The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1914-02-01
A GOOD ORDINANCE.

humber Of chimneye st possesses emit
ting dense black smoke, because such
an array very forcibly calls to tho at
tention Of the v;sitor that there are n
large number Of plants in operation,
but il also indicates to the intelligent
observer that those plants are either
poorly designed or are being operated
In an ignorant or careless manner, and
that the mass OF the people Of the city
arc being made to suffer for the sins
Of the few If it is desired to have
smoking chimneys for advertising eff"
fects let us start campaign for that
purpose and offer prizes to the firemen
responsible for producing the best 500
mic effects. Such action on the part Of
the city authorities %ould have a very
beneficial effect in that il would make
the plant owners and managers, rs well
rs the admiring visitors, sit up and tal1e
notice, and after the plant owners had
spent little time contemplating their
coal bills there would bo something do
ing
The emission Of smoke from a boiler
furnace stack invariably indicates poor
economy Of operation and conversely,
boiler plant that is economically de-
signed and skilfully operated is never
an offender in The matter Of smoke
production aud does its useful work at
loss cost to the owner than its Of.
Tending neighbor. Therefore, quite
apart from the effects on the mass of
people it is TO the advantage of plant
owners 10 improve the conditions of
operation, thereby reducing their costs
AT the same time that they eliminate
the excessive production Of smoke,
q The smoke bureau ordinance proposed
by Commissioner Wells is step to.
ward progress, as it will place at the
& disposal Of every plant manager or
( owner the services of competent me-
chancal engineer to assist him in burn
ing his coal TO produce power or heat
with the maximum economy and, there
fore, deserves the hearty support Of all
good citizens
The proposed ordinance is modelled
after the ordinance now in effect in
the city of Chicago. whore, perhaps.
more attention has been given TO the
smoke nuisance than in any other city
The proposed ordinance is less drastic
than the Chicago ordinance in that it
places a penalty on the refusal or fail
ure of the offender TO cooperate with
the smoke department in attempting to
abate the smoking chimney rather than
for the actual offending Of that chin.
ney- The mere fact that a chimney
smokes for longer periods of time than
permitted by the ordinance does not
necessarily make property owner
amenabe TO a fine. II is only when
the property owner refuses 10 cooper.
ate with the smoke inspector in cor
rectlng the primary causes which 90
to make an excess production of smoke
that he is amenable to penalty in the
form of fine.
The great objection TO an ordinance
which fines the man in charge when
ever a chimney smokes is that in GER
tain cases it is not possible for the man
In charge TO avoid an excess produc-
tiou Of smoke. The causes of the pro-
duction OF smoke are many and various
and 1T is only when they can be mar.
rowed down 10 simple ignorance, lazi-
ness or carelessness on the part of the
fireman that fine for each offeuse is
satisfactory method of bringing about
a reform.
If the cause lies still deeper and a
modification in the construction of the
furnace is necessary TO remedy the
trouble il is of little use TO fine the
fireman. The proposed ordinance. BIZ
requiring the offender to cooperate
with the smoke inspector in seeking
the cause and then doing Whatever is
necessary to remedy the situation Is in.
tended TO bring about actual co-opera.
tion on the part OF the smoke depart
ment with each and every plant owner
and thus do away with the spirit OF
antagonism which always develops
where an ordinance calls for fine as.
sessed for each smoke offense.
The old ordinance, under which the
smoke nuisance is being handled, con.
tains three sections;
The first defines what constitutes a
smoke nuisance and says that the ennis.
sion of dense or thick black or gray
smoke or cinders from any stack or
chimney shall constitute such an Of