Evening journal., 1899-09-06

ion.
They should bring out their latent
power and capacity, II they have any
If not, for the sake Of their towns or
cities best interest, should step aside
and let another protect the citizenship
OF their localities in these matters.
Hence, the complete proposition any
man in charge of electrical work, who
is qualified to administer one branch
of II, should be fit to administer all the
applied branches Of it.
The concentration OF the control OF
all municipal electrical interests under
one head l think is advisable and
bound to come, and by preparing ones
self as above indicated, will make you
each and all. competent; and If some OF
you don't happen to be appointed the
main executive and scientific manager
If the lightning does not happen to
strike your way-you will at leastmake
better assistants than you otherwise
would, and likely to be employed as
such, and thus be ready for advance
ment at the proper time.
The more any man knows about a
particular thing, the better he will be
qualified to execute any portion of a
similar trust reposed in him.
Thus, you will now see the applica-
bility Of all the previous arguments.
when you may have thought that at
times ! was slightly DEPRESSING.
Oar work is technical and scientific.
but IL is somewhat like the art of
printing-while an outsider cannot do
II at all, one of us can do It, or at least
thinks he can, about as well as another.
Yet the system. or rather the lack OF
system, in most cities is very much as
though the editor and owner Of any of
our leading electrical papers should
turn loose each Of his printers 10 set
into type whatever seemed good TO
each Of them, and give each of his con-
tributors blind and unlimited license
to write whatever he thought was wise
and interesting. l fancy that if he con-
Quoted his magazine on that system
Tor about sir months, he would not
nave every member of this body among
his subscribers.
simply make the plea for the same
system in municipal electrical matters
that has been found to be most efficient
IN every other form Of business, even in
politics and religion.
The session Of the convention YES
terday afternoon was taken I'D by reg
ular business and the reading of papers
by several prominent men. Captain
William Brophy. the veteran chief cleo
trician of Boston's wire inspection de-
Ipartment, read an interesting paper on
The Licensing Of Employees on Elec.
trical Work and Improving the DUAL.
ity of Work and Material" The paper
proved a most interesting one. In part
Captain Brophy spoke as follows:
Your committee, in selecting thi.
topic, acted wisely. for there is n,
subject that is Of greater importanc,
to those engaged in all branches o.
electrical industries, municipal electri
clans, fire underwriters. and the peopl,
at large.
i will first take up the question OF
licensing employees. The municipal su,
pervision Of electrical wires, fixtures
and appliances, the insurance inspec
tor and adjuster, the reputable contrae
tor, the architect and those who hav,
suffered at the hands of the would-b,
Electricians CD need not be told tina
electrical workers, both employees an,
employers, should be compelled t
prove their, ability to deal with thi
subtle force, whether they are engage,
in installing intricate paths for its dis
lribution, operating generators that Sc
1t in motion, or caring for the delicat
instruments that control its action, be
fore being permitted to enter the rank
lof electrical workers.
Electricity has such a wide appli
cation that the men who are perfect,
familiar with all its branches are some
what rare, and for that reason electri
cal workers must be, to a great extent
specialists; in other words, they mus
become experts in some one or tw
branches of electrical business. Fo
this reason l shall be obliged to dis
cuss the qualifications necessary 70
. men occupying positions in some q
the most important branches Of tn
: electrical business.
mo doubt the greatest need-for ski
and expert knowledge exists in tn
electric light and power branch Of tn
electrical business; not that it is MOI
Important than the telephone and tel,
graph service, the fire and police sign'
l service, or the street railway service
but, because the dangers resultin
] from improperly installed electric ligl
= wires and appliances are not fully al
- preciated by city and town authoritie
and the great thinking and unthinkin
! public. While I contend now, as hay
Z always done in the past, that electr
lights, properly installed, are the safe
d form of artificial illumination, "
when installed by incompetent or di
honest persons the same become
menace to both life and property.
i 1T is hardly necessary for me