Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-03-08
Smoky Uncle Sam,

1HStc ID d OII OA uOIly III tIle 4SSu~
ance of a warrant against the United
States Capitol, alleging violation of the
smoke laws, that will not be lost upon
the legislators Criticism has been lev
eled against the District authorities
from the House and Senate chambers
for permitting the smoke nuisance to
continue, and the criticism is justified
as far as existence of the smoke nui-
sance is concerned. But the chief Of
fender is the United States Govern
ment itself. The Capitol is one OF the
lesser trespassers. When the case is
heard in court an opportunity will be
presented once more to show up" the
doubtful efficacy of a mere law in abol-
ishing an evil that has grown apace.
Representative w. r. Coyle of Penn
sylvania directed some well chosen
words the other day against Govern
ment officials responsible for debating
the use of soft coal in Government es-
adjustments, and coming from Penn
sylvania, Mr.. Coyle undoubtedly knows
cism. in which he was named, o. P.
Hood, chief engineer of the Bureau Of
Mines, points out that while there are
laws against the emission of undue
quantities of smoke, lin the installa-
ton of fuel-burning equipment. smoke
leSsness has not been made a primary
requirement nor is 1t required today.
Emphasis has been placed, instead, on
low cost of installation, on utilizing
cramped and undesirable quarters, and
on limited chimney heights so they look
well, whether they draw well or not"
Very little managerial ability Is APP
piled in the way fuel is burned IN
homes and plants, Mr.. Hood declares,
and as the desideratum is to shovel
coal into the furnace with the least
effort, minimizing the really fine art
of proper stocking, we have poorly
paid firing service with poor firing "a
the natural result. Mr.. Hood points
out that restrictive laws alone do not
accomplish a great deal. The evil
source, of course, is the fire box. Proper
emphasis should be laid upon the skill
full operation of furnaces and the in
stallation of new smokeless equipment
In new plants smokeless coal of less
than 20 per cent should be required
and when old plants are replaced there
should be some method of requiring the
new material to meet a fixed standard
An this" sass Mr.. Hood, sis obviously
job for an engineer skilled in the art
Of combustion and the art of getting
disagreeable things done by reluctant
people" The latter art, it may be said
is rare gift as well as an art and
there are few who possess it.
The Lincoln Memorial receives a con.
tinuous bath of SCOT from the heating
plant Of the Public Health Service and
the Naval Hospital. The Freer Gallery
of Art is situated in the midst Of .
smoke producing neighborhood, ane
every fine building erected in the Dis
trict is soon begrimed. With fine public
buildings going up and the ones TO bt
erected faced with this condition. it i,
imperative that change is necessary
if they are to escape DETACHMENT" &C!
cording to the Fine Arts Commission.
The problem has been talked about
now long enough. Action should b
taken before the Government completes
its task of raising more acres of whit'
stone in the air to the defaced by black
SCOT. Selection Of special committed
or commission of engineers, giving res
thought to the problem, is obviously
the first step. The method of enforc'
ing the present inadequate smoke Law
is absurd and productive of no lastini
results.