The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1900-05-12
GODDARD WEAKENS
Promises Plumbers He Will
s'NOt DO Anything SOOn.''
Writes Letter to Secretary of
the State Association.
MR.. ELDERS LETTER.
Says Members Do Not Want to
Be Party to Trust.
Organization Designed to Benefit
the Public.
MR.. ELDERS LETTER.

attorney General GOdard shows signs
of weakening in the plan which he had
formulated for the purpose of dissolving
the plumbers trust in Kansas and an
nounces that at this time he will take
no action. The postponement of the pro-
ceedings which the attorney general
stated he would inaugurate is due to the
fact that the officers of the association
are making an effort to convince the
attorney general that the organization
which they maintain is one which car
ries benefits to the people of the state.
Mr.. GODDARD admits in a letter to the
secretary of the Kansas Master Plum
bers' association that he has received
complaints against the organization but
says: 1T has not yet taken definite
form"
The attorney general in the same let
ter discredits the statements of the
newspapers that he contemplated such
action but closes the letter by saying
premises very, soon.'' All of which is
taken to mean by the plumbers that no
action is likely to be commenced until
after the election, if at all.
When the announcement that the at
torney general was preparing to dissolve
the plumbers association was first
made, the latter part of April, the sec
retary of the association, A. P Elder
OF OlLaWds VINO IS a possibility LOT IHe
nomination for state treasurer on the
fusion ticket, wrote to Mr.. GODDARD, say
ing:
mo member of this association wishes
to be a party to trust so far as
know, but we believe our organization
is beneficial to the public inasmuch as
it is organized to promote friendly bus
mess relations as a fraternal spirit OF
social union among members of the
trade generally and the prevention OF
disease To this end papers are read
citing the most approved and econom1-
cal methods for doing work in a sani-
tary manner. We insist that manufac-
turerS guarantee their goods and have
secured uniformity of threads SO that
| all pipes are Interchangeable thus saw
| ing thousands of dollarSfor our patrons
I'VE also endeavor to bring the stan
daFd OF labor and intelligence up TO q
/ higher plane that the public may be
1 protected from the evil effects of sewer
| gas introduced into the home. That we
| have met with some success is evident
/ as organized labor has approved anC
| recommended for passage the act which
! was introduced in the last session OF
| the legislature by our association.
have letters from over forty physicians
of Kansas approving our course in try
| ing to secure this legislation
| las to the complaint or charge thai
we have a uniform scale of prices
will simply cite No 13, Judge Hazen';
! instructions to the jury in the case re
| Gently tried in Topeka. The judge said
1T is not claimed in this case ane
| there is no evidence tending to prov'
that the plaintiffs were in any way in
| jured by any combination or agreemen
that may exist between the defendant
with references to prices to be charged
for plumbing work, and any testlmon.
that may have been offered along tina
line is not sufficient to sustain pla1ntln
claim in the petition and therefore it i
Withdrawn from your considerat ton"
Mr.. Elder also calls attention to tn
trials involving other questions con
cerning the Plumbers association in tn
Shawnee district court in which tn
general opinion is that the contention
of the plaintiffs was sustained. He say
in his letter to Mr.. GODDARD:
'1 note the statement that you nav
decided to commence suit to diSsolv
the Plumbers association. desire t
say that a suit was commenced and l
now pending in the court of appeal
having been tried twice in the dlstrlc
court of Shawnee county. The first tim
the jury disagreed; the second time
| verdict was found against the member
of this association An appeal was take
| to settle this question and decision
| will no doubt be forthcoming as soon a
you could possibly secure one and b.
| the same courts to which you woul
have to go.
ss,Phe members of this association Tav
the highest legal authorities obtainabl
that we are now maintaining truS
and we would be glad to have you inves
tigate personally our association an
for that purpose I will supply all tn
books. records and papers that are i
nv possession as secretary, bearin
upon the subject
You can get the testimony OF tn
officers of the association in Judg
Hazen's court and we would be please
to have you examine all the court rec
ords in the two trials and then, if yo
decide that this is in any sense a trus
/, we will take immediate steps to dissolv
it"