The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1915-02-17
~. Members Of Plumbers Associa-
zion Declares He Paid Fine for
an Alleged Violation of
Rules.
statesmen ARE CALLED
n.alers In Supplies Tell Court That
They Faced an Alleged Boy
colt In some
Matters.

DIES MONIES, Feb. IT, Nine wit.
nesses were called by the government
yesterday in the trial of the thirty.
six indicted plumbers.
The substance of the testimony was
70 the effect that 1t has been next to
imrossible for the witnesses, most OF
whom are independent plumbers. to
Inv materials in towns where local
branches Of the state and national as
sociations of master plumbers have
b zen organized.
Six of the witnesses were from Du-
buqre. They are: Edward T. Cleaver,
John Mullen, Thomas Dempsey, AL
aert c.. Wunder, r. J. Burke and j.
s Liddle. LiddIe is from East Du-
hnaue on the Illinoi1 side of the state
line.
Burke declared that he had been
unable to purchase supplies while out
of the association, but that he went
into the organization later and re-
ceived catalogue from supply
house on 1.-The same day." he joined.
Bought for, independents.
j S. Liddle o. East Dubuque. H.,
testified that he had purchased sup
pies IOT q uuLlOCl VI 1IuUuquO lhuC'
pendents. These independents, accord
Ing to the witness, were unable to
buy supplies from the Dubuque supply
houses because Of the fact that local
association existed there. Liddle
said that he bought the materials in
his own name, had them shipped
across the Mississippi river to his
shop and then shipped them back to
Dubuque.
He said he was able to puchase the
goods notwithstanding the, fact that
he was nonassociation member be-
cause no association had been organ
d ICED in East Dubuque.
After the supply house found what
] was doing they stopped selling me
goods Also" said Liddle.
Charles E. Sherman, supply house
Noperator Of Mason City, followed Lid
die upon the stand. While he insisted
Z that he has always "felt friendly" to-
ward the master plumbers association.
he admitted Upon direct examination
by Claude R. Porter that he had sold
only to association members in towns
where local organizations of the as
ISOLATION existed.
We sold to association members
only in towns where they had locals, .
said Sherman. "and in towns where
there were no associations we sold to
anyone in the business there
Complaints Filed.
He admitted also that complaints
had been lodged against his company
because it had sold to nonmembers.
and said that at one time he had
been forced to pay a $25 fine as a re-
suit
Who was this fine paid top ask
ed Attorney Porter.
To the man who had lodged the
complaint replied Sherman.
Had any of the so-called complaint
slips been sent out to the association
members as result OF this members
complaint"
Yes" answered the witness.
In giving as his reason for feeling
friendly" toward the association, Sher-
man said that he thought the .founda-
ton of the association is for the ina
plumbing fraternity
X. e. Neimeyer of Cedar Rapids. an
lndependent plumber, declared that he
mad been unable to get supplies as a
result of his being nonmember, and
mentioned several companies who he
said had refused to sell him goods.
Neimeyer smilingly admitted that he
mad taken the oath when he joined
the association. He has since with
drawn from it. he saids
He said that while in the association
he had been fined once for figuring
With a contractor on certain job H.
stead OF with the owner of the prop
erty directly.
Statesmen on Stand.
(, =. V. Kellogg, president of the KEEL
logg-McCay Plumbing supply company
ol Chicago, was called to the witness
stand by the government in the trial
OF the thirty-six indicted plumbers