Case Name: CITY OF SIOUX FALLS, Respondent v. KADINGER, Appellant
Court: South Dakota Supreme Court
Jurisdiction: South Dakota
Decision Date: 1953-07-13
Citations: 75 S.D. 86
Docket Number: File No. 9371
Parties: CITY OF SIOUX FALLS, Respondent v. KADINGER, Appellant
Judges: ROBERTS, P. J., and SMITH and SICKEL, JJ., concur.
Reporter: South Dakota Reports
Volume: 75
Pages: 86–95

Head Matter:
CITY OF SIOUX FALLS, Respondent v. KADINGER, Appellant
(59 N. W.2d 631)
(File No. 9371.
Opinion filed July 13, 1953)
Rehearing denied September 8, 1953
Tom Barron, John E. Burke, Sioux Falls, for Plaintiff and Respondent.
Blaine Simons, Sioux Falls, for Defendant and Appellant.

Opinion:
RUDOLPH, J.
Following our decision in City of Sioux Falls v. Kadinger, 74 S.D. 217, 50 N.W.2d 797, the city commission. enacted an amended ordinance omitting therefrom that provision requiring that an applicant for a plumber's li cense must establish by the affidavit of a master or journeyman plumber that he has served at least three years1 as an apprentice. We held in the prior case that the portion of the ordinance requiring that the applicant for a license shall have served at least three years as an apprentice plumber was unconstitutional and because of this the entire ordinance was invalid.
Appellant refused to obtain a license under the amended ordinance, was fined for working as a plumber without such license, and has appealed.
The amended ordinance appears to be a complete act in itself. It first defines plumbing as follows:
"10.101. Definitions. Plumbing in this title shall be deemed to mean the profession, art or trade of, and all work done and all matters used in and for (a) introducing, maintaining and extending a supply of water through a pipe or pipes or any appurtenances thereof in a building, structure or establishment; (b) installing, connecting or repairing any system of drainage whereby foul waste, rain or surplus water, gas, odor, vapor or fluid is discharged or proposed to be discharged through a pipe or pipes from any building, structure or establishment; (c) connecting any building, structure or establishment with any service pipe, water pipe, public main or other underground structure; (d) performing all classes of work generally done by plumbers.
"The plumbing system of a building includes the water supply distributing pipes; the fixtures and fixture traps; the soil waste and vent pipes; the house drain and house sewer; the storm-water drainage with their devices, appurtenances and connections, all within or adjacent to the building, structure or premises."
The next section of the ordinance classifies plumbers as master, journeyman and apprentice as follows:
"A Master Plumber is a person who assumes responsible charge and direction of other persons in the installation of plumbing as hereinbefore defined, and must hold a Master Plumber's License, issued within the current calendar year by the Board of Plumbing Examiners of the city.
"A Journeyman Plumber is a person who performs the manual work of installing plumbing and drainage only under the control of a licensed Master Plumber, and must hold a Journeyman Plumber's License, issued within the current calendar year by the Board of Plumbing Examiners of the city.
"An Apprentice Plumber is a person who performs the manual work of plumbing and drainage under the immediate supervision, direction and control of a licensed Master Plumber or a licensed Journeyman Plumber."
The ordinance then provides for a plumbing inspector, describes his duties and requires that before commencing any plumbing work in the city a plumber must obtain from the plumbing inspector a written permit. The ordinance also provides for a Board of Plumbing Examiners consisting of the plumbing inspector, the city engineer, a master plumber and a journeyman plumber licensed by the city. The Board of Plumbing Examiners is authorized to adopt such rules and regulations as shall be necessary for the examination of applicants for plumbing licenses and "to examine all such applicants as to their knowledge of the rules and regulations governing plumbing work and to determine the qualifications and fitness of such applicants for the license applied for and to grant licenses applied for and renewals thereof to qualified applicants." It is further provided that "the examination of applicants for plumbing licenses shall be of such a character as to test the fitness and qualifications of the applicants for the licenses applied for and ability to properly carry on the plumbing business and work authorized under the license applied for in such manner as h> safeguard and preserve the public health, safety and general welfare, and in compliance with the regulations and ordinances governing such work."
For the purpose of defraying expense of giving such examination it is required that a $10 fee accompany the application. A license fee of $50 per year is required of a master plumber and $10 a year of a journeyman plumber. Before a license issues to a master plumber it is required that he give a $1,000 bond in favor of the city conditioned for the faithful performance of all duties required by ordinance and that the obligors will hold the city harmless from all damage sustained by reason of neglect or incompetence of such master plumber or journeyman or apprentice working under his supervision. All persons are prohibited from engaging in the business of plumbing without first securing a license and paying the license fee with the exception that persons holding a master or journeyman plumbers' license at the time the ordinance became effective are not required to take the examination required by the ordinance to become licensed.
No fact question is presented. The questions raised by appellant go to- the validity of the ordinance.
We must premise our consideration of this ordinance upon the established law that a municipality acting pursuant to the power granted by SDC 45.0201(64) may in the interest of the public health require the examination and licensing of persons engaged in the business or occupation of plumbing. The restriction upon this power being that its exercise must be reasonable and not unduly abridge the right of a citizen to pursue a lawful vocation. City of Sioux Falls v. Kadinger, 74 S.D. 217, 50 N.W.2d 797. It is also fundamental in our law that all reasonable intendments must be indulged in favor of this ordinance, which should be upheld unless its infringement of constitutional restrictions is SO' plain as to admit of no reasonable doubt. Mundell v. Graph, 62 S.D. 631, 256 N.W. 121.
As stated above, although this ordinance purports to amend the prior ordinance held invalid, it is, nevertheless, complete in itself, and is in effect a new enactment with the part held objectionable omitted. It does not, therefore, fall within the rule that an amendment of a void ordinance cannot make the void ordinance valid. Board of Commissioners of the City of Newark v. Grodecki, 33 A.2d 115, 21 N.J.Misc. 241; City of LaCrosse v. Elbertson, 205 Wis. 207, 237 N.W. 99; Sutherland Statutory Construction, 3d Ed., § 1904.
The present ordinance provides that a license will issue without examination to a person holding a master or journeyman plumber's license at the time the ordinance became effective. Appellant contends that this provision discriminates against him. This contention must be ruled adversely to appellant under the authority of State v. Doran, 28 S.D. 486, 134 N.W. 53.
It is further contended that there are no standards fixed for the examinations required, and that as a result the examining board may favor one applicant over another. We see no merit in this contention. The ordinance at the outset defines plumbing. Plumbers are classified according to certain work performed. The examining board consists of the plumbing inspector, the city engineer, a master and a journeyman plumber, all qualified to determine the fitness of an applicant for a license. It is required that the examination shall be of such a character to test the fitness and qualifications of the applicants for the license applied for. The ordinance further provides that should an applicant be aggrieved by the action of the Board of Plumbing Examiners he may have such action reviewed by the Board of City Commissioners. These provisions make it clear, we believe, that the Examiners are required to examine an applicant on the subject of plumbing as defined in the act, which distinguishes this case on this issue from People v. Brown, 407 Ill. 565, 95 N.E.2d 888. The act creates a board of capable examiners, and requires that the examination test the fitness and qualifications of the applicant for the license applied for. These provisions together with the definition of plumbing and the classification of plumbers are sufficient as an expression of legislative will and the execution of this will consists of administrative functions only. There is no delegation of legislative power. State v. Stark, 100 Mont. 365, 52 P2d 890. There is no showing of any kind that the Examining Board is acting or has acted so as to favor one applicant over another, and this court will not presume that the Board's acts will be unreasonable, unfair or arbitrary. State v. Stark, supra.
There is no illegal discrimination when a public body acts under its police power if the classifications set up are reasonable. Annotation 22 A.L.R. 816. Under the ordinance it is the master plumber who assumes responsibility and it is required that he be bonded. The journeyman is responsible only to the master plumber under whom he works. This distinction it seems to us is ample justification for the difference in the license fee. It is not only the work of the master plumber but the work of the journeyman whom he employes for which the master is responsible. The inspection of the work and the cost thereof relates primarily therefore to the responsibility assumed by the master plumber.
We may concede as held in the very recent Illinois case, Schroeder v. Binks, Director of Registration and Education, Ill.Sup., 113 N.E.2d 169, that there is no distinction between the mechanical ability of a master and journeyman plumber. It is conceded in this case that the Examining Board makes no distinction in giving the examinations. The same examination is given to applicants for either a journeyman or master license. Anyone passing the examination may become either a master or a journeyman plumber at his option. To qualify as a journeyman he pays a $10 fee and as a master, $50. As stated above, we believe this difference in fees is reasonable and justified by reason of the responsibility assumed by the master. This is not the artificial classification which was condemned in the Illinois Case. The Illinois law required that an applicant for a license as a master plumber must have been licensed as a journeyman for at least one year.
Under the ordinance now before us there is no denial of the right to work. For example, if the defendant had taken and passed the examination, it was up to him whether he qualified as a master or a journeyman. If he wished to assume the responsibility and provide the bond he could qualify as a master. If he wished to assume no responsibilty, provide no bond, and work only under a master plumber who was responsible for his work he could qualify as a jouneryman. We see no denial of the right to work under these provisions of the ordinance.
We find nothing in this ordinance which tends to create a monopoly. Everyone is accorded the privilege of qualifying as a plumber, the only requirements being that the applicants pass the examination and pay the fees required which are not unreasonable.
The judgment appealed from is affirmed.
ROBERTS, P. J., and SMITH and SICKEL, JJ., concur.
LEEDOM, J., dissents.