The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1904-09-08
Law is invoked Against an
Alleged Conspiracy
AN IMPORTANT MOVEMENT 7
Charge Made that As. ociation Ex'
lists TO "Freeze Out" All Mas
ter Plumbers Who Fail to
Join the Combine.

One of the most important injunc-
tions, from a commercial standpoint.
that has ever been in the courts OF
Georgia, was granted by Judge J. H.
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 N. C. I'andiver, the plain
tiff in action. The temporar yinjunc.
ton was granted until September %,
when the case was set down for
final hearing.
|, The Injunction is national in inter
est, as the Master Plumbers Associa-
ton has state and national branches.
It 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/ tion withdrawn.
M. c.. Vandiver, in his petition. asks
that the following parties be enjoined
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 OF
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 plaintiff states:
"Your petitioner was engaged in the
general plumbing business for the
public in the city Of. Atlanta, and had
established a well-paying business un-
til the Association Of Master Plumbers
of Atlanta, composing nearly the en-
tire plumbing trade there, formed a
conspiracy or illegal combination,
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 peti'
toner and a few other plumbers en-.
gagged in the business in Atlanta to
thereby cut off competition and mono.
police the trade in order to raise and
control prices and make extortionate
charges to the public for plumbing
work"
In section of his petition, the
plaintif says:
The principal means used by de-
fendarts in their conspiracy to de.
stroy petitioners business was to
threaten to withdraw their patronage
from the wholesale and general supply
houses who handle the plumbing ma
terials, in the city of Atlanta and the
state of Georgia and other states OF
the union, unless said houses Or firms
refused to sell petitioner, Or any other
plumber not member of said assocla.
tion, material.
It is further alleged by the petition
er that he is at present doing plumb
ing work on a hotel in Louisville and
the contract is worth $4,000, and that
after he began the work he was re-
fused material because of the acton
of the National Association Of Master
Plumbers. He exhibits letter from
supply company, in which he is told
that he could avoid all further trouble
by joining the Association Of Master
Plumbers, of Louisville.