New Britain herald., 1926-10-23
BOARD STANDS PAT
 ON ELECTRIC EXAMS
Building Commission Heedless Of Yields Request for Change
HIT WARNER, SPAULDING

Caused by "Sorehcads'- Study of
 Systems Used by Other Cities Will Be Made.
 Severe criticism of Councilman W.
 Spaulding Warner and s. Y. Spauld- ing, an electrician who failed to
 qualify for a city license. was made
 at a meeting of the building com
 mission last night at which the
 board declined to adopt Mayor Weld's suggestion to dissolve the
 electrical and plumbing examining ! committees, and voted to make a | study of systems employed in other 1 cities.
 | Commissioner Romeo Grise called
 attention the wording of the law l providing for examinations and
 stressed the fact that the test is 10
 be made on he applicants knoN
 edge of he national electral code. l This so restricts the examiners that | their questions must be such as al- low of no discretion on the part ef
 the committee in correcting, and | eliminates all question of favoritism,
 he pointed out. Chairman A. P.
 Leavitts agreed with the commits l Sioncr's view.
 Commissioner William R. Fenn criticized Spaulding and Warner. He
 asked how much fact there is in
 the charges made by the two Stanley Works employees, and recommended
 that, if there is none, that they be required to retract.
 Believes "Soreheads" Responsible Commissioner Matthew l.. Ken nedy said there appeared to be no ground for complaint and he ven- tured an opinion the protest was the work of 'Soreheads".
 Admission was made by Commis- sioner Thomas w. Hinchliffe that an error had been made in one in stance but when the credit was re- moved for this mistake Spaulding still had less than the percentage required. He reminded the board that the examiners had more than 200 questions to correct on that night and felt, he said, one error was very good showing. Warner, he said, but one section of the code to read and he read that incorrectly according to his communication to the press.
 Chairmal Lcayitt requested In spector C. J. Curtin to explain the incidents to the Warmers Spaulding case. Curtin said Spauding was granted the privilege of going over his corrected paper and he ques- toned the committees finding on five horse power motor drawing. At his suggestion. the inspector went to the Stanley Works where a com pensator was studied and Curtin agreed the compensator drawing was correct, but this did not make the entire drawing proper. At the Stanley Works plant it was agreed that the papers be given Thomas Henry Day, author of the code book, and the marks to be decided by him accepted by both parties. Day sub mitted his mark. advancing the city committees finding by 2l2 points Spaulding and Warner then ques- toned the ability Of the code books author, Curtin informed the commis- sion.
 Commissioner Fenn declared War ner's attitude to be one of poor sportmanship."
 Strikes Too Close to Home"
 Mention was made of the Hct that Councilman Warner is a EStanley Works employe. Spaulding isa Stan ley Works electrician. and a third Stanley Worker criticized the com mittee In the mayors office.
 Tt looks as if the committee struck a little too close to home" Commissioner Kennedy remarked.
 Apparently someone happend to step on -" Commissioner Hinch- life began, but halted abruptly when he turned and saw a newspaperman nearby.
 Grise Would Retain Board
 Commissioner Grise said he favors the present plumbing and electrical examining board with the addition of one man from the trade school.
 Chairman Leavitt declared against dropping the inspectors as eXamin- CTS. explaining that both are full time city employees and are not com petitors Of those taking eXamina- tions.
 The board after much discussion, none of which indicated a disposi- ton to dissolve the committees, voted unanimously to continue the present examiners in office tenn porarily. Tn the meantime a study will be made of the examining sys- toms employed in Springfield, Hart ! ford, New Haven and Waterbury and the results obtained.
 Last nights meeting was a spe- cial session called in an effort to reach an agreement on what course to pursue on Mayor Weld's sugges- lion. The mayor appeared before l the commissioners last week an urged change but the commission | declined to take action until the | entire board was present Last |. nights meeting was attended by all 1 i've commissioners.