Omaha daily bee., 1897-08-01
Replies to Mr.. McD.rmo,t.

ohAfiA, July Ol,-lO inc Editor OF
The Bee: In this mornings Bee
l see a statement made by Mr.. McDermott,
engineer at the Barker block, to the effect
that the late city ordinance requiring the
payment of 50 for renewals OF stationary
engineers license was passed through the
fundamentally of the National Association
of Engineers for the purpose of driving out
these engineers who were able to make but
a meager salary and not able to pay an
excessive fee. The statement is either
made through ignorance of the facts in the
case or willful Misrepresentation.
The ordinance in question was drawn up
and passed through the instrumentality of
the present boiler inspector and Board of
Examiners and their immediate friends for
the purpose of making the office of boiler
Inspector self-sustaining at least, if not a
source of revenue for the city.
When the ordinance was placed in the
hands of the council committee a telephone
message was received by Mr.. Anderson,
chief engineer of the smelter, and Mr..
Cowgirl at Davis & Cowgirl machine shops,
to the effect that the ordinance in question
would be considered by the committee on
that evening and to be present. The two
gentlemen mentioned are members of the
National Association of Stationary Engi-
neers, but, the time being short, they could
not get any number together in time to
meet the committee. When appearing be-
fore the committee in the evening they
found about fifteen members of Boiler
Inspector Units supporters present, and all
in favor of the proposed change. Both Mr..
Anderson and Mr.. Cowgirl opposed the
change with all the arguments at their COM
mand, but seeing that their efforts were of
no avail with the committee against seem
ingly a majority of the stationary engineers
Of the city in favor of it las a member Of
1.-the council committee expressed himself to
me personality, they, the representatives of
the National Association of Stationary En-
%gineers, reported the condition Of affairs to
| the officers of the association, and 1t was
i decided to get up a remonstrance, protest
ing against the proposed change, and get
as many engineers, irrespective of whether
they were members of our order or not, to
sign the petition. George Brush was in
trusted to circulate the petition, and when
he presented 1t to me for my signature
there were some twenty names upon it. l
signed it also, and in the following meeting,
after the council had already passed the
ordinance, Mr.. Brush reported that he
handed the remonstrance to the chairman of
the committee, but that it was never
brought before the city council when they
were considering the ordnance, and finally
passed it. All it costs to secure a marine
license with the United States government
is a notary public's seal and oath fee of
20 cents.
The licenses are free, and that is all the
city has a right to charge, that is a seal or
stationary fee Of about % cents to cover
the expense of issuing the license. Any
! thing more than that is an occupation tax
| and unconstitutional and has been so de-
clared in the courts of the country at
/ various times.
Personally, 1 consider the charge of SO
J for a renewal and So for an original license
a robbery on the many poor men who are
shovellng coal down in Easements 100 NIT
for rats to live in, for about $50 or $40 per
month for from twelve to eighteen hours
per day and in most cases seven days a
week. 1t is, to say the least, a disgrace 20
the city to exact the fee from such a source.
J. A.. WELZENBACH,
State Deputy President National Association
of Stationary Engineers.