The Washington herald., 1906-12-11
PLUMBERS CONTROVERSY.
Journeymen's Secretary Replies to
the Masters Secretary.

oOUEne mems SeGEeAAEE hSBAAth 10
the Masters Secretary.
Editor The Washington Herald;
On December you published a state
ment by William Koch. attacking the
position of the journeymen plumbers who
have been involved in a controversy with
the Master Plumbers Association. Mr.
Koch is secretary Of the Master Plumb
ers' Association, and his attack is SO
largely composed Of distortions that fair
ness to the jOurneymen plumbers would
seem tc require a statement giving at
least part Of the other side. Mr. Koch's
statement opens with a purported desire
to give the public the truth-he carefully
avoids saying the whole truth-and then
follows with complaint which appears.
so far as we can make II out, to be that
there has been an increase in the pay
OF jouneymen and an agreement be-
tween the Journeymen's Union and the
Master Plumbers Association, Of which
Mr. Koch Is secretary, after the assOcla-
ton had defeated the journeymen, These
are not mis- exact words. but their effect
seems to amount TO that
If the master plumbers defeated the
journeymen. they should have been able
to impose terms favoring the boys for
whom Mr. Koch sheds so many hgurative
tears. If the situation be as he paints it,.
how can he assume to blame the Journey
men for a situation which ne and his
fellow master plumbers must have been
partners In creating2 He says an agree
ment was made. With whom else could
it have been made than the Master
Plumbers Association?
Mr.. Koch purports to quote from the
working and shop rules. He employs
quotations marks 10 create the impression
that they are as he gives them. which
they are not The opening lines OF his
two alleged quotations need only be con-
suited 10 prove that he is not quoting
In the first, he pretends 20 quote thus:
'Journeyman plumbers must not be at
their places of work before 7:3O a. m. nor
after o'clock D. m. - His second
opens thus; "Workmen must not get to
their places of employment before 7.SO a.
m. nor work after p. m. ." To
show the attempt TO distOrt the facts, IT
IS necessary only 10 quote the rule as IL
acually appears, and The public should
remember that many Of these rules were
originated by the master plumbers, and
all were formally agreed 10 by them and
made part of the contract that was 10
have run for nearly two years more. This
rule reads. IA All jOuTneymen must be
ready 10 go TO work in shop or on a job
al 1880 a. m, and continue until Y O'Clock
noon. and from 12.30 p. m. until 4 D. m. p"
II does not require a map 10 explain to
the public that the actual rule and the
pretended quotations are very different
things. The actual rule requires the men
10 be ready TO begin work at the time
stated and requires them to put in eight
fun hours of work; it does not, as al
legged, prohibit their going to places OF
work ahead Of time. II is calculated TO
protect the employer and not hurt him, as
Mr. Koch seeks to create the impression
that il does.
But what ground OF complaint would
Mr. Koch or any other master plumber
have even II the rule as TO hours read as
he pretends IL does? We cannot extract
any other sense from that part OF the
complaint other than he finds fault be-
cause the working day is an eight-hour
day in fact and not merely in name. He
seems to think that the journeyman
should put In more or less time before
and after hours. doing work for the mas
ter plumber without receiving pay for
the same; and that he should be happy
to let the master plumber give the eight
hours" the elasticity of india rubber, eX-
cept on the pay roll.
Mr. Koch is misleading the public also
in that part Of his statement where he
seeks 10 create the impression that
journeymen are paid 81 to $3.50 a day and
.r,.. N..Fr. 1-a4
are charged for only at the rate Of s.
a day. Journeymen are paid 81 a day
BY the members OF the Master Plumbers
Association in this city. the $50 is pad
by outsiders. and in other cities than
Washington. In the cases which the
average house owner usually comes IN
contact with. namely, those Of ordinary
repairs. the journeymeu is rarely. II ever,
sent TO do the work il is almost IN
variablv apprentices who are sent 10 do
the work. receiving 81 70 s. a week,
for whose services their employer charges
80 cents an hour. or $40 day; not s.
day, as Mr. Koch alleges. The journey
men are employed only In installing
plumbing In new buildings. and on large
contracts for replacing or rem0deling
plumbing. and during the lull in building
during the cold weather these journey
men are kept idle. while the apprentices,
masquerading as jOurneymen on the bills
that the general public sees are kept TO
do the repairs necessitated by cold wealth
er and ordinary wear and tear.
II is thought that enough has been said
TO show that the statement OF Nj Koch
is misleading. and that whatever basis
there may be in the rules he pretends
to quote is so distorted by him as 10
appear entirely different from the actual
condition. Furthermore. Mr.. Koch has
no reason Of complaint, as he has never,
while In business, employed men of our
union. nor paid 81 per day to any plumb
er, nonunion or otherwise.
JAMES S O'HAGAN.
Secretary local Union No. 3.