PLUMBING REGULATIONS

Hawera Star, Volume XLVI, 10 March 1927, Page 9

PLUMBING REGULATIONS

USE OF UNREGISTERED TRADES- ' MAN. CASE, BEFORE THE COURT. A case of more than passing interest to householders in Hawe.ra came before Mr J. S. Barton, S.M., at the Magistrate’s Court this morning. The borough sanitary inspector (Mr F. G. Coleman) proceeded against H. A. Hurley for committing a breach of the Plumbers Act. Defendant disconnected a sparge pipe in connection with a sanitary system in a local hotel. Mr J. Houston appeared for the Hawera Borough Council and Mr H. L. Spratt for the defendant. The inspector stated that the Department of Public Health was moving in the matter of enforcing its regulations on .sanitary matters, and had written to tile local authorities, including the Hawera Borough Council, on the matter. Witness saw defendant doing the work in connection with a hotel sanitary system. Defendant was not registered.

Mr Spratt, for defendant, stated that defendant was an employee of C. Kneebone. His employer was away in Auckland, and as the job was a. trivial one, and it was in the interest of the public health that it be done at once, defendant did the job. He was a competent practical man. Counsel stated that the regulations should not be applied in such a case. In Taranaki the water contained much vegetation, which accumulated in the pipes.

Mr Spratt asked the inspector ,if it were reasonable to suppose that every time a householder’s shower was congested with green vegetation he should call in a registered plumber. The inspector stated that that was what the regulations provided. Strictly speaking continued the inspector, anybody wishing to put a. washer otm their tap could, under certain circumstances, be required to ~ive 48 hours’ notice. Such cases, however, would have little chance of success before the court. The defendant had been doing other plumbing work while unregistered. Mr Spratt submitted that the case should he dismissed as trivial. The Magistrate said that were he in a house outside the registered area he would probably do such a small matter himself well a.s a registered plumber, but the offence had taken plac-e in a registered area. Defendant was convicted, and ordered to pay court costs 10s and solicitor’s fee £2 2s.