Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1883-01-27
CITY AND DISTRICT.
THE REVISED PLUMBING REGU'
LATIONS.


To the Editor Of THE EVENING STAR:
The Master Plumbers Association OF this
city. at their regular meeting on Monday even
ing last, By resolution, endorsed in every par
ticular the statements contained in Mr.. Edward
Caverly's communication to your paper under
date OF January 9th inst.
1t would appear. on reference to the article
headed the Revised Plumbing Regulations.
printed in your issue OF the Sd inst, that the
regulations, as first promulgated, were defe C
tive. because the plumbers were allowed to par
ticipate in the conference between the health
officer and piumbing inspector. and it being
found necessary to perfect and amend Them
the plumbers were consequently left out and
did not participate in their consideration this
time. and, after being revised without any med
ding of the plumbers. are now recognized as
being about as perfect as they well can be.
AS Mr. Cayerly says the plumbers are not re-
sponsible for ans of the mistakes OF impracti-
cable features in the old regulations, or the
excessively higiI-prcei work called for in the
amendments. Had the recommendations sub
mitted by the Master Plumbers Association of
this city CATER having been invited by the Com
missIonefS to critcise the proposed amend
ments) been adopted the cost of plumbing
would have been considerably decreased with
out sacrificing any of the sanitar, require
ments. But Their recommendations have been
almost entirely ignored. and only one or two
unimpOrtaDt points adopted For instance the
amended regulations require a manhOle with
iron cover. to be constructed over the trap
or main drain in front of each house-an I'M
slightly and costly thing, for which there is no
absolute necessity, as the trap can be made ac-
cessible from the surface through the fresh air
inlet Such things as that should have
been lett optional with the owner and this is only
sample OF several of the new rules which
might have been made optional and not obi
gatOry. and which have increased the cost of
plumbing out of all proportion to the limited
means of many vino desire to build small
houses.
What we Row need most IL more careful and
practical inspection of the work and not to have
whole job passed by exposure and inspection
OF a few feet OF pipe and few joints only. Every
foot of pipe. trap. fitting and joint should be
closely inspected. In this way only Combined
with prompt prosecution Of Offenders) can per-
feet Workmanship and compliance with the reg
ulatonS be uniformly secured. 1t is ga e to as
sert that twO-thirds of the work done since the
regulations Were first promulgated and took eff
fect has been done more or less in violation of
said regulations, mostly, however. In defective
workmanship, as plumbers. who make a prac-
tlce OF seldom losing job thew compete on
and cdt tho work according to the price
they receive. generally uake show, only q
show. of complying with the regulations and
skin the work where it should be- but is not,
closely inspected.
1t Is said the one Inspector cannot properly
inspect all the work in this Distrct we all know
this is true, give him at least two practical men
TO assist him. Don't let US have any more added
TO the cost of plumbing. but give US better in
spectiOn. The honest plumber is not afraid to
have his work closely inspected and the skin
plumber will soon find it to his interest to cal
culate for and do honest work PLUMBER