The Washington herald., 1922-01-07
ENGINEERS URGE
PUBLIC WORKS AS
DEPRESSION CURE
Council Will Continue
Campaign for Patent
Office Relief.

Future industrial depressions and
periods of unemployment. which
according to economic experts,
make their appearance In cycles.
will be combatted by a system Of
PUBLIC works.
This system, suggested by Secre-
tary Of Commerce Hoover, win be
perfected by the American ERgt-
peering Council of the Federated
Engineering Societies. according to
action taken BY the council at the
close of the two-day, convention
last night at the Cosmos CNb-
4 The councifSalso decided &c. nress
It's campaign for the relief Of the
United States Patent once, by au-
thorizing President Mortimer z.
Cooley to appoint q special. com
mittee to make necessary investi-
gations and to work for the pas
sage of legislation which will corr
rect the congestion.
Debate LicensinG Question.
The general feeling among the
engineers, according to their ex-
pressions, was that Floor Leader
Mondell, who Is opposed to early
consideration OF the Lampert bill
one of the Patent ONCE corrective
measures-is not familiar with the
real facts of what is regarded by
the council as grave situation
threatening ''irreparable injury"
After a lively discussion. In which
engineers from every section OF the
country took part. the council voted
to appoint a special committee to
make a study of the question of
licensing engineers. The study
will embrace conditions in every
State and is designed to clear the
way for a definite statement OF pol
icy by the organized engineers OF
the nation.
Warning that the engineers must
be a steadyinE force in the ten
dency to multiply legislation. now
said by him to be sweeping the ma
tion. was uttered by Gano Dunn. a
New York engineer. who, with Maj.
F. ]. Miller. of New York. past
president of the American Society
Of Mechanical Engineers, opposed
taking definite action until a ma
tionwide survey had been made.
Mr.. Dunn asserted that the engi-
being overcome by the storm.
supporters Point to Results.
The licensing idea. he said, was
causing the same concern to other
professions and callings. He de-
plored the rapid multiplication OF
statutes and called upon the engi-
neers to aid in checking II. Similar
views were expressed by Dean Per-
ley F. Walker. of the University
of Kansas. and Philip N Moore, OF
St Louis, former chairman of the
The supporters of the licensing doc
trine. which. II was stated, has al
ready been enacted into law in
many States. were led by Donald
Derickson. of Louisiana, who cited
the experience of that state to show
that licensing protects the public
and makes for improved design and
construction.
Discouraging conditions in the
mining industry We're described to
the council by Edwin T. Ludlow. of
New York, president of the Amer
icani Institute of Mining and Metal
lurgical Engineers: Maj. Arthur s.
Dwight. Of New York: Mr.. Moore
and Mr.. Claiming. all leading mem
bers Of the institute. Conditions
were said to be bad in the basic in
dustries of copper, lead and zinc.
Mines were running on short time
or were closed, the speakers said.
and many thousands OF mining en-
gineers were experiencing the re-
suits of the depression