The Topeka state journal., 1897-07-24
PRESCOTT'S REPLY.
The Secretary Tells What the Master
Plumbers Association Is


Mr. c. J. Prescott, secretary of the
Master Plum mberS' association has writ
ten the following statement in reply to
the charges made against the aSsocia-
/ ton in the recent damage suit flied in
the district court:
Our platform is purely and simply
the elevation of the plumbing business
to the position to which We think it is
master plumbers in their relation 10
the health and welfare of the persons in
the community in which they live, ex5
erT an influence for good or i'll. second
TO that of no other profession or trade
And we know that in the south, and in
the larger cities and older settled COM
munities of this country, where natural
conditions are not So favorable to
health, as in our local community, that
master plumbers associations have
been more successful in their eff
forts to lower the average death rate
and produce comfort, safety and free
dom from dangers TO health in home
life; and the passage of state and local
laws relating to the public health and
welfare. than any other ganization in
the world. the medical profession in
cluded- Ii
I'VE believe that men who do not
know enough. or who are knowingly
guilty of doing such crimiualIy careless
things as connecting the overfiows
from ciSternS directly to sewer syS-
tens. or equally dangerous and evil
practices, the dangerous and evil con-
sequences of which are far too little IN
competent nor proper persons to en-
trust with the responsibility of looking
after the health and welfare of any
person or community. And we accord
ingIy require all applicants for mem
bership in our association to pass ex-
animation as to competency, (and re-
gret TO say the thOrOughness of the ex-
animation Is not today what hope and
believe it will be when the Importance
is more underStoOd) and no man who
cannot pass the examinat ton will be ad-
uitted to mem berShip.
We believe our business is Of suff1-
cfent Importance and dignity to entitIe
its Representatives to sufficient profit
to enable them to live in their reSpec-
tive communities and educate their
families in a manner that will place
them on a par, mentally and morally
and financially with any other trade or
profession And believing this, We re-
quire that the applicant for member
ship shall have a regularly established
place OF business And take pleasure
in notifying publicly any person who
contemplates applying for membership,
that no person who does business on the
curbstone and carries his office in his
hat will ever be admitted to our asso-
ciatiOn- Men who have not sufficient
self-respeCt nor regard for the business
they represent, to represent it with
dignity, are not wanted in the associa-
ton.
The facts are. concerning the case
referred to in your article, that there is
on file with the proper officers, a regu-
lar application for membership. signed
by James Durkin- who knew the facts
as above outlined when he made his ap-
pIicarion- Upon investigating his ap-
p1catfon, it was found that he was not
established at the place named in his
application, and upon being notified
verbally of the fact, and asked for an
explanation. he said, oh we'll the old
woman had a chance to rent the place
for more than I could pay and 1 let her
do it" He promised to attend to this
matter in a few days. and not hearing
from him, he was notified by mail. that
the committee was informed that he
had no regular place of business and
information requested and to date have
no reply and his application is still on
file.
The assertion that we have in any
way interfered with his business or
prevented him directly or indirectly
from purchasing goods, or taking con-
tracts or doing business, is absolutely
false in every particular.
we do not in any degree attempt to
control prices, and in every way court
publicity as to our aims and methods
of working to accomplish them: and
viii be glad to have a representative of
the press at any of our meetings, or to
have the attorney general of the state
of Kansas, or the county attorney of
Shawnee county investigate our meth
ods.''