Evening star., 1946-09-22
Plumbers
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due, at least in part, to some con-
fusion as to how the system
operates.
Tie official, however, admitted
that certain features of the system
might not allow plumbers to obtain
materials as speedily as necessary
lin some emergency situations and
that the agencies involved were
now working to correct the situa-
ton
Under the new regulations. the
MIA spokesman said, plumbing
supplies have been placed on two
priority lists, depending on their
scarcity and the need for them in
the veterans housing program.
Must Honor Orders,
Dealers are required to honor
priority orders for up to IS per
cent Of each months supply of
items on List A. These items must
be set aside for one month only
however, and may be sold to non
priority holders if the items are
still on hand after the expiration
of a month.
Plumbers should be able to get a
sufficient amount Of those items
for necessary work without using
priorities, the MIA spokesman said.
The main difficulty, he explained,
would arise in the case of the six
scarcer items which have been
placed on List B.
In the case of List B items, deal
ers are required to set aside, in
definitely" from IS to 95 per cent
for priority orders only. # unsold
at the end of the month. they may
not be sold to nom priority custom
ers, but must be kept in stock until
priority holders show up.
Items on List B are bathtubs, cast
iron soil pipe and fittings, kitchen
sinks, lavatories, warm-air furnaces
and water closet tanks and bowls.
OF those, only cast iron soil pipe
fittings, warm-air furnaces and
water closet tanks and bowls can
be considered in the emergency
category" the MIA official said.
L1mlt Oh frlCe.
Subsequent to issuance of the new
regulations. it was explained, an
amendment authorized priorities for
nonveterans for emergency cases in
which the needed materials would
not cost more than 5000 for single
house or $500 for house occupied
by six or more families.
Such priorities must be obtained
by the plumber from the local office
of the Federal Housing Administra-
ton, and it was this red tape" to
which part of Mr.. Lipps objection
was directed. He said, When you
have to make an emergency repair
you can't wait 10 days to get the
priority
MIA and CPA officials are now
reviewing details of this phase of
the new regulations with view to
possible change, the housing official
said.
During the war plumbers were
permitted to purchase up to 5000
worth of materials for one house
from dealers without obtaining a
priority in advance. This was per-
mitted under a system of self
certification" allowing the plumbing
contractor to certify to the dealer
that the supplies were needed for
repairs or maintenance
Opportunity for Diversion.
Housing officials indicated tina
under the wartime system there
would be greater opportunity fol
diversion of materials away from
critically needed veterans homes.
On the other hand, Mr.. Lipp, who
heads a plumbing contracting bus.
iness that has operated in the Dis.
trict for the last so years, said i
was ridiculous to put all thi
material into CT homes and to en-.
danger the health of the city by pre-,
venting repairs and maintenance o
homes that are already being livec
in"
He said the plumbing industr!
needed an adequate repairs ant
maintenance" provision in the pri
ority regulations. He added that tn,
health problem will become ever
more acute when we have the frs
cold snap"
The master plumbers official salt
that between and 7 per cent o
the associations member firms con
tract for plumbing in new home
and the remainder mainly suppl,
repairs and maintenance.