Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-12-11

gave only limited authority and additional
time, to which end the intelligent public,
the daily newspapers and a few earnest
members OF Congress have always aided
the efforts of this office.
rms city may claim, in some measure at
least, to have pioneered the course of
legislative control over house plumbing as
we had no American precedents to guide
us, and the English standard was wholly
lnapphcable and notably defective. That
our regulations have stimulated sanitary
efforts elsewhere there can be no doubt.
Inc regulations now enforced in this
District meet the requirements of domestic
sanitation most satisfactorily. The abso-
lutte and immediate removal of All waste
matter. the perfection of local conditions,
such as ample light, ventilation and avoid
ance of local odors, and the proper flushing
or all drains and plumbing fixtures is now
strictly observed, and greater interest and
care by all parties concerned is being TAX
en- to improve these conditions, and new
methods are being introduced every day
in the interest of cleanliness and comfort.
1.-THE great demands upon this office. as
is evidenced by the increased number of
inspections, especially of old houses, best
illustrate the popularity of the new regu-
lations. Inspection of old houses now in
wolves application of the peppermint test
and close examination of all the lines CT
drains.
Safer and better.
q
sion among persons running houses that
modern plumbing is better and safer than
old-fashioned plumbing; that the deep seal
of a modern siphoned closet is better than
the polluted dry walls of an old-fashioned
one; that the instant discharge of a mod
ern flushing tank through the closet is bet
ter than a trickling of water in it's course
through an old pan closet; that tile sur
faces surrounding the plumbing fixtures
In bath room are better than wood panel
ing, usually concealing putrefactive fer
mentation. In fact, the antiquarian will
ma no desirable examples in plumbing ep-
pliances
1T has come to the notice of this Office
that several of our leading real estate
agents decline to take charge of houses
except owners obtain certificates of ap-
provai OF the plumbing, and that persons
renting show increased care on this subject.
In former reports l have called atten-
ton to VIGOROUSLY unsanitary conditions in
the public buildings of this city, and ex-
pressed regret that Congress had given ,o
authority over them, and that of necessity,
where improvements are not made, bad
conditions are continually aggravated.
Waste Of Water.
II must call attention to the great waste
Of water in this city, threatening, as it
does, the health Of the community. This,
adoption of tank supply for all water
closets located in yards well as in the
houses. and the use of lead supply pipe in
place of galvanized iron. Undoubtedly mil
lions of gallons of water have been wasted
through the old spring valves of yard water
closets and the defective iron supply pipes
TO our houses. Another improvement can
yet be made by requiring that the cold
water pipes to all plumbing fixtures above
the kitchen be separated as far as possible,
from the heat of f1ue and hot water pipes.
AS the pipes are sometimes run il is usual
ly necessary TO draw off several gallons of
water to get a cup of cold water to drink.
This am now endeavoring to avoid in the
present construction Of water supply
houses.
THE act of Congress authorizing the
Commissioners to make and enforce regu-
lGtions seems very explicit as to who shall
engage in the business of plumbing, and
as to the penalty for any violation of the
regulations but since there has been some
difficulty in prosecuting persons not Ii
censed who have done plumbing work in
houses. the regulations should be SO
amended to include any person doing
plumbing work without a license. either
inside Of a house or in connection with
the street, sewer and water main, and If
in the opinion of the attorney for the Dis
trict it is necessary, additional legislation
should be asked of Congress to legalize
the regulations.
"Since this office has refused to inspect
or give an official certificate for plumbing
work done by persons not licensed by the
Commissioners to engage in the business OF
plumbing, the owners and builders OF
houses are beginning to recognize the i'm
portance of avoiding the unlicensed plumb
er, for If a certificate is required by pur-
chaser of tenant, the plumbing work
must be exposed and tested before officially
certified to. We do not anticipate much
more trouble from such cases, public
opinion, we'll as the law, will certainly
decide in favor of good and safe plumbing
work.
Proved Beneficial.
THAT the gas fitting regulations have
proved beneficial to the property owners
and tenants is evidenced by the fact that
gas consumed in houses piped according
to these regulations has given greater sat
isfaction than in houses where the work
was done previous to the passage of the
law governing such work. Heretofore it
was customary for gas filters to use near
ly all three-eighths-inch pipe in piping
medium-sized houses, and in cutting this
pipe the orifice was considerably reduced
and in some cases as many as twenty
burners were attached to this pipe. Thus if
the light was reduced to a minimum, causing
great Inconvenience and trouble to the
householder. There was no way to pre-
vent this criminality then, but now the
conditions are such that all gas fitting
work has intelligent supervision and the
size Of the pipes used throughout the house
is especially provided for in the regula-
tons. II is not only beneficial to the house
holders, but to the plumber, who now has
some rule to govern him in making his es-