PLUMBERS' LICENSES.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume LII, Issue 9187, 6 September 1906, Page 7

PLUMBERS' LICENSES.

m The issue of licenses to local plumbers has been the cause of some anxiety to the Borough Council, and the Borough foreman, who was asked to* consider the question, reported to Wednesday night's meeting of tfoe Council as follows*: 'The plumbers of this borough have been working on provisional licenses. Tfcese licenses were issued in tihe first place to enable the plumber to prepare for an examination in theoretical and, practical plumbing. ' About three years have now elapsed since provisional licenses were first granted, but the plumbers I have> spoken to on the matter seem to have very strong objections to a- theoreti- ' cal examination on the ground thafc it is useless and has very little hearing on the practical aspect of the trade. Others say they aro not in a position to go to Wellington or some other centre to get tuition. All these objections can be raised bufr can also be removed as easily. As to tuition coTrespondence schools will teach this subject, our local technical school also, and there are many other ways of qualifying if the plumber is anxious, but it seems to me, they are not inclined to gio to the trouble if raising objections will save them. I might say that 60 hours' tuition would be sufficient for a person of ordinary intelligence and education. As to the utility of this, theoretical knowledge when acquired, I don't think it is 'necessary for me to defend it. There is one very potent fact in existence, and Hhat is that no town with an up-to-date sewage system will let men work at sanitary, plumbing^ unless licensed, and .to objadn a license they must have an elementary knowledge of [sanitary science and pass an examination 'thereon When the plumber has tins knowledge it is not difficult to keep Jiim up to the bylaw. Without this hie "usually thinks t!he by-law oppressive— designed to especially obstruct him in particular and the 'rate payers in general. I would like to point out that a great deal of the sanitary work in this borough has been' done in direct defiance of the by-law. Again the by-laws are defective, and show a want of practical and theoretical knowledge on the part of the person who drafted them. Some of tihe clauses are absurd, others are useless. The whole of the plumbers in this borough are now doing sanitary work without licenses, and no- applications for licenses have been made to me. Some of the work now going on is verjf bad and will have to ■ be condemned, entailing a lot of unnece*1 sary expense on the owner If the plumbI era were compelled to quaMfy for and take out their licenses and endorsements made » in cases of had work, it would throw the ' responsibility on the plumber and protect the owner as should be done. As regards on examination, I would suggest that an ordinary grade examination be taken frorrone of the recognised schools and adopted for the standard for this borough. I would commend this whole matter to the attention of the Council." Cr Brunette moved the adoption of the report. ' Cr Sutton seconded. Cr Pacey said he thought the suggestions idumld be given effect to and pro visional licenses issued for three or spx months. The motion was carried, it being further resolved that plumbers be given until the end., of tihe present year in which to qualify for licenses, none wch to be issued to unqualified men after December 31

At the. meeting of the Borough Council on Wednesday evening the Foreman (Mr J. Macpherson> reported that during the month he had been doing general workmaking 10 chains of footpath on Glover road, repairing reads, culverts, etc. One hundred and twenty-five cubic yards of stone had been received from Smart road (New Plymouth), as ordered, and had been taken to Wilson street, where it was being brokvn to 2£ inch gauge. He had started to put in five new air valves on the main pipe line, and would oontinuie to fix two or three every week till complete. During the month a fair pressure had b*/en maintained—73lba in the daytime and 901b3 during the night. He was? at present working at the gravel pti, and proposed to start carting to the yards as scon as '. \hu roads dried up.— The report was [ adopted. For Bronchial Coughs and Colds, Woods' Great Peppermint Cure, Is 6d and 2s 6d per bottle.