THE PUBLIC HEALTH (SMOKE ABATEMENT) BILL
[To the Editor of the SPECTATOR.] Sra,—The well-named but ill-nurtured measure purporting to reduce the murderous pall of smoke above the cities in which four-fifths of us live has now passed its final stages, fifty-one years having elapsed since the Public Health Act of 1875, which accomplished so much for water, but signally failed in respect of air and light. The new Bill cannot be regarded as more than a pusillanimous and perfunctory gesture to propitiate the tiresome people who persist in asking for the restoration of these prime needs of life to the children immured in our cities and killed in hosts by the diseases of darkness. As a Public Health measure the Bill will be practically nugatory. In some respects it is actually retro- grade, as is shown by Professor J. B. Cohen, F.R.S., a member of the recent Departmental Committee on this subject, in his important article in Sunlight, No. 8 (is. 1 fd. post free), a Smoke Abatement Number which should be read and studied and kept for its services to the unsolved and urgent problem with which the new Bill makes play.
The final achievement of legislators was to propose an
amendment, accepted by Mr. Chamberlain, to postpone the operation of the new measure from January to July.• We are thus to be deprived of even the minute lightening of the shadow of death which might have saved a few lives, and protected a few children from rickets and old folk from bron- chitis, during the coming winter quarter which is the darkest and deadliest of the year. History has repeated itself, and this miserable Bill will be quoted for years to come as another weakling, conceived without faith, will, or courage, and destined for impotence, despite its name and lineage. Alas ! for the myriads "breathing and to be," doomed to disease, deformity and premature death, under the infernal shadow which is still to distinguish the cities of our land from all others on earth.-1 am, Sir, &c.,
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