The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1900-08-24
OF SEWERS ANDPLUMBERS
LATTER ARE WAITING FOR THE
FORMER.
The Thirty Weeks in Which it Was In
sisted the Work Must be Done is
slipping Away.

EDITOR STAR: I was much sur
prised to read i'm last evenings Star
the bit of information under heading
Plumbers Sent For"
If Mr.. Duffy knows of any urgent
work that requires the attention of
qualified plumbers l wish to publicly
inform him that our firm has several
men holding down benches in the base
ment of our establishment waiting for
a little of the work that is to go to the
20 men that have been sent for, to come
our way.
What business, Mr.. Editor. has a
plumbing inspector, working for the
Board of Health got with the importa-
ton of plumbers? l think the consen-
sus of opinion even among laymen
would be that the inspector has all he
can do following up his regular duties,
without attempting to create question
able conditions by the importation of
plumbers. Under whose direction would
these men be employed?
These are pertinent questions. Com
ing as the information does on top of
the statement that sewer work will
soon have to be suspended for want of
funds brings one to the further inquiry,
Why all this muddle? Why the haste
and waste that is today evident in the
entire handling of the sanitary work
that is to be accomplished?
The original sewer contract was of
a character and extent and the test
conditions attaching thereto of a nature
to make it desirable to have it COM
pleted in order to permit its use at as
early a date as possible. But work on
the same was hardly in full swing be-
fore agitation was started for the pur-
pose of extending the sewers to prac-
tically cover the entire residence por-
ton of the city. Bids were called for
and such was the strain and pressure
brought on the government and so in
tense the zeal of those directly con-
cerned in letting the contracts, that the
firm having the original contract was
awarded the second one at an excess
of 100000 over the lowest bidder for the
express reason that sewer work must
be rushed through and they agreed to
put it through in less time than their
lowest competitor.
This accomplished, the Minister of
the Interior called the Master Plumb
ers of this city to confer with him on
the best method of. meeting the exigen-
cies of the occasion in the matter of
house connections and the necessary
steps to be taken. to put the buildings
themselves in proper sanitary condition.
The first of these meetings was held
on April 4th and the statement was
distinctly made by the then Minister
of the Interior that there were just
thirty weeks from the 1st of May in
which to make the entire connections
from 5000 houses, as estimated by Mr..
Rowell.
The plumbers were urged to put
themselves in a position to handle the
work in a systematic manner and to
supply themselves with ample material
So urgent in fact did the necessity for
immediate action appear at that time
that the Minister vouchsafed the desir-
al nf ha
in a large supply of material and to
import a large force of men to go to
work under government auspices, if the
Master Plumbers did not get a move
on.
Under impulse of these representa-
tions by government officials, giving
every color of authority to the state
ments by reason of their being made at
meetings publicly announced, the Mas
ter Plumbers felt urged to put forth
every energy they were capable of in
meeting these most urgent demands of
the government. On the strength of
such official statements, orders went
forward for enormous quantities of
supplies gagged solely by the require
ment that the entire work was to be
completed within 80 weeks.
l venture the statement that today
there are 100000 tied up in plumbing
supplies on hand in this city with fully
been contracted for and shipped be-
fore orders could be countermanded.
These are facts, Mr.. Editor and as you
no doubt are aware sixteen of the
thirty weeks have already slipped by
and we are seemingly farther away
from making connections than we were
on April 4th.
In the article in same issue of The
Star headed Twill Call Extra Session"
among other statements is one to the
effect that the government will become
hopelessly involved during the coming
year unless relief is obtained through
legislative action. That is the imme-
date prospect of number of our craft
in this city, Mr.. Editor, unless the gov
eminent gets a move on to redeem the
pledges made us by the Minister of In
terror. Our shop has ten men here now
and can get more as rapidly as they
are required-we stand ready to line up
to every pledge we made the govern
ment during the two weeks next follow
ing April 4th, and feel that conditions
as they now are, point to breach OF
faith or some very palpable laundering
on the part of some one in authority.
l have gone somewhat into details in
this matter at the risk of appearing
tedious but justice demands that the
government take some action that will
insure the employment of those plumb
ers already here before encouraging the
importation of additional men.
1t is now up to the government to de-
clare it's intentions Let Mr.. McCand-
less and the members of the Board of
Health read the statements of his pre-
decessor as obtainable from the minutes
of his various meetings with the Mas
ter Plumbers and then inform us which
line of sewer to start making connec-
tions on, and We will cheerfully keep
Mr.. Duffy busy at his regular duties
for which, by the way, he has shown
himself thoroughly qualified
ET7sTT I'M