The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1905-03-22
A BILL TO INCREASE EXPENSES AND
CREATE A1MONOPOLY.

CREATE A. mONOPOLi.
Some one has tried to make a CATS
paw of Representative ]. D. Lewis, by
getting him to Introduce House Bill
No. 100. The bill is entitled An Act
to protect life and property land the
examination and Licensing of engineers
1885,.
1t provides for an Inspector in Chief,
a Deputy Inspector and two District
INSPECTORS all of whom are TO Be pail
salaries by the Territorial government.
This is where it increases the pubic
expense.
The bill also provides that every boil
er in the Territory shall be inspected
once a year. for which fee of go for
each boiler inspected is to be charged
This is where the expenses of the own-
er.s of steam boilers are to be increased.
1t does not plainly appear who is to get
the fees, the Government or the In
spectors; but from the general odor o.
graft about the bill, the probability IS
IndI Ine piOinolSIS t1VICOI NA&'NOS hA-e-~
the fees will be perquisites of office.
The bill further provides that It shall
be a criminal offense for any one to
operate a steam boiler, unless he holds
a license so to do, issued by the In
spector No license is required to OF
crate a boiler which is under the juris-
diction of the Federal Government, o
to operate railroad locomotives. Why
a locomotive boiler does not ned in
spsction as much as a donkey eng ne
or an automobile boiler does not APP
pear
Three grades of eng neers are c.e-
ated. 1t costs an engineer of the first |
grade $40 year; of the second grad |
$3.50 per year, and a third grade en- |
gineer S. a year to be allowed to do |
business.
In order to secure a license an en-
gineer must pass an exam ma ion before |
the Inspector, in 1.-The Constr action and |
operation of steam boilers, steam en-
gines and steam pumps and also by
draulics, under such rules ard regula-
tons as may be adopted by the Chief
Inspector" The bill continues, If the
applicant is found UNWORTHY, quail
fled and competent" he shall receive a
license.
license, a man must first produce a
recommendation of two first class
engineers, ors one first class engineec
and his employer. What a competent
or if the engineers already
licensed think that there are engineers
enough. does not appear.
Section IS of the bill makes it a GRIM
inal offense for licensed engineer to
operate a Z. s. boiler or a railroad |
locomotive. What the object of this |
provision is, is likewise shrouded in
mystery.
The whole bill is unnecessary and
oppressive.
1t is ostensibly intended to prevent
boiler explosions and provide compe
tent engineers.
1t is really intended 90 create jobs |
for half dozen people, and to create /
a monopoly in the engineer market.
The boiler inspection is unnecessary, |
If we are to judge the future by the |
past, for there has not been a boiler |
explosion in Hawaii in fifty years.
The employment of high grade en-
gineers on every picayune little engine !
in the Territory is for like reasons |
wholly unnecessary. Where such en-
gineers are required, the self inteI est
of the .proprietors Will cause them TO
be employed.
The bill represents private graft at
the public expense. and should BE- |
killed.