73 



ceutrul station. Tbei'e are, however, in every large city many minor in- 

 dustrial establishments, such as cl\e works, bleacheries and laundries, re- 

 (luiring steam at high pressure, and for these a general system of supply 

 from a central plant must be provided. That this may be the more readily 

 acconii)lished. such industries sJiould be encouraged to group themselves 

 within a ])rescribed area to better acconnnodate themselves to some reason- 

 able plan of steam distribution. To properly supplant the fires of luimer- 

 ous small boilers now in service, it will be required, therefore, that stations 

 be established throughout the business portion of the city, capable of de- 

 livering electric cnrrent for power and lights, steam or hot water for 

 heating, and a limited amount of high pressure steam for industrial uses; 

 these central plants to he of sutficieut size to justify the use of stokers 

 which will make them smokeless. When by muuicipal co-operatiou these 

 shall have been provided, under conditions which will safeguard the inter- 

 ests of all consumers with reference to costs, then it will be iu order to 

 l)rohibit. after a series of years, the use of soft coal under all boilers of the 

 t-it.v, except in coimection witli automatic stokers. 



Small industrial tires other than those under boilers should be sus- 

 tained bj- gas drawn from sources hereinafter referred to. 



G. Domestic Fires. While individual domestic fires are not the 

 source of heavj- vohunes of smoke, their number in any city is large, and 

 their effect in the aggregate as a source of smolve is as pronounced as that 

 of any other single group of fires. So long as soft coal can be had more 

 cheaply than anthracite coal, just so long will there be a desire on the 

 part of the consumers to emi)loy it in doniestic service. Domestic fires 

 being small, it is impracticable to apply to them effectively the principles 

 of smokeless tiring. A necessary step, therefore, in the development of a 

 smokeless cit.v is a complete prohibition of the use of soft coal for domestic 

 purposes. As a preliminary step, two things are essential. First, a sup- 

 ply of low-priced gas for use in cooking; and second, the distribution from 

 a central station of large ca])acity of steam or hot water for domestic heat- 

 ing. 



I'here are no real problems in the supply of gas for cooking except 

 euch as may gro\A' out of existing franchises. At prices now prevailing, 

 this form of fuel is much used in cooking and generally is less expensive 

 for that purpose than solid fuels. Add to this the fact that the cost of 

 gas to the producer is reduced as the quantity sold is increased, and an 

 abundant supply at n cost sufficiently low to permit all people in a city to 



