New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1907-05-15
FUMES CAUSE FUSS.
4NTI-SMOKE PLANTS.
League Gets Many Letters against
Small Offenders.

The Anti-Smoke League which has successfully
abated the soft smoke nuisance, far as the chief
offenders in this city concerned, was besieged
with letters yesterday from all parts of the city
complaining of violations by the smaller offenders
Most of the letters We're received by Charles I.
Barney, president of the Knickerbocker Trust
Company. who is president of the league and John
B. Coleman, attorney for the league
All the complaints have been sent to DR.. Bensel'
of the Health Department. who sends his lnspec-
tors TO investigate them. Among the letters re
ceived was one from DR.. Austin Flint, of No. llS
East 18th street who the chief alenist for the
prosecution in the Thaw trial 1t reads as follows;
take the liberty to inform you that I am much
annoyed by smoke in the night from HpXiers
ieaT0e that 3ha Engineer of this factory has been
arrested several times He Is SAID TO purn SOL
with smoke from the Florence House, at Fourth
avenue and 18th street.
Mr.. De Klyn member of Huylers candy hrm
denied Yesterday that soft coal ever used in
the coupanys furnaces. I'VE not burning soft
coal now and never did burn it, said MIR. DE
Tlyn. LAS far the cocoa shells are concerned inc
charge is ABSURD l have never heard that any or
our engineers were arrested. either. Let the
league come up and see for itself We are using
and always will hard coal"
E. H. Hermen consulting engineer Of the Huylei
factories, said: lone of our engineers was arrested
last year for the smoke violation but we eX-
planned that: that time the smoke was caused
when we made up fires in the morning We
proved that hadn't used soft coal in twenty
years, and the dismissed
Mr. Barry. manager OF the Florence House. said
that no soft coal had been used in the building
for a year Il cut 1T out year ago" he said
when the Anti-Smoke League was on its
crusade We burn nothing but hard coal"
The following letter received from Mrs. r.
r. Magee. of I55th street and Riverside Drive:
In grateful eppreciation of what you are attempt
ing to do for our city and to give you something
worthy of your mettle, l wish TO inform you OF
h rhe nf the S 9S at 18th street
and Riverside Drive, taking In the entire block
E D. Garvin. manager of the Cromwell apart
n1ents also denied using soft coal He said that
he hadn't used ounce of it since he became
manager Of the apartments.
A postal card received at Mr.. Barneys home
from some person who did not sign his name IL
complained that the Park Avenue Hotel and a
large bakery at Fourth avenue and 9th street
burned soft coal F. a Reed. proprietor OF the
Park Avenue Hotel and secretary of the Hotel
Association Said that he would be glad to show
any one hos coal bins that he might see the few
hundred tons of hard coal stored there.
we have been using 'buckwheat coal for seven
teen years" said Mr.. Reed, ever since became
proprietor of the hotel. My bins are open for in
spection at any time, no matter who the invest-
gators may be. There Is carpenter shop behlnd
my hotel which soft coal, l believe The
league ought 10 look into that case and get after
the real offenders"
In regard 10 the number of complaints that have
the league account of violations OF the
ordinance IN brooklyn barney sdlu' Inc
Smoke League IS composed of gentlemen who
are residents of Manhattan. and up 10 the present
time our efforts have been devoted toward abating
the smoke evil in this borough. In certain indi-
vidual cases where the violations were extreme we
have gone the assistance of those who were az
fIcted in other borOUghs.
Recently l have noticed that organization
has been formed in Richmond for the purpose Of
fighting the smoke nuisance, and in The Bronx,
understand, the citizens already organizing for
the same purpose. I have suggested TO a number
of citizens of Brooklyn the advisabIity Of forming
an nt-snoke league TO act in that borough but up
the present time my suggestions have resulted
in nothing.
Manhattan is to-day. with few notable excep-
tons, practically clear of the smoke evil. 1
slider that this result has been accomplished
through the efforts OF the Anti-Snoke League,
acting in cooperation with the officials OF the De
parJneut OF Health. The anti-smoke ordinance.
of the sections of the Sanitary Code holds
good in Brooklyn well. and it needs only an
organization acting along lines similar to those OF
the Anti Smoke League TO make Brooklyn and the
other boroughs free from smoke is ManhHt-
tan"
The following letter was received from Alice B.
Thurlow. Of White Plains. referring TO men who
smoke cigars and cigarettes In the streets and
elsewhere. The letter reads:
I understand that if reports made to you Of
tan, you will see that II is abated. Goodl 1t is
not possible to Sit In a waiting room with signs
that read NO smoking TO walk on the streets
or 10 occupy room a boarding house hotel.
In fact. everywhere where the so-called men
are. there. too is the smoke nuisance. not only IN
the Borough OF Manhattan, but everywhere. Hall
to the day when men" become clearly gentle
men, and every such nuisance is abated! Jus
tee,