New Iberia enterprise and independent observer. (New Iberia, La.) 1902-1944, 1913-01-18

future, through the organized eff.
fort of the city smoke inspection
departments, supplemented by the
active cooperation of citizens. A
strong public sentiment in favor
| of smoke abatement is almost al
absolute necessity, If satisfactory
results are to be accomplished.
| The time may come when public
sentiment against permitting the
escape of dense smoke will be so
strong that every plant owner or
i operator will feel obliged to pre-
vent such escape of smoke, re
gardless of the existence of an
ordinance or of his own personal
feeling or inclinations. This con-
dition does not prevail today in
any city in the United States.
Just as soon as each individual
realizes that it is not only his duty.
but that it will work to his own
benefit to cooperate III that which
will result in the greatest good to
all. Just so soon will the necessity
for a smoke ordinance disappear.
In .he meantime, however, or UNI
Til the present methods of burning
bituminous coal are radically
changed, such a necessity will eX-
list i'm those localities where large
quantities of such coal are con
sumed. 4 '"'- '-'
"Under present conditions it is
too often the case that buildings
are so designed as to leave insult
ficient room for the proper equpi-
n emit. Boilers are 50 placed that
they can not be properly cleaned
Or operated hence they are forced
Or additional capacity is crowded
in, md smoke-producing condi-
tons result. 1t is therefore inn
portant that the situation of the
boiler plant and the providing Of
adequate space for it should re-
ceive consideration no less than
the proper design of furnaces.
Obviously, to accomplish these
ends, persistent and systematic as
well as scientifically correct meth
DDS must be adopted. In other
words, organization is necessary,
an dthe ordinance should specify
not only how the work is to be
organizerd, but also the necessary
qualifications of those who are to
be appointed to carry it on. Sat
isfactory progress will seldom be
made unless the organization is
such that certain officials or EN-
ployes give their entire attention
to the work of smoke abatement
and are held responsible for the
results produced. If the installa-
tion OF improperly designed fur
naces is prevented, the policing
duties of the inspectors will event
ually be reduced to minimum.
The ACCESSIBILITY of making this
sort of provision is clearly shown
in nearly any one Of the cities
where this protective work is not
done by the fact that some of the
newest plants have been so con-
structed that dense smoke is emit
ted large part of hte time, even
though the firing may be done
with a fair degree of care and in
telligence. The smoke ordinance
should therefore require that plans
and specifications for all construc-
ton work on furnaces be submit
ted to the smoke inspector and
be approved by him before work
is started. If this protective fea-
ture is to be included, the smoke
inspector must be an engineer,
qualified by technical training and
experience for the duties of the
office, and the ordinance should
that these qualifications
are required.
"The most important conclu-
sion reached is that smoke abate-
ment by ordinance can not hope
to succeed unless supported by
public sentiment and that smoke
should look to future
prevention rather than an i'm
mediate prohibition. In other
words, strict control of furnace
construction offers much greater
hope for smoke abatement than
desultory imposition of severe
penalties on the escape of dense
Or black smoke"
The report just issued by the
Bureau is entitled. "Smoke Abate.
ment and City Smoke Ordinan.
'es." Copies may be had by those
Interested writing to the Direc.
or of the Ruraau IF Nina,