Omaha daily bee., 1909-02-09
PLUMBlNC..HURRAH
Cut Prices So People Can Have
More Of It.
so SAYS PRESIDENT OF SOCIETY
National Convention Of Plumbing
and sanitary Engineers T. We'll
coined 20 the city by
the Mayor.

coneu 10 the NiAg ~
the Mayor.
Cheaper plumbing. so the people can
have more plumbing" was advocated by
Edward Quinn. president of the American
Society OF Plumbing and Sanitary Engi-
neers. which opened its fourth annual meet
ing at Hotel Rome Monday, the sessions of
which will continue until Wednesday even
ing. coming to a close with a banquet.
Mr.. Quinn is supervisor Of plumbing in the
city Of st. Louis and his annual address at
the opening Of the afternoon session was
fun OF suggestions to the inspectors and
plumbers TO encourage the installation of
economical devices that people may afford
more plumbing and thus secure more sani-
tary conditions in homes, apartments and
office buildings. Many of the latest in
Yentlons' were sharply criticised by the
president as being Injuries in the trade
which did not always do the things they
were said to do and frequently failed al
together to perform the work intended.
thus causing the property owner to have
big plumbing bills without getting results.
In such cases, he said, sanitation suffered
and he recalled making inspections where
he never found some devices in working
order after they had been installed at big
expense.
1.-THE chief obstacle in the way Of in
s~pectors attending these meetings is the
lack Of funaS," said President Quinn. Il
wrote many letters to mayors and presi
dents of the various boards of health and
the usual reply was no funds l believe
that II the inspectors will exert themselves
with the city councils that appropriations
will be made to pay the expenses of sending
at least one from his office to the annual
meetings. The cities gain by sending in
spectors to these meetings and in this age
Of progress no city should be backward
about paying the expenses of an inspector
to the meetings of the society"
state Examining Boards.
State examining boards for plumbers
weIp advocstcd by the yresident of the
society. He said:
1T is tha duty of every inspector here
to try and have legislation enacted to
create a board of examiners and that the
men composing them are those who will
conduct exariirations along practical lines.
But the examinations should avoid all catch
questions and that board should be made by
law to recognize the apprentice, as the boy
in the plumbing shop will eventually become
a competent plumber and a useful citizen
and the community will profit by his knowl-
edge of sanitation
Speaking of one of the patent devices, a
trap which is said to be an anti-syphon.
Mr.. Quinn said:
while some of the leading inspectors
have endorsed such traps, my experiments
show that an ordinary drum-trap properly
installed will offer as much resistance
against espionage as any anti-syphon trap
on the market"
President Quinn declared some Of the
devises now being unloaded on the public,
such as flushing valves, were little more
than devises which were used twenty years
ago when he entered the business, and he
suggested that the society investigate some
of the valves and see what could
be done TO discourage plumbers from
installing devices which worked so I'M
satisfactory. The use of cast iron
pipes in f~ireproof buildings was also dis
cussed at length by Mr.. Quinn.
Mayor Dahlman welcomed the members
of the society when they gathered in the
convention room of the Hotel Rome. About
100 were present. all wearing the official
badges, numbered and held in place by the
little Omaha keys. presented by the Com
mercial club.
In his paper before the society, DIR. Ralph
w. Connell. commissioner OF health of ON
aha, advocated the inspectors cooperating
with the plumbers in every possible way
and said that he believed that by doing so
the inspectors Office could secure many
reports of defective and unsanitary plumb
ing which it would be difficult for the in
spector or his assistants to find. DR.. Con-
nell was of the belief that when plumbers
understand the situation. that proper and
sanitary plumbing means not the loss of
wiling to report bad jobs and unsanitary
conditions. He also advocated the giving
of the same power to inspectors as TO san
itsry inspectors. and swearing them in as
special police officers. Plumbing and mod
ern conveniences which 1t carries with it
is no longer a luxury to be enjoyed only
by the wealthy he said. 1T is a matter
of necessity to rich and poor alike, and the
time is coming when there will be no more
open vaults and unsanitary places, even
on the farms, as manufacturers are making
outfits now which can be installed for a
mere pittance, S5 to $50, and there is no
excuse for the old conditions. not only in
cities, but I'm small towns and on the farms.
1t has been discovered taht what we have
long suspected is true, such places cause
disease. even in the country places. and
modern sanitary plumbing is not a great
way off"
DR.. Cornell was followed by Andrew
Rosewater. cit yengineer of Omaha, who
spoke on From House TO Sewer then
Frank w. O'Neill. Inspector OF plumbing
Of Joliet, ILL.,, spoke on Plumbing Inspect