The Birmingham age-herald., 1905-02-22
An Object Lesson.

Here is suppositious case. It is an object lesson for the man who pays the bills: His pipe bursts at t a. m. Plumber comes at S30 Goes down town for the dollar permit. Reaches inspectors onice at 9:05. Time for morning permits passed. Must walt until 1:3O D. m. Meanwhile 50 cents an hour Gets permit in afternoon and re- pairs leak in 30 minutes, using to F inches of new pipe. Applies for inspec- tion at a. m. next day, earliest pos sible time. Inspector comes out. Dollar fee. This closes job" Time elapsed, 2d hours or more. Bill including plumbers waiting time and permit and inspection fees. say s5.15-the 15 cents for new ma terial And not drop of water for those 26 hoursi
 Under existing ordinance work could have been done within two hours at a cost of $2.5O
 Here .s Another.
 Another illustration, the reverse of the former: House connection stops. Plumber comes. Pecks hole in pipe and rods out Covers hole with piece of tin-bcd sanitaton-because he is friend of family and doesn't want to tax them with s2 permit and inspection fees. Under existing ordinance he could have put in piece of new pipe without costly red tape.
 Repairs are the largest part of plumb ing work and bear most heavily upon the people. Is t in the interest of the people to allow a wide latitude for exac- tions?
 In Case 0. Striker
 Another point while on this matter of the people REALTY has contended that tha .r1t, fc af {,, thn fpfa ,p labor in general. because it directly and indirectly levies a heavy tax upon labor. Now. 1t may be asked, is it good thing for the plumbers union? No plumber can work without a license from this board of three Licenses are valid until revoked by the board? Suppose the plumbers go on strike? What if their licenses are revoked? REALTY ad- mits that this is an extreme illustra- tion. But the possibilities of any leg isative enactment are always considered by the thoughtful.
 REALTY might go on indefinitely pointing out the dangers inconsistencies and absurdities of the ordinance. The temptation to quote portion of section 42 is irresistible, however. as that sec ton is fair sample of the construction of the ordinance, as well as an illustra- tion of it's intent and possibilities.
 1t Is Beauty.
 It reads: NO building or other struc- ture shall be used or occupied as a fac tory. laundry. tenement or lodging house or PLACE IN WHICH OR WHERE HUMAN BEINGS RESIDE OR WORK, unless such building Is provided with enc or more closets for every fiften occu- pants, workers or employees or residence or fraction thereof. In such building or structure shall be separate water closet provided for the two sexes" etc. Darby and Joan. living alone. would come un- der the requirements of the last clause quoted. Where will not the tentacles of the embryo octopus stretch?
 Revise the Existing Ordinance.
 In the opinion of high sanitary experts. the existing ordinance. enlarged and modified by the adoption of resolutions heretofore introduced in the board, is adequate to the requirements of Bir- mingham for a long time to come. There is no necessity for the proposed ordi- nance, and it cannot be justified on any sound ground. It shoul. receive its quietus at the next meeting of the board.