BoletiÌn mercantil de Puerto Rico. (San Juan, P.R.) 18??-1918, 1901-11-16
SAN JUAN, NOVEMBER 10
Editorial Comment.

The action of the Secretary yesterday In
sustaining the rules and regulations for the
Q ,nduct Of the plumbing trade formulated
by the Superior Board Of Health, should
meet the universal approval Of all classes IN
Porto Rico. To the private citizen it means
guarantee of hygenic sanitary regulations
forevermore, to the municipality it means
z g,od health and freedom from the most
obnoxious Of all public nuisances, to the
house builder it means the erection Of struc'
tures which will be a credit and honor to
him, and to the very men who have seen
fit to demonstrate against it, it means the
elevation of their craft from the state of an
ordinary laborer to the position Of an honor
able and useful skilled workingman.
Heretofore plumbing in this island has
been done by ordinary day laborers, by
carpenters and bricklayers, by men of all
and any of the house building trades, who
not alone knew nothing about the joining
togtber OF two ordinary pieces of pipe, but
who had in fact never seen waste or water
pipes joined according to the ideas of santa
~ plumbers OF to-day. The story is told Of
carpenter in this city being called upon
to construct the plumbing system in house,
that in compliance with the request, which
he thought nothing out of the way, he
performed the labor. Waste pipes were
placed loosely one upon the other, bracketed
to the wall, and the job throughout was
completed in the same manner. The open
invitation to desease of most virulent kind,
is too evident in this case TO need any dis
cussion. This is only one instance however,
of the conditions, which drove the Superior
Board of Health, to the immediate enact
ment of the rules and regulations which
have been SO universally cOndemged by the
very men whom it was sought to assist and
protect.
It has been argued that if plumbers
should be examined, why not compel cob
blers, carpenters, bricklayers and the other
craftsmen to come within the same rule.
The public health has never been dependent
upon the skill Of these trades men their
mistakes are easily corrected, and their work
when done Improperly becomes evident even
10 the eye of the unskilled. In the case OF
plumbers this does not apply. Sanitation
:he secret Of good health in this era, the
d s'royer of scourge and plague, is of too
much imp( rance and the evil effects OF
ignoring its rules are too lasting and dan
gtrous to permit of their correction,
without injury to the health of some indivi
dual or the public in general.
The veil being, the lives of the community
depend absolutely upon it and the Superior
Beard of Heal.h would have been lacking
in their duties had they failed to regulate
the PLUMBING trete as 1t should be.
The appointment of plumbing inspector
has been one of the main objections TO the
regulations. The general belief amongst
plumbers is that the inspector has been ap.
pointed to condemn work, to hsiass and
annoy workingmen and to interfere with the
plumbing trade in general. Nothing can be
as far from the truth as this is. The plumb.
ing inspector, who is practical plumber Of
long experience, and who has work, as a
journeyman plumber for years, La, been
appointed NOT as a condemlng inspector, but
rs an instructing one.
His duties will con ist in examining plans
for plumbing anc in examin; ng the plumb.
ing itself while in course of construction.
When work is being done improperly it
shall be bis duty to stop its progress and to
inform the workman in which way iE should
be done, and where the contingency requires
he VIII get down on his knees and show
the u0rkingman hsw TO do it. Instead of
being q menace and bugbear to the csaft he
will be its guIdon and protector. HIS every
effort will be IN the direction OF better san.
itation tor the homes of the people and
abolute protee ion o the plumber in plying
his craft.
OF course it can be said and with reason
that 1t will be hardship to expect sani ary
plumbing work to be done by workmen who
have never had an opportunity 10 perform
this class of labor or to see it done by any
8 le else, but 1t can be said with as much
reason that when the vast importance Of
these regulations are taken into considera
tlon, when the gravity OF the situation is |
spoken 0f, and achen It is realized that the |
very lives Of our people depend upon our
sanitary and hygpnlc regulations, then the
Temporary hardships which may fall to the
lot Of limited craft sink in:o insignifc lnce.
1t is hard to fad new improved re. I
gulation which in its Introduction did not
bring hardship to seme one. The invention
Of machinery to do the work of man was
decried by al workingmen throughout The
world, fears of starvation and abject pro.
verty on the part Of sCorkipgmen has marked
The introduction Of modern devices eYerE
1lnce Watt discovered that steam had some
Earthly uses. Tue desire 60 cling to thei
sustoms Of our ancestors or the fear Of
'emporary disaster has always been an
obstacle in the way Of improvement and
2ettsrment. In this case it is equally true.
Dur plumbers will be under hardship for q
'ear or two, BY which time all will have
earned modern plumbing in The practical
chool Of experience, their work .cill bel
'ettsf paid for, their craft will be more
'onerea sd better protected.