The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1901-07-17
WILL TEST THE LAW
STATUTE AFFECTING ELEVATOR
OPERATORS is NOT ENTIRELY
SATISFACTORY
Is CONSIDERED IMPRACTICAL
Eien Who Failed Refuse to Give Up
Their Positions, and Employers
All Sympathize with
Them

It is more than probable that the ele-
vator operators of ST. Paul will form a
union and wall subject the law requiring
examinations as a test of proficiency to
a legal contest The very unsatisfactory
outcome of the recent series Of eNamina-
lions. IN which many of the oldest and
best elevator men in the city failed, has
placed the operators on the defensive,
Representatives of that fraternity declare
their firm determination to proceed with
Il test of the act of the recent legislature.
1t would seem that in their undertake
iEg the elevator operators are to be sup
ported by the substantial backing or
their employers, at least in the great ma
jority of cases, and this being fact,
it may not develop that those who failed
TO pass the necessary examination, but
are perfectly competent to run elevators,
will not have to leave their positions.
AS a matter of fact the men do not
appear the least disconnected over the
result of things.
A prominent business man, who happens
TO be the employer of elevator operators,
in speaking of the law requiring the ex-
Rminations, said yesterday:
The proposition does not commend it
self to me as being altogether practical.
Now for instance, we have men here
who have been running thedr elevators
for a number of years, some of them at
least, and one of them failed to pass
that examination. He has operated his
machine all these years and has never
had the slightest bit of trouble or any
thing in the way Of an accident.
And, as he is just as COM
petent q man today, since he has
failed to pass the examination, as he
was yesterday before he failed, will
anyone tell me that we ought to discharge
this man simply because he could not
answer some of the questions put to him.
many of which, dare say, were imprac-
tical?"
In theory the law may be all right,
but in practice 1t is not
In one of the largest buildings in the
city there is an operator who, for four
teen years. has been running his elevator
up and down the tall shaft and has never
had an accident. He draws a good salary.
IS regarded by his employers as entirely
satisfactory, but he, too, failed to pass
the required examination, and, accord
ing to the legislatures act must resign
his position or be forced to quit. In an
other building one block distant, two men
run the same elevator, one at night, the
other during the day. The night man is
comparatively a new man, but is very
reliable; the day man is an old veteran at
the business and is also exceptionally
good. The latter failed to pass while the
former succeeded. If the provisions of
the law are to be complied with the day
man must quit work until he can answer
the questions which entitle him to GER
tificate to run the same elevator which.
for years, he has successfully operated.
Instances of this kind may be found all
over the city. The overwhelming senti-
ment of the operators, as well as the en-
ployers, is that the law is by no means
practical and should not be allowed to
stand. It's constitutionality, therefore.
will doubtless soon be tested
1t is claimed that the elevator men
themselves sought some character of
licensing at the hands Of the Legislature.
but they certainly do not seem pleased
with what they received. The prime OBJ
3ect was to adopt some method Of elini-
mating all incompetents and boys from
the business as a means of protection
90 the elevator men as well as to the pub
lie, but under this system this object
cannot accurately be attained.