The Birmingham age-herald., 1905-03-02
THE EPLUMBINGL LAW WILL BE AMENDED Judiciary Committee Reports
 UnfavorabIy WILL IMPROVE PRESENT ONE Alderman Barbour Gives the History of the Ordinance He Helped to
 Frame - Defends His
 Conduct.
WILL IMPROVE PRESENT ONE


 By adopting the report of the judiciary committee, the City Council by an almost unanimous vote last night, killed the plumbing ordinance which has been live issue before the municipal board for some time past. Alderman Benjamin F. Barbour of the Third ward, who assisted in drawing up the ordinance, asked that he be allowed to kill it, but instead the City Council adopted the one little para graph in the judiciary committees re- port which read:
 eve recommend that the plumbing or dinance be reported unfavorably."
 In lieu of the tabled ordinance, upon motion of Alderman Harry Jones and adopted, the present plumbing ordinance is to be amended. This will be done by the Mayor, the chairman of the police and sanitation committee, and the city engineer and a report will be made back to the City Council at the first meeting in April
 Report on Plumbing Ordinace.
 The plumbing ordinance was brought before the attention of the members of the City Council by Alderman John c. Forney, who was acting as chairman of the judiciary committee, m the absence of Alderman Robert H. Thach.
 He read a communication from the journeymen plumbers protesting against the recent action of the Birmingham Real Estate Agents association at it's meet | tl.o r,l,4 hi nf.- dinance. The communication condemned the association for saying that civil engineer, or an architect would be more capable inspector than a journeymen plumber. They declared that this was an insult to the trade.
 The journeymen plumbers in their com munication feared that the real estate men did not have the good health of the community at heart when they acted upon the ordinance. In conclusion they asked that committee be appointed from the City Council to meet with the plumbers,- the real estate association and a committee of citizens to discuss the proposed legislation.
 Alderman Barbour Speaks. Alderman Barbour then arose to point l of privileges and said:
 q rise to a point of personal privilege Mir Chairman and gentlemen of the board 1 regret exceedingly that recent reports make it necessary for me to intrude upon l the deliberations of this body with the 1 statement | am about to make. I feel | however, that in justice to this hody as l well as to myself, 1 should make clear now what has been my attitude towards the so-called plumbing ordinance pending 1 in the City Council.
 Tn order to do this, MT. Chairman, it is necessary for me to relate the history of l the ordinance, how it originated and the 1 various steps in its progress up to this | time According to the minutes of the l City Council on record in the city clerk S office under date of May 20, 1903, the Judiciary committee made this report
 With reference to the resolution of 1 the Board of Trade for plumbing inspec- 1 tor and ordinance, the committee recom- mended that same be referred to sanitary committed
 History of Ordinance. According to the city clerks minutes, 1 MT. Chairman, 1t is shown that the plumbing ordinance to which this report l of the judiciary committee refers was in- l troduced in the City Council December 7 1904
 You all know that an ordinance re- 1 garding plumbing was desired by the | Board of Trade and by the Trades coun- | cil. It was in responce to the request
 made by these two important bodies, and l by the public in general, that an effort
 be taken to obtain plumbing legislation in l the City Council. In my capacity a member of the police and sanitary com | mittee, my attention was drawn to the l wishes of the people in regard to this l matter. In talking with some members of l the committee this subject came up for consideration and the suggestion that an | ordinance of some kind be introduced in | the City Council.
 l Talked With Mayor. | My interest in the matter was 1 strengthened by statements made to me 1 by his honor the Mayor In talking with | me regarding the work of his administra- tion, the Mayor on more than one oc- l casion said that he wished plumbing or l dinance to be adopted and plumbing in- | spector apointed before the close of his | administration He said that such legisla- 1 ton was badly needed and that the rapid | growth and development of the city de- l manded that we take such steps l "I resolved therefore to go ahead and l get up the ordinance and I was ready l to do so for four reasons. l list. Because of the action taken by | the Board of Trade.
 "2nd. Because of the action taken by 1 the Trades Council.
 ''3rd. Because of opinions expressed in my presence by members of this board
 "4th. Because of conversations I had on the subject with his honor, the Mayor
 How Ordinance Was Prepared. Accordingly l went to work to pre-
 pare the ordinance. In preparing the l ordinance I obtained and carefully ex- l ,.1,,