Evening star., 1922-01-06
ENGINEERS DEBATE
| LICENSE QUESTION
Lively Discussion at First An
nuaI Convention of Engi-
neering Council.

Organized engineers of America
must be Il steadying force in the
tendency to multiply Legislation now
said to be sweeping the country,
Gano Dunn. prominent New York en-
gineer. told delegates to the Ameri-
can Engineering Council of the Fed
Grated American Engineering Socie-
ties at today's session of the first.
annual convention Of the organization
at the Cosmos Club.
Mr.. Dunn's speech came in the
midst of discussion over the ques-
tion of licensing engineers, which
provoked the liveliest debate Of the
councils sessions thus far and which
tives .of the leading engineering So
cietfes.
Discussed for Year.
For more than a year the engineers
haye been inquiring into the licens-
ing question in every state and meet
ings have been held In various cites
Some states have adopted laws re-
quiring registration Or licensing of
engineers and others have the Ques-
ton up for consideration.
Decided opinion both for and
against the licensing of engineers
exists throughout ale country, it de-
.. veloped at today's session of the
organizations and individuals, 1t was
declared. who feel that the American
Engineering Council should endeavor
to secure passage of laws licensing
engineers in those states that have
no such laws.
The ma ajority. it was stated, feel
that there should be no such law.
Philip n. Moore of st. Louis. former
chairman of the war relief minerals
commission. declared his opposition
to licensing. asserting the principle
of the least government the better.
Mai. +. j. Miller of New York. pas.
president of the American Society Of
Mechanical Engineers. offered reso-
luton to refer the whole matter to
Il special committee. which would
make a nationwide investigation of
the question of licensing. This reso-
luton brought on a discussion, which
promised to be protracted. 1t was
supported by Mr.. Dunn, who de-
clared that it would be unwise for
kind before ascertaining clearly what
licensing meant. He said that
movement was now sweeping the
country and that the engineers must
stoop a little to escape being over
come by the storm. The licensing
idea. he said, was causing the same
concern to other professions and call
ings and he insisted that the path
must be clear and free from doubt
before embarked upon. Mr. Dunn de-
plorcd the tendency to rush into leg
islatiOn and called upon the engineers
to aid in checking it.
Before the question of licensing
came up. the engineers listened to
statement of unfavorable conditions
in the mining industry by prominent
mining engineers and producers. Ed
win T. Ludlow of New York, president
of the American Institute of Mining
and Metallurgical Engineers. said
that conditions were bad in the basic
industries of copper, lead and zinc.
Mines were shut down or running on
short time, he said, and thousands of
mining engineers were out Of employ
ment.
Others Tell Of Depression.
Maj. Arthur S. Dwight of New York,
Philip N. Moore Of ST. Louis and ].
Parke Claiming of New York also
told of the depression in the mining
industry.
The council voted to press its cam
Following adoption of Il resolution
urging the passage of the Lampert
, bill. the council decided to arrange
for the appointment of a special COM
mittee to work with it's patent com
mittee. Speakers insisted that IL
Representative Mondell knew the
facts he would not delay the pro-
posed patent office legislation.
AnOther matter coming De1OTe the
council today was the question of
finance. The budget prepared by the
finance committee revealed that,
owing to business conditions, sharp
economies must be effected.
The new executive board of the
council tomorrow will organize and
map out constructive program, in
which the engineers have the sup
port and counsel of Secretary of Com
merce Hoover.
Elimination of waste, now causing
billions of loss annually to the Amer
lean people. is the most fundamental
Of all problems with which the na-
tion must deal, secretary Hoover said
last night at n dinner given by the
council in his honor at the University
Club Approx mately 200 members of
the council and their guests attended
the dinner. at which Dean Mortimer
E. Cooley, president of the council.
presided. The council presented to Mr..
Hoover a copy of a resolution passed
by it in which he was extolled for
'.the distinguished success which has
followed him in his past services to
his profession, his country and man
kind"