COMPLAINTS AS TO COST.

Press, Volume LXIV, Issue 13112, 11 May 1908, Page 4

COMPLAINTS AS TO COST.

The complaints regarding the alleged excessive charges imposed by licensed pipe-layers end plumbers for effecting sewer connections and installing the necessary sanitary apparatus in connection therewith formed the subject of an enquiry by a "Press" representative, and the result of the investigations showed at least that the charges do not err on the side of moderation, t Mr E. Outhbert, secretary and engineer of the Christchurch Drainage Board, said that the Board had been approached on the matter of regulating prices, but bad decided that it could not interfere, and that the propertyowners must protect themselves. A good many years ago the Board had issued a schedule of prices to which the licensed men had to conform, but that systemr.was abandoned at the request of the /publio, who claimed that the prices as laid down by the Board, were too high, and that they could get better terms by private bargaining. Even if the Board were to issue another schedule there was nothing to compel the licensed men. to work under it, and no good would result. Asked as to whether it would not be possible for tho Board to engage a staff of men and do all the work themselves, Mr Outhbert said he did not see how the Board could possibly adopt such a system with advantage to itself. The work varied so much, and at one time most of the mon would be standing about idle, while at another the staff would not bo largo enough to deal with the orders, tho wages bill, of course, remaining constant. As far as present prices were concerned, Mr Cuthbert i said that a schedule had been fixed, by the Pipe-layers' Association as follows: —Laying a 4 inch pipe Is 2d a foot, depth 5 feetj each junction measured as 6 feet of piping, double junction •as Sft. bends as 3 feet; 4 inch P trap 12s 6d, Hurrell trap 22» 6d, Cuthbert trap 255. A property-holder could therefore estimate pretty accurately what the work was going to cost him so far as tho pipe-laying part of it was concerned. Tho cost of the plumbing work varied a great deal, and depended entirely on what was done and what was installed in the way of fittings. Taking an ordinary case of a cottage property being connected with the main sewer, existing sanitary structures being made use of as far as possible, Mr Cuthbert estimated that the pipe-lay-ing according to tho Associations' scale would co3t £6 lis 6d, and tho plumbing about £5, or .a total of under £12. It "w—i, ho added, absurd to say that the work could not be done for less than £24. He believed that tiie Pipe-layers' Association would permit of no departure from its sc_edule, and adopted effectivo measures to prevent a man working for less than the schedule rates. A member of the Pipe-layers' Association, who was also interviewed, but who did not wish to have his. name disclosed, said that the Association had adopted a schedule rate which was pretty well adhered to by the members of the Association. He did not think tho charges as laid down were excessive, and there was certainly no combination among tho licensed men to inflate prices, and he was sure that the Association would not increase the rates in order to take advantage of the compulsion to connect imposed upon property owners. In 60me cases, such as where the customer was in very poor circumstances, it would bo possible to do tho work for less than schedule rates, and some members of the Association were willing to reduce their charges in such cases, but, the Association prevented this by causing the pipe-makers to refuse to supply these members with pipes, and consequently they had to abandon any idea of undercutting. All that could be done now was to refund the customer a part of the price paid. It was ridiculous, however, to say that a sewer connection could not be obtained for less than £24. The cost, of course, raried according to what was wanted, but ho had done the pipe-lay in** work for as small a sum as £6, keeping to Association rates. Houses, however, were designed so dif-

ferently, their various departments might be far apart, or they might stand a long way back from the street frontage, and the cost of laying down the sanitary system might be considerable.' A customer, however, could always get a price for the work he wanted, and could amend his specifications if what he wanted originally would cost too much, and in all oases he could know what the work was going to cost him instead of finding it out. after tho job was done. He felt sure that the Drainage Board would initerfere if excessive charges were iniposed at any time.