The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1923-02-12
MANAGERS
EXTEND
AID
Great Improvement Shown.
and DR.. Fowler Praises
Cooperation.
By GEORGE FRANKLIN.

By GEORGE FRANKLIN.
Managers of Washington the
aters are responding quickly tc
recommendations Of DR.. William
C. Fowler, District health officer
who is conducting air tests in the
city playhouses with the result
that in practically every instance
where check-up tests have been
made a noticeable improvement
in atmospheric conditions is re-
corded.
Theaters Cooperate.
Two of. the city's moving picture
houses were closed Voluntarily by
their management when it was
found necessary to make extensive
alterations in the ventilating sys
TENS to comply with the health de-
partment suggestions. They will
reopen, 1t is said, this week. In
practically every instance where
Improvement 10 shown by the checl'
up test, it is due. to a proper use
Of existing ventilating systems,
previously neglected by the house
attendants.
"There IL but one comment to
make on the attitude OF the theater
managers in connection with i'm.
proving air conditions in their
houses" said DR.. Fowler today,
land that is that all of our check.
up tests show they haXe complied
with the suggestions made follow
ing the first tests.
$50 far we have our second re-
ports on fourteen of the sixty-odd
theaters where air tests have been
made. In seven of the theaters
the second tests show the per.
centage OF carbon dioxide to- be
lower than the accepted maximum,
while in the case Of the other
houses the percentage Is slightly
above the maximum. In all these
cases the arrangements have seen
to it personally that the ventilat-
ing systems were put in operation.
1t now remains for them to enforce
their continued use and to see
that their employees do not fail to
operate them properly.
Praises Spirit Shown.
IAN interesting light on the atti-
tude of the managers is seen in
the action taken involving two
picture theaters. When the man.
ayers learned the result of our
first tests they promptly closed the
houses and began making the
necessary alterations in the venti-
lAting systems. TT at shows the
spirit OF the local theater man.
ayers. You could not ask much
more of them"
DR.. T. NJ. Price, analytical chem
~ hn -
who is in charge OF the theater
air tests, stated today that
twenty-one houses remained to be
tested before the first tests are
completed. In the meantime the
check-up tests are being pushed as
rapidly as possible.
Theater patrons will notice the
improved air conditions in the
theaters," he said, as he reviewed
the results shown by the second
series Of tests.
I'VE follow the same course Oh.
served when we made the first
tests, he explained in describing
the check-up tests. I'VE take the
theaters in turn, in the order first
adopted. go in during the peak
performance and secure samples OF
the air. The house management
AhN0L AdOAS ICuuS every dbDtSbdHCS
possible. We lose no time in test.
ing our air samples. These second
results speak for themselves.
TO illustrate, in one house the
first test showed ISL per cent car.
bon dioxide. The second air sam.
pie showed that by using the house
ventilators this had been reduced to
an even 9 per cent, which is / per
cent below the fixed standard. Even
in some instances where the first
test did not show an excess Of car
bon dioxide, the check-up test
showed the latter was materially
reduced when the ventilators were
put in operation"
According to health officials, the
theory that by excluding fresh air
coal can be saved in heating is
wrong. Fresh air is essential to
the maximum temperature for a
given quantity Of coal burned, they
declare, while stale air is the most
expensive element coal consumers
can undertake to heat. It is this
mistaken idea, they suggest, which
led theater manaPemerts to forget