Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1906-05-09
DR.. TOMLlNSONS REPLY TO
LETTER OF "SMOkE NUISANCE. ="

Nuisance. in order 10 say that the
writer since he denies that Wilmington Is
afflicted with smoke nuisance, Is
evidently blind or showing signs of being
a descendant of Ananias. Since there are
none so blind as those who refuse to sec
II perhaps viii be a waste of effort to try
TO convince my friend of obscure vision
that he is laboring under a mistake.
In a recent conversation with Mr..
George W. Todd. who. for all | know,
was engaged in the iron business here
before this gentleman without a name
ever saw daylight ! was told by the
former that our late Board of Health was
moving along the right line in the matter
OF abating the smoke nuisance. Mr. Todd
said that he had been giving the matter
some consideration of late, and while he
had not reached a conclusion as to what
would be the best method, and while he
did not think that the nuisance could be
entirely abated, he was quite sure that
much could be done TO minimize 1t.
In a recent conversation with Mr.. David
OFT of the electric light plant, Mr.. OFT
agreed that there was much reason for
the people to complain; that he knew that
the dense clouds of smoke which went
from their stack was a serious matter TO
those within reach of IL, but that they
would not continue 1t longer than two
years more.
Now. if my friend without a name is
right in his bold assertion that there is
no smoke nuisance in Wilmington, why
do these gentlemen Of known integrity
make an acknowledgment Of this charac-
ter VIII the man without a name
please answer
ZfnDo al,orsfts,e, t,,rreo1f Oh Irs hose fvro
witnesses, both of whom are connected
with establishments using large guam
titles of soft coal and both of whom are
honorable enough to admit the truth, to
prove that my friend without a name
has made false statement in the aiore-
said declaration, it seems useless to argue
/ farther II false in part, false in all. But
/ to 60 a little farther, / will say to the
| gentleman without a name, who admits
/ that you may see some columns of smoke
as you approach the city, but claims that
| these are Immediately dissipated and lost
| in the clear air, that if he will accompany
me around the city when | would like
him TO, / think ] can prove TO him that
| these few columns of smoke are not so
| quickly dissipated as he seems inclined
| to have us think. ] will take him to
! Megary 4 Sons and let them tell him
whether they are much damaged by this
nuisance; and whether they are not COM
| PEELED to keep their windows closed much
/ of the time through the hot summer days,
in order to protect their goods. Then we
| will 20 to the store of Z. James Belt and
ask Mr. Poole whether they are or not
/ greatly annoyed by this very harmless
/ and non-eXisting something. In fact,
| think / can escort the gentleman with
| out a name from place to place. getting
/ the same statement Of damage to property
until he will be compelled 10 acknowledge
| that he did not know what he was talking
/ about when he said Wilmington had no
smoke nuisance.
The learned gentleman says there is no
/ city in the world that has grown in wealth
| and population like Chicago, and that not
withstanding the fact the sun is scarcely
/ discernihle on account of smoke.
Does the gentleman think this pros
/ perity has no other cause than the use
Of soft coal May il not be due to
! geographical situation, and may il not
have come in spite of the necessity of
using soft coal
The learned gentleman again displays
| his ignorance of facts, or his willingness
10 misstate them, when he says Chicago
is one Of the most healthful cities in the
world The fact is that lung trouble is
! more prevalent and more fatal in Chicago
/ than in any known city in the world.
/ Particularly is this true Of pneumonia
| Another fact showing the gentleman's
/ ignorance or dishonesty is that Chicago
| has realized the necessity of doing some
thing to clear their atmosphere, and now
has an Anti-Smoke law
/ 20. trIa Cor fr
| evil Let me say for the enlightenment
of my friend without a name that ] am
/ entirely willing for someone else to pro-
/ vide this If his erroneous statements
/ had not already led me 10 doubt his
/ honesty in the matter would be willing
for him TO suggest the best method of
relief
he asks. "Who ever heard Of using coke
as steam producer ?" My answer to that
is that Mr.. Todd, in our recent con-
versation ION last Saturday,, said that
of course the use of hard coal or in some
instances coke, would accomplish the
desired result though in some cases this
would hardly he considered feasible So
will leave my learned friend to settle
this point by consulting Mr.. Todd, who
can discuss this feature of the case more
intelligently than / can
No, / do not suppose the smoke
preventing devices can be installed with
slight expense; it is just here that the shoe
pinches Il is because these devices cost
more than my friend feels like parting
with, that he would have us believe that
it is impossible TO put them in.
If this be so impracticable, will my
friend without a name please tell me why
Anti-Smoke laws, which require this very
thing. have been adopted in Boston. New
York, Baltimore. Cincinnati. Cleveland
Washington, Detroit. Milwaukee, Min
neapolis ST. Paul, indianapolis, Chicago
and numerous other cities a.? Will he ex-
plain why the following article appeared
in the Philadelphia Record of yesterday ?
and why the article written by Mr.
Clarence p. Wynne Prince & Co.. Inc.
OF Philadelphia, for the Philadelphia In
quirer was published in the Inquirer on
Sunday
The Philadelphia Record article was
as follows:
"1he threatened coal strike was given
as the cause Of Camden's smoke nuisance
and now that the miners and the operators
have practically settled their difficulties
the agitation to wipe out the nuisance
will be taken up in earnest.
In tour of the city Nuisance In
spector Starr Of the Board of Health
learned that nearly 100000 tons Of BIZ
luminous coal have been used by indus
trial establishments this month. and at
nearly every place he was told that the
strike question drove mills and other
places to the use of the soft coal. "
In his letter to the Philadelphia In
| quirer Mr.. Wynne said:
"At present, west Of Seventeenth street.
| properties are not so valuable owing to
/ the soft coal smoke nuisance. which NOT