Is seri-
ously doplored by many and a move
ment is on foot. it is said, to compel
all owners of factories, 'aundries and
shops TO move into the manufacturing
district east of Main street.
A recent complaint vas made against
the proprietor Of laundry in Towne
avenue, but the complaint was dis
missed when it was ascertained the
regular boiler was not responsible for
the alleged smoke nuisance, but tenn
porary affair in use while the regular
boiler was being repaired.
A complaint against the Vegetarian
restaurant was also dropped when the
managers substituted gas for oil
burners.
A complaint against the owners of a
lodging house In East Fifth street was
dismissed when the defendant abated
the nuisance.
Up to the Police
From tho success attendant upon
prosecution in two or three recent cases
friends of the City Beautiful argue the
city will preserve its remarkable clean
liness if the patrolmen watch out for
all viola tions of the ordinance on their
respective beats.
The health department of the city
cannot search out all the violations. it
is asserted, but the patrolmen can
easily detect violations in their own
territory and, after warming the pro-
prietors, arrest them upon a second
violation of the ordinance.
Said a we'll Known property owner
yesterday:
Complaints in such cases may seem
trivia; to many, but 1 believe the en-
forcement of the ordnance will mean
thousands of dollars to the city in the
end.
The time is fast approaching when
factories must he confined to one por-
ten of the city, and not be allowed
to encroach upon districts valuable
solely for residential purposes.
THE city wishes to encourage all
manufacturing plants, and the larger
interests are equally anxious to locate
in the districts devoted to manufactur-
ing, but there are many small plants
located in sections that are injured by
the smoke belchng from short CHM
neys that are not equipped with smoke
consumers"
The Ordinances
The city ordinance provides maxi
mum frc of $50 or Imprisonment in
the city Jail for term not exceeding
TWENTY-FIVE days. or both fine and inn
prlsomnent, but in the few convictions
obtained since the first of the year only
small fine has been imposed.
1t is believed a few cases vigorously
prosecuted would have a wholesome
effect uFon other violators of the law,
and not work a hardship in any way
upon manufacturing concerns that can
obyiate he smoke nuisance by building
the proper kind of chimneys and using
'nIolSe CONSUMERS.