PLUMBERS IN CONFERENCE

Evening Star, Issue 16033, 9 February 1916, Page 2

PLUMBERS IN CONFERENCE

DANGER IN THE WASHTUB. (Special to the ‘Stah.’J CHRISTCHURCH, February 9. The report on sanitation matters submitted by Mr J. H. F. Wilson on behalf of the Dominion Matter Plumbers’ Association at the Convention of th© New Zealand Plumbers' Federation yesterday contained an important reference to the danger to public health from th© use of wooden washtubs. Th© report referred to th© sanitation by-laws in force in Dunedin and suburbs, which were generally commended. One direction in which they are not satisfactory was dealt with as follows:—“Washtubs fitted in a detached building are allowed to have 24m galvanised waste, and if under 12ft do not require trapping. Being the only sanitary waste so allowed, wooden washtubs are the most prevalent kind used, and the wash tub ranks as one of tbe most dangerous of sanitary fittings. Into the tubs all soiled wearing apparel, bed linen, etc., from a sick chamber or from a person suffering from any of the numerous contagious skin or body disease are thrown and left to soak previous to washing. The wooden tub, being porous, must absorb a certain amount. Th© user of the tubs usually has a warm job. Tho sleeves are rolled up, and the pores of the skin are naturally open, and just in a condition to contract any infection that may be prevalent. I have also observed that'it is the custom with a number of people to store vegetables, leave the milk, and if out the bread and meat are left in the washhouse on the tubs. Now, as it is almost impossible to educate the whole of the populace as to what is a dangerous practice it behoves us to devise means to protect them from themselves. Washtubs should be made of an impervious material, and so made that they can be re-ftiily cleansed. If it' is necessary that a washbasin be trapped, how much more vital is the necessity as regards tubs?” The report, with other similar reports, is to be discussed at a later stage of the convention proceedings. The district report for Dunedin, which was read at the conference yesterday, stated that tire association kept a close watch on the local bodies, especially the Drainage Board and City Council, both being very much inclined to enter into local enterprises and take certain work out of the hands of the plumbers. The asosciation had been able to make united representations before local bodies as to the injustice they were doing. The plumbers’ trade had been exceptionally good during the year, but did not show mch pcanuse-fox' the coming year