The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1895-12-16
Should All Steam Engin-
GERS Be Licensed?
Agitation On an Important
Subject to Be Revived.
Poor Place to Get a Meal on Sunday.
Some Facts About Licenses.

cit IN reported that at the coming
January session of the General As
sembly an effort will be made To
secure the passage OF a law compelling
engineers 10 pass an examination to deter
mine their fitness to act in that capacity.
This report may or may not be true. A few
years ago there was considerable agitation
of this subject, but nothing ever came Of
it, nor was any measure OF the kind IN
troduced in the Assem- bly,, although IL was
SSnown that several members were in favor
of such legislation and would give II their
hearty support.
The idea is certainly good one, and
there does not appear to be any very
valid argument against 1t. The chief
objection would probably be one of
economy 1t would be urged that in or
der TO carry out such legislation the State
would be compelled to establish an ex-
am ming board, and that the cost of
maintaining such a board would be pret-
ty' heavy. A sufficient answer can read
lily be found TO sucn an objection. II il
Is argued that the State Is too poor to
pay such a board the expense can easily
be met by the fees received from licenses.
In this way all the expenses of exami-
nation could be met, and that, too, with
out putting the State TO any cost what
ever.
As TO the necessity for such law there
may he two opinions, but II Will be
found that persons of good judgment
will be heartily in favor of it. Not every
man who claims 10 be is In reality an en-
gineer. The mere designation amounts
TO nothing. Nor does the fact that a man
hhs had the care of engines and boilers
prove he is competent for such position.
Engines and boilers will run themselves,
some time with very little attention
from those in charge of them, and 1t
is extremely fortunate that such Is the
case. We're it not, explosions through the
carelessness or Ignorance OF incompetent
men would he far moro common than
they are nj present. Ii Is fact noted
frequently by intelligent observers that
responsible positions rs engineers are
held today by men whose only qualiiica-
tions are cheek, self assertion and sub
lime confidence in their ability
10 pull through some way
until they get the hang OF the thing.
Employers are not altogether TO blame for
this. They accept the applicants state
-rncnts of -quaifticattors,- bccatfsc IN
many cases they are not in position
10 inform themselves as TO their truth or
falsity. Nevertheless, it is pretty
da ngerous thing TO put man, about
whose capabiliy little is known, in po-
sition where either recklessness or igno-
rance may cause many lives 10 be sacri-
feed without moments warning.
In the case OF druggists the State is
especially careful that no incompetent per-
son shall be permitted TO compound
medicines. The wouId-be pharmacist
must serveP long apprenticeship and after
that must successfully undergo rigid
examination before he is sllowed TO wres-
tie with the pestle and mortar. Why
should not the same care he exercised in
-. 81 A.a0 lnGn ~ In
competent druggist may kill one person
by mixing the wrong medicines. but that
il about as far as his power for destruc-
tion goes.
With the engineer it is diferon,. Ig-
norance in thgt position may IN mo-
mert sweep hundreds into eternity. Why
not then take every possible precaution TO
guard against such q catastrophe by in
sisting that engineers shall pass an exam
ination TO prove their fitness for the po-
sition! Ii il folly TO say that this should
not be done, because boiler explosions
are OF such rare occurrence. IL might
with equal sense be contended that the
safety valve should be removed because
II bad never yet given warning OF an ex-
plosion.
Visitors TO the city on Sunday COM
plain that il is difficult aud to strangers
almost impossible TO obtain a meal on
Sunday. Some OF the restaurants make
& practice of serving customers during
certain hours of the day, but as the
open hours are known, rs rule, TO the
regular patrons only, strangers within
the gates are not benefited and have to
go 10 a hotel or submit 10 the cravings
of an empty stomach.
Ii is by no means an easy matter to
determine just why Prov idence is so poor
ly of in the matter of first class restsu-
rants that are open at all hours and on
every day of lhe waal.-