Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-11-17
'CHARTER IS REVOKED BONDS AND LICENSE
Convention DsmiSses Ohio New Law Proposed for EeC
Federation Appeal. trcaI Contractors.
CONFERENCE is CALLED INSPECTION FEES NO MORE
Warning Electrical Factions Meet Made by District
and Settle Dispute Electrical Engineer.
OFFICERS COMMITTEE SPECIAL TODAY
toration Denied n of in Force-Colections
peals Year.
New Law Proposed for EIec-
triCaI Contractors.
INSPECTION FEES NO MORE
Recommendations Made by District
Electrical Engineer.
SPECIAL REPORT FILED TODAY
Modification of System of Fees Now
in Force-Collections the
Past Year.

That electrical contractors be required
by law Ia procure licenses from the Com
missioners. 10 furnish bonds and TO pay
an annual license fee. and that all fees
for the inspection Of electrical wiring and
! apparatus he abolished after the passage
or such law are recommendations
made TO the Commissioners today by
Electrical Engineer Walter c. Allen.
The Commissioners requested Mr.. Allen
To prepare a schedule OF fees that would
have TO he charged if the electrical in
spection service We're made self-supporting
like the building inspection service The
electrical engineer today submitted to
Commissioner Macfarland the proposed
schedule. which involves a general in
crease i'm the amount of fees. but sug
gests the other system for controlling the
| electrical inspection service.
Mr.. Allen recommends that no change
be made i'm the schedule of fees now
charged by the electrical depa rtment un-
til the question OF licensing all electrical
contractors can be brought before Con-
gress for its approval or rejection.
Effects Of New Law.
IF such a law were enacted, he de-
clares. requiring at the same time an
annual license fee from electrical con-
tractors. a considerable revenue would be
secured which would warrant the Com
missoners in abOlishing all fees for the
inspection OF electrical work.
The electrical contractors are greatly
benefited financially by the enforcement
of the electric rules and regulations, for
a large amount of WORK is necessarily
involved in complying with the notices
sent out by the electrical department
requiring the removal of defective and
dangerous wiring and apparatus which
therefore seems just that they and not
the individual who is required to pay for
the repairs should bear at least portion
of the cost Of making the inspections.
The revenue to be derived from con-
tractors licenses is rot expected to he
sufficient to meet the total expenses of
the inspection work. but il will undoubt
eddy equal half of the cost. The balance
should, i'm my opinion. be paid from the
general revenues of the District"
Change in Fee Schedule
Besides making these suggestions, the
electrical engineer recommends the modi-
fication OF some fees now charged by the
building and electrical departments, as
follows:
THAT the present fee OF So charged
by the building department for each
motor permit, irrespective OF its size, and
the fee of 81 charged by the electrical
department for the certificate Of approval
of the wiring i'm connection Herewith, be
abolished. and schedule of fees graded
| to the size OF the installation be prepared
| by the inspector OF buildings and he
adopted i'm lieu thereof.
| THAT the fee of 81 now charged by
the building department for elevator
motors irrespective of their size, and the
fee of 81 charged by the electrical de-
partment for the certificate Of approval
of the wiring in connection herewith, be
| abolished and a schedule of fees graded
to the size of the installation be pre-
pared by the Inspector of buildings, and
| be adopted in lieu thereof.
Illuminated Sign Permits.
| That the fee of 81 charged by the
building department for each illuminated
sign permit. and the fee OF 81 charged
by the electrical department for tie GER
tificate of approval % the electrical wir-
/ ing in such signs. be abolished, and a
schedule OF fees graded to the number of
| lights in such signs be prepared by the
electrical engineer, and be adopted i'm lieu
thereof.
The fees now in effect in the electrical
| department are:
For each permit to Introduce, alter or
extend electric wiring and apparatus in
| side or outside of buildings. or both, 81
! for each building or premises: for each
| permit for temporary work on buildings
except where current is 10 be used Tor
construction purposes onlyD. 81 Tor each
building or premises: for each preliminary
certificate, 81: for each final certificate.
| 81: and before permit will he relssued
after having been revoked for cause all
fees must again be- paid.
"If IL is net mentioned in the original
application that both outside and inside
lights or wiring are to be lnstalied. an
additional permit tfor which Zee OF n
will be charged) must he secured before
Installing lights or wiring in that portion
of the building not mentioned in the orig
inal application.
Collections the Past Year.
The amount collected in fees by the
electrical department during the last fiscal
year was $4.1Sj while the estimated cost
of the inspection work was about $4,000.
To make the fees equal to the cost of the
inspection will necessitate the adoption OF
a scale Of fees graded to the size of the
electrical installation. and Mr.. Allen has
submitted schedule to carry out that
! plan.
! Commissioner Mcfarland announced to-
day that lie would bring the proposed
schedule to the attention OF the Commits
sioners at an early date, and would ad-
wise public hearing before final action
is taken. AS to his personal position,
Commissioner Macfariand said he be-
lieved that inspection of all kinds was
municipal function chiefly for the benefit
of the general public, and that the fees
ought not to be burdensome.
The act of Congress governing inspec-
ton of electrical work at present provides
for fees without fixing the amount. but
does not require that the fees shall be
large enough to make the inspection work
self-supporting.
CELEBRATES ITS BIRTHDAY