The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1900-05-24

Acting upon the advice Of Walter c. AL |
len, the Electrical Engineer of the Dis
trict, the Commissioners have determined
to send to the Senate Committee on the
District OF Columbia a favorable report on
bill 4447 ITO regulate electrical wiring in
the District of Columbia
The bill in question provides that ii
shall be unlawful for any person to act as
an electrical wiring contractor or to en-
gage in electrical construction in the Dis
trict OF Columbia, wlo shall not have been
licensed as provided in this act: Provided
that nothing in this act shall be construed
TO apply to public buildings Of the United
States or of the District of Columbia, or
to diminish the authority of the officer in
charge of public buildings and grounds or
the Architect Of the Capitol
The bill further provides that the Com
missioners OF the District of Columbia be
authorized and empowered 10 appoint an
electrical board to be composed of one ex-
perienced electrical contractor, one expert
enced electrical wireman competent 10 be
licensed as an electrical contractor, one
from nominations made by the Association
Of Fire Underwriters of the District of
Columbia, enc from the Washington Chap
ter Of the American Institute OF Arcbi-
tects, and one emplOye OF the District Of
lighting and power, who shall be the sec
Rotary of said board and act as inspector Of
electrical work
After providing for the salaries of the
members of the board and prescribing
certain regulations for its operations the
bill enjoins the duty upon said board TO
examine all applicants for license as cleo
trical contractors and TO report 10 the
Commissioners, who, if satisfied from such
report that the applicant is a at person
10 engage in the business Of electrical con-
struction, shall issue a license to such
person to engage in such business as an
electrical contractor. Before obtaining
! such license he shall file in the Office of
the Commissioners a bond in the sum OF
$1,000, conditioned upon :he faithful per-
Torrance OF all work in compliance with
! the regulations OF the District OF Column
hia and upon the District being kept
harmless from the consequence Of any or
all acts of the hcensee during the period
covered by said bond 1T shall be the
duty Of said electrical board to examine all
applicants for license as electrical wire
men and to report to the Commissioners,
who, il satisfied from such report that the
applicant is person competent to do ex-
pert work OF wiring for electrical lighting.
heating, and power, shall issue a license
( 10 such person 10 engage in such business
as electrical wireman."
{ that the fee for the said license shall be
I s. year, and lays down bhe regulations
which are 10 govern the Electrical In
I spector in determining whether the work
performed IS expert work and up 10 the
right standard. The offender who essays
/ TO DO electrical work in the District with
out 4 license is 10 be fined a sum OF not
/ more than s. for each offence In case i'm
/ proper work is done by q licensed CCutTac-
( TOT or a licensed wireman the Electrical
/ Inspector may order IL 20 be removed or
. amended. and in case OF refusal or neglect
. 20 comply with such order. the person at
b fault may be fined not more than 500 Tor
+ each days failure to comply Nith the said
{ order.
In his report on the bill TO the Commis-
+ sioners Walter c. Alien. the Electrical En-
gineer FOR the District. says that this bHt
was originally drawn by the Association Of
/ Electrical Contractors OF the District for
their own protection. They recognize the
i fact that a great deal Of bad work is be-
( ing done by men engaged independently,
, who use poor material and cheap methods
and thus introduce fire risks which reflect
. upon the quality Of electrical work in gen.
eTal. Licensing the contractors and wire
/ men viii tend to raise the quality of the
electrical work done in the District. and
I viii help TO remove the fire risk incident
to poor work Improved methods and ap-
T
unless 4 wireman or contractor keeps
abreast Of the changes, his work Will soon
become unsatisfactory. II is TO keep the
men up TO the standard that an eXamina-
ton as 10 their fitness is recommended.
There is a great deal of old wiring in
place which is a source OF danger, and
which should be either removed or re-
placed with wiring done in an approved
manner. This bill conveys the authority
for entering premises for this purpose.
While the building regulations contain
rules governing the electrical wiring OF
buildings. no Inspections are made by the
District under those regulations, nor can
they be made until a sufficient force is
provided for that purpose.
1t viii be the province Of the board
created by this bill TO examine into the
fitness OF Torkmen to engage in electrical
wiring, and by their rules and regulations
governing the Introduction Of electrical
appliances and iabOring 10 throw safe
guards around that character Of COnstruc-
ton