New-York tribune., 1907-11-01
THE FIGHT ON SMOKE.
LEAGUE MAKES REPORT.
n Clearer City Sky Result of Its
LGbOrs.

John B. Coleman. attorney for the New York
Anu-Smoke League, has completed full report
regarding the work of the league and the great
falling of Of violations Of the smoke ordinance IN
greater New York, due TO the activity of its mem
bers- in the enforcement Of the smoke ordinance.
Charles T Barney. former president of the Knick-
erbocker Trust Company. who is now president OF
the league III" founder Of the society. Mr.
Colemans report will be submitted at the next
meeting Of the league 1t reads in part:
Urged on by the admonitions of the public spirited
press the officials OF the Health DepartIllent oe-
ieTEined to act upon the SUGGESTION & 9f me ear Anu,
Smoke League. and about April TO- 1906 began a
a test case was made against the New York Ed Ed
son Conpany Those osF plant known SD5 as Eas 5nf
River had fer months been r giving ddPs f2Tth Tbe F
trial & Of the ac9n resulted t II IN % 192eSf emf 6f sDeca
Sessions holding unanimously that the law was
constitutional and sufficient and ample 10 cover the
for clear skies. ana Dr Walter Bensel. thGe, SAM
was placed charge OF the prosecution Of all viola
He proceeded vigorously against the offenders.
and in Incredibly short space of time the I5oI.
ough Of Manhattan was comparatively Tree from
The violators of the Smoke ordinances were of
porations second the wood manufacturing and
wood turning concerns and. third a large numoer
of small violators In the prosecution of the first
class of offenders. the large public service corpora
determined resistance. Even after their conviction
aqer G6 ahG md sE E ssPension Of 4n9ncs on the
ground that il absolutely impossible for them
plants without burning soft coal and giving forth
great quantity Of smoke. 49,, .s,., .,,,,,-
featuring establishment could burn soft coal without
9 s9on 7 wTe lG emp0ged 9 a&h &nd f % the we
properly conStfuct5d ht II NaS llleSel On ] nfi.a!i
practical mDossi5ility for them to generate the
o1,rt ,+tC1,+ Si,,ce. aTd iTasInlIa, as fhey yera
serving the public in generating this power At ths
me me PGoe Ph Sh@il % W s1nI9 he dscomn,oded at the
hours the of of light and loco
motion.
The position of these companies was elaborateiy
set forth before tn" Board OF Health by the repre-
appeared at hearing before that body: called FOR
the purpose Of demonstratins ne utter impractlGa-
There appeared the hearing on behalf of the
company Professors !ieb Detinder and Jac3bus:
of smoke combustion in the United States while
io5 ecie,ee 81 S3crac;Iss ITnfTersItv appeared in
support cf the contention of the AntSm t'e League"
rnent among the four experts that an immense
power plant, such as that operated by the New York
Edison COMPANY, could probably be operated with
out smoke. The New York Edison Company then
agreed conduct series Of elaborate experiments
in smoke combustion in conjunction with the *
pert for the ArtSmoke League. These rTt2T; ;flents
The officials Of the New York Edison COMPANY have
tn good faith made every effort 10 reach success
and they have succeeded far beyond their antcipa-
During the year 1895 a total Of 196 arrests we're
for violations Of Section 96 Of the Sanitary Code.
OF this number 1872 We're convicted. IS discharged
cases undlsposed OF. The method pursued by the
REPRESENTATIVES of the league in assisting the De-
partment CT Health in enforcing the law was as
follows:
Whenever a smoke nuisance found TO exist
the attention OF the officials Of the Department of
Health called to it, and a request made that
proceedings be taken to abate the same. The Off
cials Il the Department of health notified the
offender and took whatever steps they thought
advisable to abate the nuisance; and If the escape
of smoke continued from the premises of the Of
fender to the letriment annoyance of persons IN
the neighborilood ne arrested and aTralgned
before police magistrate, and held for trial at
The Court Of Special Sessions. It then became the
duty of the Anti-Smoke League to obtain witnesses
who could testify to the existence Of the null
sance and 60 the annoyance which they suffered by
reason thereof.
This work Of interviewing witnesses was done
by the representatives Of the league. whether the
arrest of the offender made complaint OF
the league at the instance Of the inspectors or
the Department Of Health. acting upon their own
initiative. After witnesses had heen found who
could testify 20 the existence OF the nuisance the
attorneys for the league assisted the Office of the
for trial and in the trials themselves. 1t is un-
doubtedly due 70 this method of procedure that
such a large percentage Of convictions has been
obtained. This is forcibly shown by a compari-
son Of the following figures showing the number OF
convictions during the last few years the year 1903
being the only year in which the AnttSmoke
League was active: Number of convictions: 1902
II; 1903. IS; 1904. o; 1905, g; 1906 122
There has been formed IN the Borough of Brook
lyn an Anti-Smoke League, which has already OBJ
tained the indictment of the BROOKLYN Heights Rail
way Company for violating the smoke laws, and in
the Borough OF Richmond there exists a similar
association.