Evening star., 1935-04-21
Bv Randolph Roberts.
A N

Irishmen, George Malone and
Frank Dowd, both worthy employees
Of the District Health Department.
Their friends jokingly refer to them
variously as smoke chasers," 'sky
watchers" and 'soot classifiers."
Certainly these nicknames hit the
mark Almost any day you might OBJ
serve either gentleman df you so chose)
marching along the top of one of the
Capitals tallest buildings. This ma
neuver he performs for hours at
stretch. Every once in while he
will stop for perhaps IS minutes, peer
intently at some edifice in the fore
ground and then. suddenly, before you
can pronounce "Anacostia," whip out
his watch. After painstaking study
of the timepiece for a fraction of
minute to half an hour he will pro-
duce pencil and pad and make copious
notes. Then he will resume his march.
If you were privileged to be on hand
during this weird-looking procedure
you naturally would ask what in heav-
ems name it means. You would be
told very politely that this is a very
vital part of Health Department
work. It seems that excess smoke abb
serbs the ultraviolet rays Of the sun,
natures most effective germicide.
Messrs. Malone and DoWd are duly
qualified smoke inspectors and they
are charged with the responsibility of
observing and recording any smoke
nuisance that might be construed as
q violation of District law.
THE present law. applying only to
commercial buildings, Of which
there are not quite 1000, merely states
In general terms that emission Of
heavy smoke is regarded as a nuisance
Since there are only the two regular
inspectors, working under the guild
ance of j. F. Butts of the Health De-
partment, it Is obvious enough that
they have a man-sized job on their
hands. Mr.. Butts, heavy-set, soft
spoken official, incidentally lays claim
to being the oldest employe of the de-
partment. Records show that he has
served the District about IS years.
Bearing in mind that Washington
oftentimes is hailed as the only non
induStrialized city of its size in the
United States and therefore something
of 'smokeless wonder" the average
person is inclined to- be skeptical as
to whether it really is necessary to
maintain a strict smoke inspection
service. Lately. however, there seems
to be quite difference of opinion as
to this. AS The Star stated in its
news columns only the other day:
Enactment of a new smoke nui-
sance law for the District with teeth
in it, strong enough to authorize in
spection of all heating and fuel-burn-
ing equipment used by private homes.
apartment houses, hotels, Office build
ings and railroad locomotives, will be
sought by the Commissioners.
"A committee of District officials
and citizens, at the direction of the
Commissioners, is drafting the new
measure. which will be taken up for
action soon
Private residences and railroad
locomotives. as well as commercial
buildings, will be covered by the pro-
visions of tentative draft of new
act now being considered. ."
IAN important part of the new law
would be a requirement that plans
and specifications for all heating and
burning equipment would have to be
approved by the District, and that
the plants themselves would have to
pass inspection. Fees would be
charged for the inspections to meet,
in part at least, the cost of the new
inspection service.
During the past fiscal year inspec-
tors of the health Office made 23,948
observations of smoke in commercial
buildings and found 1862 violations.
Out of this number 146 cases were
turned over to the corporation coun-
sci for prosecution. There were fines
in SO cases. Fines and forfeitures
during the past year totaled 1890"
VERY interesting. New. let's form
our own Judgment on all this
and spend q couple of days making
regular inspection tours with Inspec-
tors Malone and Dowd First Of ALL
you learn from Mr.. Butts. their big
boss, that Malone's assigned smoke
territory is that portion of the Dis
trict west of Fourteenth street, where
as Dowd covers the east side.
AL right Now you meet Malone
and are pleasantly impressed. He's
q slim, swarthy Celt of about 40, me-
dunn height. dark hair streaked gen.
erously with gray, very genial in dis
position, but forced by official orders
to insist that while he can tell you
anything you want to know, "he must
not be quoted direct" Which doesn't
seem particularly strange. George has
labored for the District since 1920
and the rule was in effect at the
very outset of his SCOT sleuthing.
On this, your first day Of investi-
eating Washington's smoke menace"
you are scheduled to be escorted by
Inspector Malone. There is no fancy
limousine at your service. You don't
ride q cab or even rate a street car.
The transportation method Is the old
fashioned "shoe-leather express" And
long before the inspection tour is over
you acquire an acute case OF floor
walkers arches.
On the march your faithful guide
cautiously remarks that you are head
ing for the Barr Building, Seven
teenth and K streets northwest. Its
roof Is often used for observation