The Wilmington morning star., 1945-11-08
Fair Enough
nv wEsTBRoOK PEGLER
fConvrisht 1s45, BY King Features Syl

evanoininp hoard of plumbers "as a step TO
break the construction monopoly which could
seriously affect postwar building operations
His honor's announcement included some
rather grimy remarks about his own local
board which, not knowing the facts, must
deny myself the pleasure OF endorsing. But
if it be taken as a general condemnation of
an evil condition contrived by plumbing con-
tractors almost everywhere, in conspiracy
against the people, can say that by indie
pendent inquiry some time ago, discovered
facts which corroborate him thoroughly.
This, my peers, is racket by means of
which countless villages and towns are barri-
caded against competitive bidding m plumb
ing jobs and are placed at the me- of local
monopolists who thus are autho": by law
to exclude rivals. It is done by MS of a
standard ordinance which sets up tn local
contractors as examiners to pass on the quail
fications of other men in the same trade, as
good as themselves if not better, who live and
operate in other communities in the same
states or counties.
For illustration, let us assume there is a
town Of 5000 with five resident plumbing con-
tractors. The town council adopts an ordinance
treacherously disguised as a public health
measure, creating an examining board and
license fee of 81, 900 for newcomers. Those al
ready on the ground are exempt, being grant
ed free licenses before the enactment of the
fee provision, and three of the local five con-
stitute the board. They rotate the board men,
berships among themselves and receive pay
for their public disservice. The local ordinance
then further provides that all outsiders, includ-
ind even a qualified man from the next viii
lage or town, who shall undertake to mend
leaky tap or install a sink shall first be re-
quired to pass written examinations prepared
by men with obvious motive to funk them
and exclude this competition It may be con-
ceded that the license fee may be less than
81, 900 in some cases, with the stipulation, how
ever, that it may be even more.
A case is on file In which it was alleged
that an outside plumber who was flunked by
the local examining board of n1onopolists was
then hired by one Of the examiners to handle
a contract In that examiners name and I'M
der his license at price to the victinized
home-builder 50 high that he was able to pay
the monopolist 81 per cent Of the profits and
still make money for himself.
These ordinances usually are sneaked
through in the dark Of the moon by collision
between the local plumbers and the members
Of the public council who thus earn the graft
tude Of the monopoly and in building opera
tions Of their own receive remarkably low bids
for the plumbing work, to say nothing of cash
on the stairs at the time Of passage. In this
connection, recall the somber observation of
the late W. o. Mcclellan that, although the
trade Of carpentry was once adorned by the
Savior and that the blacksmith is, by poetic
tradition, conspicuously good, our literature is
barren of any compliments to the plumber
but our humor 1arded with loud jokes about his
Guile, we owe the plumbing contractor nothing,
least Of all restrictions on competition to
protect him in his notorious impostions.
Being confirmed now in their monopoly with
legal authority to repel all rivals, the five To-
cal operators arrange to distribute the work
among themselves by collusive bids and the
cost Of installation In new homes and apart
ment buildings is controlled only by their con-
science. Nobody can prove that they get their
heads together when bids are asked by the
builders of new housing, the need for which
is now desperate and approaching the point
Of actual danger. Nobody can challenge their
rejection Of new applicants because, under the
| standard form Of ordinance, their decisions
are final and subject to no review, even though
the rejected plumber may hold state license
| and local permit in an adjacent town.
| It has been proposed and I beleave, enacted
in some communities that a similar racket be
created by law for the benefit Of the electri-
cal contractors, again in the guise Of a mea-
sure of public safety to reduce the fire
hazard, although electricians, too, must quail
fly by test in wider jurisdictions. It would be
equally reasonable to establish the same con-
ditions to protect a monopoly Of the local
clergy the grocers or the newspaper publish
ers No reason why plumbing contractors
should be SO favored has ever been advanced
except the fraudulent ground Of public health
which is disposed of by the fact that man
licensed by the state, on proof Of his ability
as every such practitioner should be, must
be assumed to be competent everywhere in
| that state.
This, be it noted, is an inspection ordinance
Plumbing and electrical work should be in
spected and, in most localities, is inspected
by health authorities in the of plumbing
and the fire insurance companies and fire de-
partment inspectors in the case OF wiring. Yhe
ordinance here discussed is simply means
of permitting entrenched local contractors to
balkanize their town and prey upon their
neighbors.
Mr.. Ornstein is proposing to the New York
Legislature a certificate of competence valid
throughout the state which seems hardly suf-
ficient, however, as long as local town coun-
ellis, which hitherto have connived at the
racket, retain the right to impose prohibitive
local license fees.
| The point of attack should be the municipal
councils which could hardly stand off a con-
certed demand by homeless Americans espe-
cially the veterans, for the repeal of
racket which robs the whole population for the
special benefit Of an inpudent and not parti-
cularly popular few.
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