54 TOWN AND WINDOW GARDENING 



At a meeting of this society at Grosvenor House, 

 presided over by Sir W. B. Richmond, there was a good 

 deal of talk that was well worth listening to. Principal 

 Lodge moved that, "The injury and waste caused by the 

 escape of coal-smoke in cities demand the strict enforce- 

 ment of the laws existing for its elimination, and the 

 adoption of such further remedies as it is within the 

 present power of science to devise." Very good, all that, 

 but he went on to say that he thought the continuance of 

 the evil was largely due to the apathy of the public. This 

 resolution was seconded, and carried unanimously. The 

 Apathy of the Public — that means you and me, reader. 

 What can we do to express our feelings ? 



Sir W. B. Richmond moved another resolution, which 

 was also agreed to. He said the clause of the Public 

 Health Act, 1891, which related to the smoke nuisance, 

 was practically set aside by many authorities entrusted 

 with its execution. "Three strong obstructions to the 

 purity and cleanliness of London air were — apathy, 

 vested interests, and insufficient fines for breaking the 

 law." An account of this meeting was published in The 

 Garden of December 14th, 1901, where I read it with 

 mingled feelings of anger and amusement, but my con- 

 science did not accuse me of apathy. 



