Perth Amboy evening news., 1923-03-09
MAY LICENSE
ANOTHER TRADE
Master Builders Effected Un-
Bill Now Before House for
Consideration

TRENTON, March 9.--"Every day
la every way, we're getting licenser
and ltcenser," seems to be the motto
of the legislatures as the years go by.
Judging by the number of profess
sions, trades, and merely habits that
the law-makers require licenses for
in various bills that skip by un-
der the gas clouds of the sponsors Of
the bills. The latest oen is an as
sembly bill put in by Assemblyman
Harbourt, Republican of Mercer, re-
quiring master builders, master car
penters and master u1asons to take
out a license. But that's not all.
Adding. as it were, insult TO injury,
the bill would require an initial fee
of ffvs dollars for the first license
and an annual fee Of five dollars,
just as good as the first Ave, for the
renewal of the license every year.
1t rs becoming rather difficult to
keep tabs on the license bills IN the
legislature, but rumor has it that
the last profession before that OF
master builder to be licensed were
the undertaakers. About the only
activity that does not require a lie
ense is bootlegging, and the authori-
ties are apparently coming to that,
ment sometime ago by an income
tax collector, that liquor purveyors
must declare their incomes on illic-
it liquors and pay income tax ac-
cordingly.
As one legislative observer re-
marked, very shortly it'll require a
license to become a drug addict, and
the query when one goes shopping
win be: Have you your shopping
license with you?"
Two years ago, there was created
the State Board of BARRIERS Examin-
ers, 10 examine whether the scissors,
wielders were properly de-hydrated,
1e-composed and de-liberated;
whether they had diploma from
the University of Milan, saying that
they could, in a proper manner,
charge twenty-five cents for two
csnts worth Of hair tonic and six
cents worth OF conversation; and
whether they could rock a man for
all his spare change.
This year bill by Senator Pier
son, Of Union, has passed. declaring
that it required a high school edu'
cation to screw coffin lid down, and
promptly licensing the undertakers
OF the state.
Last year, also, a bill was put in TO
license bIacksmiths, and this year
bill passed the House licensing court
reporters.
One profession which is not Ii
censed is that Of newspaper report
ing, hut the legislature will come to
that perhaps If the papers Of the
state print such adverse comment on
tl1e "bitter-ender" highway Republic
cans. AS a certain federal Judge, in
an opinion. so wisely remarked, the
nower to tax is the power to de-
stroy," by putting tax on newspa-
permen and requiring them to have
a license. q calling which is looked
upon as a nuisance by many legisla-
lures would be gotten rid Of very ef-
fectively and easily.
If the Harbourt builder license bill
passes, the builders will be in bad
way, as judging by the bill, IL viii
require all builders time TO figure
lust where he stands in relation TO
the regulatory law. One of the pro-
visions of the bill provides that the
license may be revoked for gross
ignorance, recklessness, negligence,
incompetency, dishonest practices or
other good and sufficient reasons"
The question which is agltating
1u6 minus VI lilstoLCL bh44uGAD AAS4C
abouts is this: Suppose a builder
leaves a plank reclining against the
slde of a building in an inviting man
ner: supposing a small boy takes a
notion to slide down said plank,
tears his unmentionables and ac-
quires several large splinters. Would
that be gross ignorance, 'incompe-
tency," dishonest practices "reck-
lessness," or just simply "other good
and sufficient reasons?"
The bill provides a penalty run
ming from $50 to $500 for any cor
porations not notifying the board of
examiners of the names of master
builders, carpenters and masons on
their payrolls or for anv change in
he licensed persons in their employ.
The bill was said by Mr.. Harbourt
to have been asked by some con"
tractors of this city. 1t looks like
another effort to create another
closed corporation of three more
tfades. Or perhaps some contractor
s on the outs with another contrac-
or whom the FIRST one thinks can not
pass the eagle eye of the Examining
board and thus become licensed. At
any rate, 1t is a cheap way Of sitting
competition.
The examining board, under the
oil, would be composed OF a master
builder, master carpenter, a master
mason. and journeyman mason and
= fnt1rfRvn1an cafDenter aDDDiuted