Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-01-19
Cut Off the Railroad Smoke.

1t is evident from the nature OF the state
ments made yesterday before the Senate
District committee by representatives OF
the railroad companies that the corpora
tons are not disposed to move an inch to-
ward the elimination OF smoke from the
Washington terminal. Indeed, one OF the
officials raised the question whether Con-
gress can legally compel the companies 10
abate the smoke nuisance, proposition
which might as well be vigorously met by
an act of legislation to test the powers OF
Congress in the premises.
The plea of the railroad companies that
they have gone to great expense in WASH
ington to equip the union terminal has
nothing to do with the case. II 1t had. 1t
would be proper to remind them that they
drove very canny bargain with the gov
ernment and the District In the premises,
the B. & o. securing 81, 100000 from those
two sources in consideration Of doing that
which it should have done for nothing. and
the Pennsylvania getting an equal sum
from the government alone for surrendering
public property which 1t had occupied rent
free for many years. 1t comes with bad
grace for these corporations. now that they
are asked to render their terminal clean
and sanitary and modern, to point to the
advantage.
Nor Is it pertinent to the case that a
smokeless terminal involves difficulties So
did the enactment and the enforcement Of
the general smoke law involve serious diff
culties for every business man in Washing
ton. So does every law that makes for i'm
provenent and progress The entire history
OF advancement Is a succession Of troubles
overcome and problems solved. In this case
the community and apparently Congress are
unwilling to trust wholly to the often pa
raded progressive spirit of the railroads to
meet the conditions In the way Of better
ment. 1t is well known that the only sure
way to get results from a railroad corpora
tion is to require them under penalty. Wit
ness in this connection the weary struggle
to abolish grade crossings, covering many
years and costing many lives through the
railroads stubborn opposition.
Washington well knows that only by
means of a mandatory statute with q stiff
penalty attachment. can the railroad smoke
nuisance be abolished. 1t does not care by
what mechanical means this end is reached
1t is not concerned about the possibility Of
delaying the promised fOur-hour trains to
and from New York. 1t is not worried
about the railroads anxiety lest they may
adopt one method only to find ii obsolete in
short order. Public patience has been tried
so long and sorely that 1t will not be
soothed now by the statement that the rail-
roads do not agree that smokelesS ternli-
nal In Washington is possible, or the claim
that too much money has already been
spent here to warrant the spending of more
to make this station a model for the world
Commissioner Mcfarland stated to the
committee that there are now in daily use
In the District 205 locomotives. This num-
Der will doubtless steadily be increased In
the course of a few months go locomotives
may be employed here, all belching dense
suffocating smoke into the air in close prox-
Unity to the Capitol and its adjacent group
of handsome public buildings 1t is not too
much to say that at times there will be fifty
locomotives at once pouring smoke into the
air within half a mile of the Capitol 1t is
now for the Senate to decide the House hav-
Ing already acted, whether it is for the best
interest OF the government-not to mention
the 10000 inhabitants of the District-to
allow the development OF a smoke nuisance
of this size within such a close range Of the
Capitol as to be constantly source of ex-
IRENE irritation and discomfort TO every &C.
cupant of that building. That is one point
of view. 1t should alone suffice to cause the
protests and denials OF the railroad COM
panies Notwithstanding. A smokeless ter
minal is possible and it should be required