The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-04-20
PLUMBING INSPECTOR OUT.
THE OFFICE CONSOLIDATED WITH
WATER DEPARTMENT.

Ordinance Passed over Protest of
sanitary BOard-The New Plumb
ing Board Consists of HcnIth OH
Ger, Chafrmen of Council Commit
tees on Water and Public Health
and Two Plumbers Appointed by
the MnyOr-The Fight on CoSErOve
Political One ThrOughOut-In-
spcctor Made an Appointive OGiee.
Mr.. Mayor, there is no partisanship in
this"
When Alderman Doyle realized that the
fight in the City Council last night was
clearly a political fight. he said this
language 10 interrupt Alderman Haas, who
was speaking in favor Of the passage of
an ordinance consolidating the Office Of
inspector of plumbing with that OF in
spector of The water department
The ordnance was finally passed by the
votes of Aldermen Haas. Dixon. Bacon,
Doyle, Schwarz and Wells Aldermen
Tiedeman, Thomas, Mills and Williams
voted against the ordinance, and Alder
men Graham and farrell were absent.
For a month The consolida ton Of the
Offices of plumbing inspector and inspector
ia the water department has been widely
discussed by property owners and the pub
lie, and the fact that The politicians had
engaged to railroad the ordinance through
Council and publicly declared that Cos
grove had got to CO. seemed last night to
have resolved itself into remarkable har-
mony with the saving TO the city, which
has been announced as the purpose of the
change.
It is probably the first time any Council
has turned down without explanation the
petitions of citizens and property owners,
and passed an ordinance indorsed only by
about seven plumbers, two of whom made
no effort 10 conceal the fact thai they
wanted the plumbing inspector decapitat-
ed. Whether the petition signed by about
Is Of the largest tax payers In Savannah,
was considered In caucus is not known, but
1t was not referred to in Council.
The Old plumbing ordinance provided
that the board of examiners, who control
the plumbing inspector, should consist of
the health officer, city engineer one mas
ter and one journcyman plumber, and the
chairman Of the committee on public
health. The ordinance passed last night
provides that this board shall consist of
the health officer, the chairman of the
committee on water, the chairman of the
committee on public health, and one mas
ter and one journeyman plumber, who shall
be appointed by the Mayor" The only
change is that the chairman of the com
mittee on water takes the place of the
city engineer, and the Mayor has the APP
pointment of the master and journeyman
plumber. 1t is stated that this
was 10 get rid of Mr.. L. A.
MI
ucians were after as hard as that of
Cosgrove. The Mayor is also given au-
thority TO appoint the new plumbing in
spector in case 1t is desired to remove the
incumbent. The following is the ordinance
as passed after various amendments:
IAN ordinance TO amend an ordinance en-
titled an ordinance in relation to plumbing
in the city of Savannah. passed in Coun-
Gil, Feb 9, 1893, and amended Nov. 80. 1893:
Section ]. BE 1t ordained by the Mayor
and aldermen of the city of Savannah, in
Council assembled. and il Is hereby or
dained by authority of the same, That
the above entitled ordinance be and the
same is hereby repealed by striking there
from all of section l of said ordinance and
all powers. rights and duties of the board
of plumbing examiners hereby abolished
are transferred to the board established
by the next section or this ordinance
Sec. 2, Be II ordained by authority of
the aforesaid. That AL the plumbing in the
city of Savannah shall be under the con-
troll of a board of five plumbing examiners
which board of examiners shall consist
of the health officer of the city of Savan-
nah, the chairman of the committee on
water, the chairman of the committee on
public health and one master and one
journeyman plumber, who shall be an
pointed by the Mayor
sec 2 He further orJaipa.l H.. 49,.
authority aforesaid That all of section
of said ordinance, after the enacting clause
thereof, be and the same is hereby repeal
ed and in lieu thereof the following is in
serted; That the duties heretofore perform
ed by the inspector OF plumbing shall be
performed, without extra compensa ton.
by the plumber employed by the water de-
partment of the city Of Savannah, who. in
connection with said duties and before
entering on the discharge thereof SHAH
take and subscribe an oath to faithfully
ana impartialiy discharge the same The
ices collected shall be paid into the city
treasury without any deduction for salary.
Said appontee shall be subject 10 dis
charge by The Mayor and the committee on
water, If in their judgment shall so re-
quire In the event of such discharge the
said Mayor and committee shall be au-
thorized TO select a competent and efficient
inspector in his place
Sec. 4. Be it further ordained by H.
authority aforesaid, That all ordinances
and parts of ordinances i'm conflict here
with, be and the same are hereby repeal
ed"
The proceedings in Council while the or
dinance was under discussion were such
as are seldom seen. 1t was evident that the
public disapproval of the ordinance which
passed its first reading at the previous
meeting was TOO strong to allow il to
stand Possibly with view TO harmony
Alderman Haas offered 'sugar-coat
Amendments" which, however, did not fin
the bill. Objection was raised 20 the
amendment by Alderman Williams and AL
derman Thomas who insisted that the
amendment was an entirely new ordi-
nance. Alderman Haas proposed modifica-
ton made the board of plumbing examin-
ers consist OF the health officer, chairman
OF the water committee chairman of the
committee on public health, and one mas
ter and enc 'journcyman plumber" who
shall be appointed by the Mayor" Alder
man Wells moved the adoption Of The
amendment and Alderman Dixon seconded
the motion