The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1900-06-30
PLUMBERS ,! BoARD
STATE BOARD TO EXAMINE PLUMB
ERs MEET HERE JULY 9TH.
Every Plumber Should be Examin ell
for COmpetency-Some Reasons
Why None But Thoroughly Comue-
tent Mechanics Should Work mt
the Plumbing Trade-They Should
Have Knowledge of Sanitary Law.

AAC AMlIAcoOld oIdle examining
Board Of Practical Plumbers will meet
in Duluth on July 9th and every plumb
er in the city should renew his license.
The law that requires a license may
not be all that was hoped for, it may
not be as far reaching as expected, but
1T is step in the right direction.
When the legislature meets next win
ter, it may be possible to secure
more stringent law that will offer more
protection to the trade. People whose
knowledge of plumbing is somewhat
limited may scott at the idea of exam
lining plumbers for competency, but
when we consider the matter thorough
ly it will be plainly seen that good
plumbing laws are essential to the
health and happiness of a community
Engineers are examined and licensed
to guarantee the safety of life and prop
erty, but how much more essential is
it that the men who put the sanitary
appliances and ventila tion in residen-
ces and public buildings, should be ex-
amined for competency. A boiler may
explode and the engineer may be held
to account for negligence or incompe-
tency, but plumber may place poor
plumbing in your residence. Almost all
OF his work is concealed. To save work
he may let many a flaw go. Sewer gas
may escape into your living rooms.
Your family may become afflicted with
disease. You know not why, as every
precaution may have been taken by
you to prevent cold and impurities in
the system. Death may visit your
household as a result of such disease,
and you still know not how it was con-
tracted. The unlicensed plumber can
not be blamed like the licensed engin-
eer. The latter's errors can be easily
detected and redress can be secured,
but in the absence of law, how can
the plumber be held liable? We ven-
ture to say that one-half of the winter
illness in this city is caused by the es-
cape of sewer gas from defectiveplumb-
ing. There is no law to test the plumb
ing work before it is concealed. The
standard of sewer pipe placed in the
houses of this city is so light that it
connot be joined sufficiently tight to
prevent the escape of gases and foul
airs, without being cracked in the
caulking. There should be laws in this
city defining the standard Of pipes to- be
used in plumbing, the manner In which.
shah
oughly tested before the work Is con-
cealed. More than this, every person
who does plumbing work Of any dis
cription, should be given a. rigid ex-
animation as to hs knowledge of sani-
tation, the proper laying of sewers, the
placing of traps and the ventilation
of the same. This is what the State
Examining Board is doing, but the law
today only applies to plumbers and does
not prevent others from doing plumb
ing. A minor court has declared the
law unconstitutional. AS it was orig
inally drawn from the laws of other
states, there would have been no ques-
tion as to it's constitutionality, but those
opposed to the law secured certain al
terra tons in it that practically des-
troyed it's usefulness. 1t should be the
aim of all plumbers to support the pres
ent law, and when the proper time
comes endeavor to secure amendments
that will make it more effective.