The Birmingham age-herald., 1905-02-21
PLUMBING LAWS
 VERY LIVE ISSUE Proposed Ordinance May be Pigeon HoIed for Present ALDERMAN HEIDT TALKS Does Not Think the Proposed Laws VIII Mean Any Good for the
 cIty--,ordInanee Has
 Friends, However.
ALDERMAN HEIDT TALKS

Mayor and Board of Aldermen.
 The indications are that Alderman Bar bours ordinance will be pigeon-holed until the Drennen administration goes out of office, and Mayor-elect Ward as- sumes control of the municipal reins' early in May. This Is the straight tip In the municipal building,
 The pending ordinance is now in the hands of the Judiciary committee of the City Council This course was agreed up- on at a meeting held in the Mayors of- flee on last Wednesday afternoon-Just before the regular semi-monthly meet ing of the City Council. In the commit tee the ordinance Is almost doomed To wait for weeks yet to come
 "The new laws create new depart ment. Why should the present admin istration which is soon to retire unloao such measure on the new admlnlstra- tion?p Is one of the pertinent remarks emanating from the city hall.
 It Is pointed out by several city of flcials that the proposed laws could lie stored away for two months and nothing will be lost. Plenty of time will then be given for a full investigation and discussion, and if the Ward administra- ton sees fit to adopt the new laws, such course can be taken
 Much Opposition.
 There has already developed much op- position, especially among the real estate men of Birmingham to the proposed laws. They contend that the laws will work an unnecessary hardship on them. On the other hand the ordinance is said to have some ardent supporters, in and out or the City Council There is one thing safe to predict-whenever the ordinance is pre- sented for final adoption there will be a lively debate.
 The city engineer is at present the plumbing inspector of the city of Bir- mingham. While of course he is en- tirelv responsible to the City Council for the operation of the department, still he does not look after the details' as he has not time with his multifarious duties to do SO He has an assistant who looks after plumbing inspection' This assistant makes all the inspections, issues permits and receives salary Of $75 per month.
 The new law provides for the creation of the separate office of plumbing in- spector. at a salary of $50 per month. It is rumored at the city hall that Char lie Eekerly, a local master plumber has been slated for the position and would have been elected last Wednesday night had the plumbing inspection laws been adopted. This, however, is only political rumor.
 When excavations are to be made In the streets, alleys and avenues paved, A deposit of $l0 is required of the plumb CTS under the present plumbing inspec- ton laws. This $1O is a guarantee that the pavement will be put down in as good condition as it was before the excavation was done. The city employs il paving man at a salary of $3. .50 per day. The plumbing inspector then de- ducts the actual cost of repairing paved streets from the BIO and returns the balance to the plumber.
 But this is not the case in the resi- dence sections of the city where the thoroughfares are only paved with macadam, and this has caused some 
 guarantee that the streets paved with macadam will be put back in good con- dition.
 Alderman Heidth Talks.
 Alderman c. c. Heidt is bitterly op- posed to the new plumbing ordinance and announces that he will fight 1t to the finish when it comes up on third reading and final passage in the board.
 q think it ought to be entitled An ordinance against the welfare of the people and for the fattening of already fat plumbing establishments" said MT. Heidt yesterday afternoon. Tt is against the interests of every citizen who owns property and tenants as well, and is altogether in favor of two or three of the larger plumbing establishments. It seems to me to be in bad taste for an alderman-a plumber to try to force this measure on the people, who are against 1t.
 MT. Barbour is in error when he says he had further consideration of the or dinance postponed in order to give full publicity to it. The records of the board will show that I made objection to the measure being placed on it's third read ing and final passage. I was ably assist ed by Alderman J. R. Copeland and others, but we had to make a strenuous fight to carry our point.
 "Since that meeting of the board I have been approached by many citizens who have urged me to continue the fight on this measure, and l shall do so.
 "The objections to the ordinance are so numerous that one hestates where to be- gin in naming them It may be character ized in general terms as an instrument for the creation of a trust and the ex- action of heavy taxes from the people. I have heard the cost of 1t estimated at anywhere from $1OO,O00 to $l5O,O0O.
 "The ordinance places 1t in the power of three men to grant or withhold licenses to plumbers. No standard of qualihca- tions Is prescribed for the guidance Of the board, and their action may be entirely empirical. The board, moreover. may at any time withdraw the license issued to a plumber. These powers tend to the re- striction of skilled labor, w,L the great ly increased cost which that implies.
 "The ordinance would have the effect. I believe, to force the small and strug- gling shops out of existence and thereby prevent competition. The requirement. of a bond of 5000 is evidently for that pur- pose.
 'I find 1t is the opinion of those who