Imperial Valley press., 1917-06-15
THE VOICE Of THE PEOPLE
To the Editor of the Imperial Valley

Press:
In reply to an article in Thursday S
issue of The Press, we, the master
plumbers of Ell Centro. wish to make
answer to Mr.. Watkins allegations.
AS to a plumbers trust or combina-
tor, we wish to s;ate thai any such
allegation is falsehood. If Mr.. Wat
kins knows of any such combination
ior trust, it is his duty as trustee
and citizen to take the necessary
steps with the United States federal
court to break the same and prose-
cute the members under the Serman
Anti Trust law.
The assertion that outside compeyj-
tors can't enter FL Centre ,o DO
plumbing is also false. Any g.u@hs,
who can pass eXaminat.o- e. r5aas-
cr can do plumbing work and If
plumber has been refused ..l~a a.--
cr taking examination, Dir. H2g1s..
ls at fault, and Het the master rIala.-
crs, as Mr.. Watkins is chairman o.
the board of examiner. Mr.. Watkins
and the city council, together with
the city plumbing inspector, drew up
the present ordinance, and not the
master plumbers, and if the ordinance
i faulty, place the blame where it
belongs.
As to the ordinance, will state that
the state legislature passed bill max
ing it compulsory for any plumber
to take an examination identically the
same as the existing ordinance now
in effect in this city. This state law
will be in effect July 5, 1917.
As to the exorbitant price of PLUMB
ing in FL Centro, we wish to call at
tention to one job in particular, men
toned by Mr.. Watkins. He stated
that local plumber asked in the
of $50 for a certain jon
ard that an outside plumber agreed
to do the same job for $50. Maybe
ne did, but we have offered to show
Nr. Watkins the job, together with
the city inspector, so there cannot lie
any dispute as to the amount of ma
terial necessary to complete said JOB
according to the ordinance. Also, We
can prove conclusively by Mr.. Wat
k,ns' own cost of the said material
that it runs to s24.57, to say nothing
IF labor, as well as inspection ard
permit fees on the job. Also the
plumbers carriage, stage from tie
Ser city to El Centre. Allowing
reasonable amount of labor on the
job, the actual cost of the job is $43,
allowing a profit to the plumber Civ
i,'g the bid of $50 of 81, which figures
about IS per cent. Now, Mr.. Watkins
says he gets not less than 80 per cent
Profit or more on his shelf hardware.
He claims his overhead expense is
such that he cannot do business at q
less profit. Who is making the mot
so-called plumbers trust
o. the peoples protector, Mr.. Wa
kins?
Mr.. Watkins handles plumbing SUP
Plies and we have bought articles
from him at different times and are
in d position to state that he has
made in number of instances 100
Isr cent or more on these sales.
If Mr.. Watkins made thorough
Investigation before introducing hie
claims to the other members of tn
beard, now will he answer the So
called plumbers trust. We can bacl.
up with figures all we claim, and fig
ures do not lie. We do not base our
claims on idle talk and hearsay
Mr. Watkins, a local plumher, T.
Cne Of the so-called trust. vii dona
$500 to the Red Cross Association. a.
other charitable association th,t u
Watkins may see fit to name. e Ir
can prove that Mr. Nathc" ever ~
fused to do work in Ii laatI9 @t
500 per hour for any reputable Pc
scp or firm wishing work done wro
were able to pay for laid work.
c. B. FOLSOM,
J. +. MATHEWS,
GEO DE HAVEN,
WALT Edmund,
RICHMOND BROS.