The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-11-07
DOCTORS CONDEMN ! THE SMOKE EVIL
 OF BIRMINGHAM Is a Matter of Economy
 As We'll as of
 Health BUSH GIVES VIEW
 OF MANUFACTURERS Jefferson County Medical Society Passes Resolution Condemning Evil and Are Assured Aid of the City Commissioners

Weatherly of the cooperation Of the
 city commissioners, the adoption of
 resolution indorsing the movement to-
 wards a smokeless Birmingham and
 the discussion of the smoke evil in
 meeting held hY the Jefferson County
 Medical society last evening in the Chamber of Commerce auditorium Much information and expressions ot opinions were touched upon regarding the smoke that overhangs the Magic
 City
 Dr. Joseph McLester. president of the society. as chairman, dispensed with the regular routine of business
 and introduced Morris ,5ush, superir- tendent of the Woodward Iron com pany, as the first speaker who would treat the smoke evil from the mann- facturer's aspect MT. Bush called at tention to necessity for practicing the conservation of coal, as even more es- sential than the preservation of tim Der. He described the bee hive coke oven and the byproduct coke oven methods in detail to show the supe- riority of the latter over the former. He stressed the economy to the steam power user in utilizing the smoke waste for byproducts and quoted some surprising statistics of the money to be saved through the elimination of the smoke evil. In conclusion he spoke as follows:
 Mir. Bush Speaks "The conversion of smoke into by products will be forced upon the mar ufacturer of the Birmingham district
 by economy and when this is the case and there Is being created a great
 amount of combustible gas 1t will be
 equal to having a natural well of gas
 at the edge of the city. The manr-
 lecturers could not use all the gds that would result from a byproduct
 plant and therefore 1t would be sold
 to consumers in other lines and the
 extension of gas power would be
 broader than ever. The solution to the
 smoke evil Is the gas engine but thls
 will only come after >the industrial
 people have been educated to the point
 of realizing this themselves"
 Richard F. Johnston of the Bir- min gham Ledger spoke next of the re- lationship of the press to the smoke evil and, stating that he condemned it as a nuisance, he wished that tnt Sloss-S Sheffield smokestacks within the city limits were equipped with by | would be cleaner and healthier. MT. l Iohnston's address was brief and in cluded some very interesting facts culled from a recent report made In | Washington on the smoke situation. l Or. Robert Nelson, city health officer. | debated the question as menace to the | physical status of the city, declaring that I In smoky districts the deaths from pull nlonary tuberculosis averaged much | atov Oa han | lion of the country, as the inhaling ot smoke into the lungs tended to lessen the l resistive forces of these organs. pr. Nel- son said he believed that the next ten years would be period of inactivity in the direction of remedying this, but that | it would be gradually recognized as an l enemy to public welfare and as such abolished.
 Dr. Parke at the finish Of the evenings programme introduced the following res
 .tion which. after much discussion, waa passed unanimously:
 Resolved, Whereas the experience of various cities of this and other coun- | tres has demonstrated the practicabili- | ty or the prevention of the smoke evil | aEd
 Whereas the experiments and investiga- tions of the experts of the United States government, as well as experts acting for private corporations, have proven the possibility of the elimination of smoke with all kinds of coal. and
 "Whereas such practice results in econ | oIny to the consumer and the incidental l avoidance of gross contamination of the | atmosphere.
 Therefore, be 1t resolved by the Jeffer- son County Medical society that in the interest of economy to the consumer, of beauty to our city, of health and comfort to our citizens, we, indorse the move- | mcnt looking towards a smokeless Bir- | El,ngham.
 That the society officers be requested | to bring this subject to the attention of :lle different public organizations of the city, in order that the agitation and dis cussion may educate the citizenship to the possibilities and desirability of such condition.
 That we herewith memorialize our city commissioners and urge upon them the passage of appropriate ordinances as soon as public opinion shall have been crys- talked to give promise of enforcement Of sEch ordinances" James Weatherly, member of the board
 of city commissioners, discussed the in-
 strrmentality of the city commissioners
 in carrying out the wishes of the public
 ard, therefore. should public sentiment
 declare itself against the smoke evil, tho.
 proper legislation would be forthcoming
 [, om the commissioners and then upon the
 people would lie the enforcement of the
 law to the full extent. g
 He also spoke of the keeping
 down of dust by the oiling of the
 streets and said that he hoped that the
 property owners would some day be will
 fe to defray the expenses of this method
 OH the streets fronting their property.
 Having no further business the society.
 adjourned to meet two weeks later at