Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-06-29
MATTER OF CONTENTION
Question Of strin GENT Laws for Governing
Steam Engineering in DISTRICT
Representatives. of Eccentric Asso.
citation File aReply to Protest OF
tins Ste i'm Enxineers.


A committee of the Eccentric Association
of Steam Engineers today filed with the
District Commissioners reply to the letter
of protest, previously filed by the marine
engineers. against the enactment of .strin-
gent and rigid regulations governing the
trict of Columbia"
The letter of the Fec sntric Association is
signed by A. w. Leeke, chairman; l.. J.
Garner, ]. c. Wheeler and J. J. Breen, as
members of the committee and Is as fol-
lows
1.-The Evening Star of the 10Th instant
publishes a letter Of protest against action
by your honorable body in making stringent
and rigid regulations governing the prac-
tcing of steam engineers in the District of
Columbia; for the better protection of the
public against catastrophes so great as
steam boiler explosions.
A Serious Question.
This question is a very serious one, and
is growing more serious each day. You will
observe in this letter of protest-supposed
to have been. but we have reason to be-
lieve was not written by Mr. Chas w. Rob-
inson-that he charges animosity as the
prompter of our former statements and rec
concentrations to you. This we earnestly
deny. and refer you to his own statements,
paragraph of our recommendations of June
13. 1899: We have no objections to offer to
the same except to the classification of
marine engineers. Later on in this protest
is depicted in glowing language the great
Intelligence that is required by men holding
marine engineers licenses and calling at
tention to the excessive high pressure that
marine boilers are required to withS tand.
we admit there are certain marine boil
ers that Withstand excessive high pressure,
but that class of marine boilers is not the
class handled by men of license such as Mr.
Robinson and many of the professors hold.
Degree of Pressure.
There are no marine boilers that carry
greater pressure than boilers used for sta
tiorary work. And Mr.. Robinson well
knows that there are men holding marine
licenses. of low and high grade, who have
not earned them by display of their high
knowledge in the examinations that are
required by the laws governing marine Ii
CenseS. =
I'VE can count on the fingers of one
hand. and it need not be whole hand,
either the large ships that sailed above
the old Aqueduct bridge on the raging Po-
tomac, in which Mr.. Robinson has served
to get his store of knowledge and expert
ence in handling excessive high pressure
Mr.. Robinson and his associates who
oppose the enactment of rigid law gov
erning steam engineering for the better
protection, of the public must do SO either
through fright of examination or ig
norance of their responsibilities. We can
hardly believe 1t is the latter, because in
his protest he saws: 1T is generally ac
knowledged that the laws which have OBJ
tanned to make the practice of marine en-
gineering safe aud permissible under the
present exacting conditions of intricate ma
chnery ought. to naturally force man to
realize a sense of the Importance of their
position. iii.
eff these man who claim to have superior
intelligence to that of the men who are
ions no liz,
ton of the dangers that surround 1t, even
while 1t slumbers. why do they object to
proving their superior Intelligence by sub
m hnsr 10 nst Of By he eKamn
Nor ResponsibIe to Government.
The marine engineers should not have
any attention or consideration paid to their
to the general government or any other au-
thority. so far as their licenses are con-
cerned. for any overt act committed or
violation Of any law or regulation govern
Ing their ifcenses. while not employed on
board of steam. vessels This being the
fact, the marine eng:n knowing it, it is
surely an argument against him and in
favor of forcing him to be governed by
the same regulations which govern the
stationary engineer. If he has secured his
marine license by legitimate examination
and in accordance with marine laws then
there can be no sensible reason why he
aiming board and pay the same fee the
man who manipulates stationary machn-
cry, and who is subject to law and reguia
lions governing this business in the Dis
trict of Columbia.
I'm conclusion We respectfully ask that,
in the event of a hearing being granted
the marine engineers in this matter. we be
accorded the same privilege"
Attorneys Opinion.
The attorney for the District. who was
recently requested by the Commissioners
to advise them as to whether they are au-
thorized to make regulations governing the
business of steam engineering in the Dis
trict, the local association of steam en-
gineerS having requested such Information,
today rendered an opinion in the matter.
The act of Congress of February %, 1887,
regulating steam engineering in the Dis
trict, the attorney thinks is quite incom-
plete, so that the business Is not covered
by it's provisions, No authority is found by
sioners to make regulations.
Some of the suggestions made to the
Commissioners by the local association,
which were published in The Star recently,
the attorney believes, could be dealt with
by the Commissioners under the authority
conferred upon them by the act of January
26, 1892, authorizing them to MAKE and en-
force such reasonable and usual additional
police regulations as they may deem neces-
sary for the protection of lives limbs,
health, comfort and quiet of all persons,
and the protection of all property in the