The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1907-01-07
ENGINEERS
ASK FOR STATE
LEGISLATION
Want Their Bill
Enac ed Into
OFFICERS WERE ELECTED AT
THE CLOSING SESSION HELD
SATURDAY NIGHT.

mechanical air pervaded the Wheeling
Board of Trade rooms Saturday after
noon when the State Association of
the National Association of Station
airy Engineers of West Virginia began
their second days session of their
fifth annual convention.
The gentlemen who eel in a
vernacular in which all blended nan
words and ame alike strange to the
average layman. are swift parliament.
airy workers, and they WELD the lever
throttle, brake. or guage, with the
same facility in a convention debate
us they would in the engine room.
At the afternoon session the spe.
cial committee appointed by the chair
to draft a bill for legislative consider.
alton, which, II enacted, will provide
for the licensing Of stationary engi.
neers, went into session at once,
%whereupon the convention took a re.
cess until s O'Clock in the evening.
1t was after s o'clock when the pres.
ident called the convention to order
AS the committee on legislation had
not reported the gathering resolved
itself into a SCOT experience meeting
and listened TO addresses and short
speeches from delegates. Samuel D.
Forse, of PittsburG, Pa, national treas
urer of the society Of stationary en-.
%gineers, was the first to respond.
Mr.. Forse's address was along in.
structional and advisory lines. The
speaker prepared his remarks by III
rectlns attention to the fact that the
national Organization is not a labor
society; that it does not favor strikes,
but nevertheless is ever watchful OF
the material advancement OF the craft
in the way of better wages and short
er hours. The speaker went on to
show how the stationary engineer had
progressed from being a mere and
poorly drudge to the position of n high
salaried, skilled and respected me-
chanic. Continuing the speaker said:
"The watchword of the national as
ISOLATION is learn more and earn
more Spend your spare time at your
desk instead OF in saloons and pool
rooms. Shorten the distance between
the engine room and the Office; keep
in touch with the man over you.
"The country is looking for the bust
ness engineer. and the engineer who
can reduce his employers coal bill
and do his work, Is the man who is
sought and given preference" Refer
ring to the proposed license law, the
speaker expressed himself as sur.
prised that Wheeling employers of
stationary engineers should be afraid
OF the law. as had been reported %
him. "a license law such as we IA
vor means compulsory education on
the part of the engineer. and conse.
q~uently a higher degree Of efficiency"
exclaimed the speaker amidst a storm
Of applause.
The next speaker was Fred Fuller,
who entertained his hearers with sew.
eral humorous and siie.splitting anec-
dotes, and concluded his remarks by
endorsing the position assumed by
Mr.. Forse on the license. question.
Thomas Green was another delegate
who was called on 10 entertain the con-.
v%ention, and the power of mimicry
and mockery he shovel himself the
master of, and the look of innocent
surprise which oversvrnni his counte
nance when his auditors drowned his
voice at times in rcars Of shouts and
Ia lighter. would have Gcle credit to
q professional mirth maker. Remarks
were also made by IlGl !. V. Barton,
State Commissioner Of Labor and
others.
At ten O'Clock the committee on
legislation appeared, and appeared
through its chairman that It was ready
to report. The substance of the bill
drafted by the committee on license
provides as follows:
The creation of the Office Of State
examiner Of engineers. "a The di.
vision or the State into three dis
tricts: the State examiner to reside in
one district and have Jurisdiction OF
examining applicants for licenses and
granting licenses in the district he is
selected from. t2) The creation of the
Offices of two assistant State examin-
ers, each of whom shall reside in his
raCnnHttUA .1tctrfns a-I
there in the same name as the chief
examiner. tS) The examiners shall
be citizens of the State. "a The chief
examiner shall give a bond for SO. 900
for the faithful discharge of his Off.
cha dutis, and the two assistants
shall give bonds in the sum Of 50, 900
each. t5) The chief examiner shall
receive an annual salary of 81, 200. and
be allowed $1,000 yearly for travail.