Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1957-03-03

we'll into its survey of licensing
practices in the States.
Cabell Gwathmey. District di-
rector of licenses and inspec-
tionS. said reports received so
far from the States look favor
able for licensing. He said the
experience elsewhere indicates
that licensing works satisfacto-
rily for the industry and the
public. The Nationwide trend
he said, is toward licensing.
Catastrophics Noted
The topping of g wall on F
street. damaging or demoliSning
II cars parked on a lot. brought
to head the demands for
licensing of all contractors. de-
mands which have cropped up
periodically over the past five
or six years. MI. GwathmeY s2id
On Friday, the front wall OF a
three-story house collapsed III the
Southwest redevelopment area.
II am inclined u think IL
censing would be useful here. but
we will not make any recon-
mendations to the ConmiSs onerS
until We get the reactions c. the
building industry" Mir. Gwath-
mey said.
He reported the demands for
licensing have included COM
plants about fly-by-night oper-
ators who are both incompetent
and financially irresponsible. He
said these contractors palm of
inferior or incomplete work on
the home owners and then dis
appear. leaving the home owners
to face a larger bill to repair the
damage.
The most FREQUENT victims. he
said, have been the small home
own rs who are either required
to improve their homes to meet
building code standards or who
want to add home improvements.
Georgetown In Van
Among the citizens groups. he
said. the Georgetown citizens
have been leading the demands
for licensing. In the construc-
ton industry. he added. the
wrecking contractors have come
out first 10 license wreckers and
then to license all general con-
tractors. Others III the building
industry. he said. have also in
Dictated they would favor laws
or regulations to require con-
tractors to be qualified and A.
nancially responsible.
ORGANIZATIONS to be polled in
the District survey include AS
sociated General Contractors.
Home Builders Association Of
Metropolitan Washington. Wash
ington Building Congress. Mas
ter Builders Association and tho
Metropolitan Association Of
General Improvement Contrac-
tors.
Mr. Gwathmey said he had
received definite information on
more than 20 States with some
form Of licensing for general
contractors. He said the formula
varies from State to State. run
ming the gamut from licensing
simply as a form OF getting rev.
enue TO licensing to insure
safety. financial responsibility
and competence.
States with licensing require
ments for general contractors
include Arizona, Arkansas. Cali
fornia. Delaware. Florida, Idaho,
Louisiana, Michigan. Mississippi.
Montana, Nevada. New Mexico.
North Carolina. North Dakota,
South Carolina. Tennessee, Utah
and Virginia among others, MI 5.
Gwathmey reported.
Present Licensing Reviewed
The District now licenses
plumbers. electrical contractors
and air conditioning and refrig-
Grafton contractors. The form OF
license varies. but both financial
responsibility and competence
are required For the rest Of the
BUILDING and wrccking trade
here there IS no requirement for
bonding To insure that unsatis-
fed owners have some recourse