The city of St Louis, Missouri, was at one time plagued by smoke pollution, and the 1939 St Louis smog, which lasted nine days, was so severe that streetlights had to remain on throughout the day.
One of the city's established offices was that of Smoke Inspector. The post of such legitimate importance degenerated through the years into a political plum.* At last, after one election, it fell into the hands of an appointee of utter incompetence, who shortly after taking office was shocked to learn that he must make a monthly report. He submitted thereupon the following: "Have inspected the smoke of St Louis for the month of December, and have found it to be of good quality."
美國密蘇里州聖路易斯市一度頑煙為患，污染空氣。一九三九年，該市一場煙霧九天不散，尤其嚴重，路燈須整天亮着。
該市有一煙督察辦事處。這督察職位，無疑重要非常，但是，久而久之，淪為政客的肥缺。一次選舉之後，這職位落在一庸夫手上。他上任不久，驚悉每個月須寫報告，惟有呈交報告如下：「聖路易斯市十二月之煙霧驗訖。其質素優良。」
*Plum是李子，其味甚甘，因此常用以比喻工作輕鬆而待遇優厚的職位，即a plum job，例如：He landed a plum job, with a handsome salary and generous fringe benefits（他獲得一個肥缺，薪水優渥，福利豐厚）。