Evening star., 1912-11-22

The laws in force in England for the
prevention of smoke are rather stringent
In Bolton any per
Laws in. England son who keeps
Are Stringent. d,rs furnace s,,s,. which .,I pro
is fined not more than $50. with
an additional penalty Of $40 for each day
the nuisance is maintained after notice
requiring abatement is served, thirty days
osihs aiioWed for setting the premises in
order after serving the notice Edtn-
Durghs law is similar provision being
inade' however, that where undue smoke
Is made as result of excessive careless
or inelhclent firing conviction may be had.
without service of any notice that the law
is being violated and giving time IN
change Hereunder.
The Glasgow law rather shifts the
burden OF proof upon the violator 1t SAYS
tnat every person who uses causes per-
mlts or suffers to be used any furnace or
nre within the city (household fires Sex-
cepted) so that smoke issues therefrom.
unless he proves that he has used the
pest practical means for preventing
smoke. shall be fined not exceeding 40
shlllings for the first offense and 81 for
each subsequent offense.
X X
Leeds has strong law with cumu-
iative penalties. Every furnace must be
constructed or re-
Heavy Penalties constructed to pre-
Are Provided. vent the occurrence
of smoke. Any person
may prosecute offender. and each sue
cessive offense leads to heavier penalty
Nhen furnace owner is given notice to
alter his furnace and fails to do SO he
Is nned $40 a day until he sets his prem
iSeS in order
nave general laws upon the smoke nui-
sance. most of them leaving the matter
entirely In the hands of the several cities
for action. England is the notable eX-
ception TO this rele. Wherever such or
d1nances have been passed by European
cities, they have been stronger and bet
Ter enforced than in America. In most
OF the cities the requirement Is that prop
er smoke-consuming devices shall be in
stalled. and the excuses accepted in some
OF the American police courts do not
go with the court authorities in many
European cities. In some of the cities
If the owner of the plant can show that
he has done his part by installing proper
plants and that the smoke Is made by
careless firing and in contravention Of
the rules of the pant, the fine is shifted
to the shoulders of the firemen RESPONSE
BILE for the smoke.
x
Although the European systems of mu-
nicipal government may seem to be more
favorable to the
Many Difficulties enforcement OF
Are Encountered. ,a'oAe ,,nu s,p pressn-
because they are somewhat further re-
moved from the influence of the big en-
ployers OF labor. the experiences of Eu-
ropean cities are perhaps that as many
difficulties lie in the part of the smoke
abatement crusader abroad as at home
For instance, in London, even with the
aid of the Smoke Abatement Society, no
less than 512 complaints were filed with
the West Ham Corporation without its
having instituted complaint in a single
case, and In two instances the violations
were so notorious that the adjoining bor-
ough of Poplar, being directly affected
went outside of its own boundaries. and
in a suit brought to conviction the men
whom the courts of their own borough
would not even attempt to convict
Europe has q large number Of smoke
prevention devices. Some OF these con-
sist of automatic stokers and mechanical
furnace feeders, others introduce Jets of
steam and still others resort to down.
draft furnaces to accomplish the desired
end 1t has been estimated that the num-
ber of smoke prevention installations in
are proportionately much greater
than in the United States.