Evening journal., 1912-07-20
CONNELLY'S HARD
RAPS ON PLUMBING

A0An WIN may WnHI 10 tUA1At III iIlt
business of plumbing or any person
that may make application TO do so.
TO my mind, any property owner.
any builder, or any plumber should
have right to hire any plumber he
might see A. to do his plumbing work
either by the day or by the Job with
out any examination or any license
Il want to say that ] am not op-
posed to any profits that a master
plumber might make or any success
that he might make out of his bust
ness, but ! am opposed to him being
cared for and protected by the city
authorities, having special laws pass
ed for him to allow him TO ply mis-
trade TO the detriment Of others who
may wish TO engage in the same
business. | am not opposed to him
getting a rake off or special price
from the supply houses, but | think
The supply people should treat the
general public with little more
fairness than they do and they
should sell the same amount of ma
terial for the same amount of money
to everybody or anybody that wants
to purchase IT,
81 made a statement some few
weeks ago about the supply houses
and the master plumbers working in
cahoots with each other. that the
master plumbers got a rake off if the
goods we're bought through them and
that the supply houses would not
sell plumbing material to anybody
unless they bought IL through IL
censed plumbers. The president Of
the Master Plumbers Association
said that such was not the case. and
one of the supply houses came out
boldly and said they would sell their
goods to anybody; all they wanted
was the cash, and this is how they
sell for cash. The quotations / make
are absolutely authentic, have them
in black and white and defy any
master plumber or supply house to
doubt them
Quotes Some Prices.
II have here small list of rough
plumbing, enough for a house five
rooms and bath-the price for these
goods is $4,000 TO the master plum
Der. anybody else, S49.50.
"One FIVE foot iron enameled Memo
bath tub fixtures complete. master
plumber. $3.50; anybody else.
$50 40
Enamel lavatory. master plumber,
S6.T5; anybody else, S925.
Low down water closet, master
plumber, slO35; anybody else,
St7S5
Iron enameled sink. master
plumber. $3.50: anybody else,
S1O75
You will notice that all those
quotations are put to the general
public at an increase of so per cent.
the most outrageous imposition ever
put on anybody, but Of course this
is done for the benefit of the citizens
health.
The resolutions of the Street and
Sewer Department governing plumb
ing, to my mind, are illegal, arbitrary
and unconstitutional, they are un-
fair and unjust. and in reading this
book entitled Rules and Regulations
of the Street and Sewer Department,
if that was not printed on the book
] would think | was reading the Re
solutions and minutes Of the meet
ings of the Master Plumbers Asso-
citation
The whole situation looks like
this-Any person who feels so in
clined has a right to 60 into the
plumbing business without the pay
ment of any special license or the
payment of any forfeit money as Ions
as he pays a State mercantile license
and that he puts in the work to the
satisfaction Of the Plumbing Inspec-
tor That he should be limited to a
certain number of apprentices and
such number to be calculated on q
pro rata basis of the employed Jour
neyman or a minimum or maxi
mum number. I also think that al
iourneymen plumbers should be reg.
istered at the Office of the plumbing
inspector without examination oI
cost and the right of registration
should be based on a letter of infor.
nation from his employer immed-
lately after he has completed his ap-
premiership. I claim that no ap-
prentice should be allowed on a iot
alone. or be sent TO do a Job witt
another apprentice to help him. Il
looks too much like the Blind lead
ing the blind" Journeymen should
at all times. be sent on the job with
an apprentice helper If the appren-
tice is skilled enough to do the work
let him do il under the supervision
OF the experienced iourneyman whom
he is with
"I am not taking a stand against
the apprentice 7 encourage him bui