St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1886-12-12
SAINT PAUL MATTERS.
The Board Of Public Works Declares Mr..
Dunnigan Has Violated the
Plumbing Ordinance.
Topics of the Pastors in Many Of the
City Churches This Sabbath.
Morning.
\ Summary of Local Events on
Rainy ay---mteresttng
Stories Briefly Told.
DUNNIGAN DECLARED GUILTY
plumber severely Censured by th'
Board of Public Works. NJ Uch 4 l.

an ~ ~ - ~ -
APIumber severely Ceusured by the
Board of Public u Orks-- M Uch Al
Legal Plum siHE.
The board of pu bic works III open session
yesterday returned its verdict in the Dunnl-
ran case, in which Messrs. Heinemann and
seeger had preferred charges OF violation OF
The ordinance, Mr.. Heineman charging that
cases of diphtheria had originated in his
family as a result OF improper work. AL
members OF the board, except Gen. Becker,
were present as were the parties Immediately
interested. In lis findings the board says;
That the respondent has been guilty or an
habitual and persistent not to say williul, vio-
lation OF the plumbing ordinance; that THESE
violations OF The ordinance were not the re-
suit of inadvertance or oversight; that they
are not excusabie, and should not be over
looked, but should be punished; that nearly,
if not quite, all Of the other twenty-three
licensed plumbers OF ST. Paul have been
guilty OF the same ohenSes-
The board decided to temper justice with
mercy and did not take away Mr.. Dunnlgan's
license. 1t did. however, publicly censnre
him for repeated violations or the OrulndnCo.
The board finds, tue report sa,s, that the
ordinance has been violated to great eX-
tent, and the records of the building inspect
ors Office show that $500 buildings have
been erected since Jan. l, 1856; that out "a
ana only 497 permits 10 do plumbing taken
out 1t is probable, the board states, that in at
last l 800 Of these buildings some plumbing
has been done, and yet in twO-thirds of them
work has been done in open and Wilful
violation of the ordinance. Such gen.
era and gross violation of the law
the board sa the plumbers cannot be wholly
10 blame. CarelessnesS and indifference on
the part of the citizens is in some manner
responsible Tor the violation OF the law. 1t
is unques,iunably true that majority of the
master plumbers of the city are unfriendly
to the ordinance and opposed TO its enforce
ment.
sHsRP IEoRlMAND.
After readiug the findings the president
asked NJ +. Dunnigan 10 stand up (the scene
being something like the sentencing of
prisoner III COURT and then proceeded to read
reprilnaud. After calling attention TO the
violation OF the ordinance, Mr. Barrett said:
The fact is that you have seen fit, in many
instances, utterly to ignore the existence OF
tue plumbing ordinance, and to act in def
ance OF the orders and authority OF the build
inc Inspector. Such conducts most repre-
henSitle and cannot and will not be permit
ted TO 20 unpublished. This ordinance, with
IS wholesome and salutary provisions, was
Enacted for the protection of the health and
ives OF our fellow citizens, for which your
'epeated acts would seem to indi-
.ate you have had but little care.
g strict compliance with the provisions of
this ordinance is believed, by those who have
given years of study, experiment and inVesti-
CATION, to the subject of sanitation, to be alb
soiutely necessary for protection against cpl
demic and nalarial diseases. Had you re-
spected and obeyed the law enacted TO pro-
tect the lives and health Of your neighbors
and friends, nay more. your own life and
health, and that of your own blood and kin,
one OF these cOmplainants, respected fellow
citizen, would not to-day, be so
rf1olre irorlzr nv he
agonizing doubt and uncertainty
upon the question of whether or not there is
any foundation in fact for such doubt and
uncertainty this board has no opinion to ex-
press of whether or not TWO of his beloved
children have yielded up their young lives as
3 sacrifice to your persistent violation of the
plumbing ordinance.
AFTER THE OTHER PLUMBERS.
At the conclusion of the administering of
the reprimand the board passed orders:
That every licensed plumber be required,
within ten days from the date of the service
of this order upon him, to make and TO return
to this board full and accurate statement,
verified by his oath, of each and every job of
plumbing done by him in the city of ST. Paul
since JAM /, 1886, for which, under the pro-
visions of the plumbing ordinance, permit
was required to lie applied for and taken
out and that each licensed plumber be
also required, within ten days, to make and to
retutnto the board a similar statement, veri-
fed 10y his oath. of each and every job of
plumbing done in the city since said first day
of January, 1856, for which he has taken out
a permit, as required by the ordinance; also,
that a failure by any licensed plumber to
comply with this order will be deemed by the
board sufficient reason for refusing to grant
license to such plumber for the year 1887.
on BEHALF OF The PLUMBERS.
On behalf of the plumbers Mr.. Dunnigan
last night sent a communication to the
GLOBE, in which he makes the points that a
committee from the plumbers, to make sug-
gestions, when the ordinance was drawn,
was not given hearing; that the im-
practicabilities of the ordinance were so
manifest that they were the occasion of at
least enc suit against the city; that the
plumbers have made suggestions of changes,
backed by leading sanitary authorities, which
have been unheeued, so that the best
plumbers in the city are constantly forced to
act against their best judgment; that the
plumbers have, as a rule, complied with the
ordinance, and that if the first section of the
ordinance was complied with by the appoint
ing power there would be little trouble. He
further says be will see what redress a COM
petent court can give him.