Mr. Brophy: In the state of Massachusetts today each city is obliged to appoint an
inspector of electric wires. We are now perfecting that act, and amendments are now pending.
From experience in Boston, and previous experience with insurance companies, I want to say
most emphatically that I never found any difficulty with the men legitimately in the business
they are ready to do what is right. They are ready to do this in Boston today;
but we have certain
men who are not legitimately in the business, and many of them do not know how to perform the
work; but will undertake to do what they know how to do and for less than the cost of the work if
done properly. They never notify the insurance board or the inspector of wire, of their intention
to do such work, and steadily try to conceal the fact that they have done it; and from the
objectionable work of these people we expect trouble in the future.
We propose to reach them in
some way or another, and the amendments now pending to the law will reach them. That can be
done, as Mr. Mead says, through municipal bodies; through municipal force; the fire department
in New York and other departments in other cities.
