Evening star., 1940-01-28
Bill 10 Regulate
Engineers l..
Draws Protests
Discrimination
Charged by
Younger Men

An eleventh hour deluge Of COM
plants descended on the House Dis
trict Committee yesterday against
a bill designed to regulate profess
sional engineering and may serve to
block action on it temporarily.
The measure, which passed the
Senate last July II, is scheduled
for consideration by the committee
at its regular meeting tomorrow
at 1890 am.
The Judiciary Subcommittee,
headed by Representative McGehee,
Democrat. of Mississippi. tenta-
lively agreed to make a favorable
report on the bill to the full COM
mittee. following public hearing
Wednesday, at which no opposition
was registered. Since then, how
ever, Miss Mabel Haller, committee
clerk, said a number of protests had
been filed, chiefly by young en-
gineers who fear enactment Of the
proposed legislation would force
them out of their jobs because they
lack college training.
Three Classes Only.
These engineers hold that the bill
discriminates against "self-made"
engineers because licenses would be
issued to only three classes of
applicants:
Those who have graduated
from an accredited college and have
a record of four years of active
practice.
2-Engineers who pass an ex-
animation designed to show "knowl-
edge and skill approximati ting that
attained through graduation from
an accredited four-year engineer
ing curriculum" plus at least eight
years of active practice.
3-Those who have had at least
IL years practice in engineering
work and are not less than IS years
of age.
The bill would create a special
board of five engineers to license
applicants and regulate the en-
gineering profession. Appointments
to the board would be made by the
District Commissioners.
Unemployment Compensation.
The Judiciary Subcommittee also is
expected to make a favorable report
to the full committee tomorrow on
the new McGehee bill to iberalize
the District unemployment compen-
sation act by reducing the en-
ployers' pay roll tax from 3 to az per
cent and at the same time increase
benefits to the jobless.
Representatives of Washington
business interests have urged that
the pay roll tax ~ reduced below
~ per cent or else suspend for a
while until the unemployment
benefit fund is CT to 80 Oo00, 900.
The fund now is IN exces8 Of $l6,.
000, 900, and according to informa-
ton given Mr.. McGehee's subcom-
mittee. will increase at the rate Of
$4,000 900 year even under the 27
per cent tax rate and the proposed
increased benefits to the unem-
ployed.
Despite opposition from the
younger engineers, the engineer bill
has been approved by the District
Council of Engineering and Archi-
tectural Societies.
Commissioners to Get List.
At the same time the council an
nounced a list of so local engineers
qualified to advise the Commits
sioners on problems relating to
municipal improvement will be
transmitted to the city heads
shortly. A similar list Of archi-
tects already has been filed with
the Commissioners.
The action is expected to avert
calling on engineers from other
cities, 1t was stated. A number of
such instances have occurred, ac-
cording to the council, because Dis
trict officials are not familiar with
the qualifications of local consult
ing specialists.
The list was compiled from a
QUESTIONABLE sent to the Is men,
Der societies of the council.
A proposal to create a committee
to promote better standards of en-
gineering education in the District
probably will be considered at the
next meeting, 1t was indicated.
A. B. Mcdaniel of the Research
Service, is chairman of the council
for the coming year with Roy w.
Prince Of the Chesapeake and Po-
tomac Telephone Co. vice chairman,
and r. B. Garrabrant of the Amer
ican Engineering Council, secretary
treasurer.