The Pickens sentinel-journal. (Pickens, S.C.) 1903-1906, 1904-09-07
INJOlNS PLUMBERS
Law is Invoked Against an
Alleged Conspiracy.
AN IMPORTANT MOVEMENT
Charge MaGe that Association Ex-
lists to "Freeze Out" All Mas
ter Plumbers Who Fail to
Join the Combine.

One of the mCst important injunc.
tiCns, from a commercial standpoint,
that has ever been in the courts of
Georgia, was granted by Judge j. II.
Lumpkin, of the Fulton county supe-
rior court at Atlanta Monday morning,
when he restrained the Association OF
Master Plumbers, of Atlanta. and their
agents, officers and employees, from
seeking to prevent supply houses from
dealing with NJ. c. Vandiver, the plain
tiff in action. The temporar yinjunc.
ton was granted until September "a.
when the case was set down for a
final hearing.
The injunction is national in inter
est, as the Master Plumbers Assoca-
tion has state and national branches.
1t seems from the petition Of the plain.
tiff that the Association of Master
Plumbers has as one Of its objects the
freezing out" of all plumbers and
contractors who do not belong to the
association, and that supply dealers
are not allowed to sell to outside
plumbers, under the penalty of having
all trade Of members of the associa.
tion withdrawn.
Nj. c. VanGver. in his petition asks
that the following parties be cnjoiaed
from operating against him through
the supply houses: The Association
of Master Plumbers Of Atlanta; the
State Association of Master Plumbers
OF Georgia, d. A. Farrell. Of Fulton
county, being president thereof, and
against the National Association or
Master Plumbers Of the United States
and against d. a. Farrell, the vice
president thereof, and against the
General Supply Company with Offices
in Atlanta. The plaintin states:
Your petitioner. was engaged in the
general plumbing business for the
public in the city of Atlanta. and had
established a wc!l.paylng business un.
til the Association OF Master Plumbers
OF Atlanta. composing nearly the en-.
tire plumbing trade there, formed
n,
known as the Association of Master
Plumbers. OF Atlanta, on or about July
6, 1902, the purpose being thereby to
destroy your petitioners business and
the business Of any other plumber not
member Of said association. The
purpose of said conspiracy was, by
destroying the business of your pctl.
toner and few other plumbers en-.
gagged in the business in Atlanta ta
thereby cut Off competition ana mono.
police the trade in order to raise and
control prices and make cXtortionatu
charges to the public Tor plumbing
work"
In section of his petition. tho
plaintiff says:
The principal means used by de.
PENDANTS in their conspiracy to De.
stroy petitioners business was to
threaten to withdraw their patronage
from the wholesale ana general supply
houses who handle the plumbing ma.
terials in the city of Atlanta ana tha
state Of Georgia and other states OF
the union, unless said houses or firms
refused to sell petitioner or any other
plumber not a member OF said assocla.
tion, material.
1t is further alleged by the petition.
cr that he is at present doing phlmb.
ing work on a hotel in Louisville and
the contract is worth $4O.GCO ana that
after he BEGAN he work he was ~,
fused material bpcausn nj th,, oc.,o,,