The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1936-03-21

Yet under the lndlanap-
oils Smoke Code, as passed
in 1925, Mr.. Popp should
have an assistant and four
smoke inspectors aiding
him in enforcing the city's ordi-
nance, it is commended by Roy r..
Johnson secretary-manager of
the Indianapolis Smoke Abate-
ment League.
Smoke abatement experts of
the nation declare that $4,000
should be spent for enforcement
of smoke ordinances for every
100000 persons. 1t is estimated
by Mr.. Johnson that between
$4,000 and $4,000 should be
spent to reduce the city's CHM
ney-sWeep complexion.
William F. Hurd, city building
commissioner, and Mr.. Popp's
boss, agrees that $4,000 would do
much toward cleaning up the city.
DUT at this juncture Mr.. Hurd
- and Mr.. Johnson detour on
the methods of attaining a
smokeless city.
A check of officials of 70 Ameri-
can cities shows the following
factors contributing to the dis
couragement of smoke abate-
ment activity.
A careless operation of heat.
ing equipments; lack of proper
fuel-burning equipment; poor
fuel, lack of enforcement facili-
ties, lack of information about
proper methods of firing, public
indifference and buck-passing.
And" said one smoke abate-
ment zealot, "all of these factors
are present in Indianapolis"
Mr.. Johnson urges stricter law
enforcement and adherence to
the city smoke code< He seeks
amendment of the present code to
make the small home owner
amenable to the crime of smoke
violation which under the Indian
apolis code imposes a fine of So
to $500 for each violation.
He urges the incorporation of
the Ringlemann chart as sufficing
to determine smoke violation.
Under the indianapolis code, an
umbraScope, or series of shaded
glasses, is used by Mr.. Popp to
detect a smoke violator.
THE Ringlemann chart, accord
Il ing to Mr.. Johnson, would make
all citizens complaining witnesses
against a smoke violator and boil
ster the work of the city combus-
ton engineer. He points out or
dinances in other cities where the
chart suffices for court evidence.
The charts are small cards
showing the legal and illegal den
sites of smoke. Citizens watch the
offending stack, comparing it with
the chart placed 10 feet from
them, and time the emission of
the illegal smoke.
Illegal smoke, roughly, is smoke
of such density that the sky can
not be seen 10 to IL feet above
the stack-top.
Mr.. Hurd and Mr.. Popp do not
favor the chart. They say it is
not accurate in that it depends
wholly on the capability of the
person checking the stack.
They disagree with Mr.. Johnson
on stricter law enforcement and
sway toward the need of more ed
ucation.
1--WE have not arrested any one
since 1928 for smoke violation, and
yet we believe we have reduced
the smoke nuisance at least Is
per cent, if not more" says Mr..
Hurd.
MIR. POPP relates how it took
1v1 two and one-half years to
clean up one large smoke violator.
1T was done by educating him
and helping him." he said.
They've got to be shown that
their smoke nuisance is wasting
their own fuel and costing
money" Mr.. Popp says.
In an office at the Union
Station sits a rough-and-ready
Hibernian who speaks from ex-
perience behind a railroad engine
and who is one of the railroad
officials responsible for slicing
engine smoke in the city's yards.
He is j. j. Liddy, superinten-
dent of the Indianapolis Union
Railway Co.
Mr. Liddys engineers have won
so many silver cups for abating
smoke on yard engines that, as
he says, they ran out of silver,
so they stopped giving them away"
In his efforts to aid in hating
indianapolis smoke niusances he
has been in several behind the
scenes battles to win smoke viola
tors to the side of purer stacks.
His method of hating smoking
stacks on his yard engines he
says could be followed profitably
by a city.