Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-02-15
PLUMBERS GRAFT"
Capt. Markham Learns of
Scheme Being Worked.
OVERCHARGING CUSTOMERS
Pay District Small Sums for "Cuts"
and Ask Ten Times as Much of
Property Owners.

There are some plumbers about the city
who are reaping harvest on plumbers
cuts. by paying the District from - cents
to about SIS for charges incurred in tear
ing up streets and sidewalks in making
connections between water mains and
private plumbing systems. and then
charging the property owner ten times
as much. This is the statement of Capt.
r. NJ. Markham, assistant engineer COM
missioner.
Smetimes it becomes necessary for a
property owner to hire a plumber to dig
a hole in the street or sidewalk, so that
his house can have running water and
other conveniences in the line of mod
ern improvements" The District allows
the plumber to rip. tear and dig. but
the District lets no one Go the repairing
but its own men. The repair work is
charged up to the plumber at a small
rate, ranging from : cents a square foot
Of surface to $3.2J a square yard of as
phalt, and is deducted from the plumber
deposit Of SD which is kept at the Dis
trict building
Discovery of Scheme.
Recently Capt. Markham has discov-
cred that certain plumbers have been
making excessive charges to property
owners. and claiming that these excess
sive charges are only what the District
charges the plumbers.
Why said Capt. Markham this morn
ing, Il have one case here where a
plumber was charged about SD for the re-
pairs that we made. and the property
owner was charged $32 by the plumber.
The property owner made a complaint to
the plumber, who said that the $50 was
of1 hat fhn H-,I .i,1
Il have memoranda of at least half a
dozen cases of that kind. One plumber
tore up % cents worth of brick and
charged $3.50 for it. 1 suppose the prop
grumbled about the way the District gov
eminent charges for it's work, when in
reality the plumbers are getting rich
quickly. One can find out exactly what
the charge on any single piece of work is
by writing to us, or calling. or telephon-
ing. We have the records right here.
Il don't believe all the plumbers in
the city are doing that sort Of thing,
but certainly some of them are.
How It Leaked Out.
81 learned of this by a man writing
here for information about a job for
which he was charged $3.50. He COM
planned of the charge. saying that the
work was very slight, and stated his
trict government We looked ND the
job and found that We had repaired the
small hole in the sidewalk for a few
cents.
II wish property owners would take
some interest in their affairs when it
comes to matters Of this kind, because
We are sure to be the object of many
a kick and srumble on the part Of prop
erty owners who do not take the trouble
to come to headquarters for their In
formation.
Capt. Markhams Office has card
showing the schedule of price for this
repair work. For repairing brick side
walks the District charges : cents a
square foot. with cent extra for each
brick destroyed. Asphalt streets cost
$3.50 a square yard. Vitrified brick or
block cost $3.50 square yard, with
cents extra for each lost brick;
asphalt and granite block costs s15O a
square yard, with from 5 to ~ cents for
lost bricks; cobblestones cost 60 cents a
square yard, and macadam roadway
costs a dollar square yard.