PLUMBERS' LICENSES

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 10582, 13 March 1912, Page 5

PLUMBERS' LICENSES

A QUESTION OF FEES. > THiE aiAYOiE AND CR HOAH. . A deputation representing the journeymen plumbers of MaiSterton waited j on the Borough Council last evening, • and stated I 'that they wished the. lie-1 ense fee for Masterton plumbers to ; bej reduced to the same amount as was | in vogue in other towns. The spokes- i man of the deputation pointed out that in other towns journeymen plumbers were charged a fee of 5s for the . first year and Is afterwards, the fee, being really nominal, and was a, recognition of their status as qualified plumbers. There were men in Masterton, he said, who paid no license fees, and yet were permi tted to do the same work as those who had to pay the fees. According to the Borough bye-laws, all plumbers doing certain work must bo licensed. which showed thatvthey were qualified. ' Cr Hoar asked if any work had been done in the Borough other than by licensed men, and on the Mayor . making a statement in reference to the matter, Or Hoar asked that there should be no quibbling in answering his question®. . The Mayor: "'Will you withdraw, that statement?" Cr Hoar: "No, I will not!" ( The Mayor: "Then sit down!" Cr Hoar : "No, I will not!" > The Mayor: "Then you don't speak in this Council until you withdraw tiiat statement." Cr Hoar: "Then I'll sit down!" At, this istage a member of the deputation stated that he knew of cases where work had been done iby other than licensed plumbers. Cr Ewington thought it was not at all necessary to .make any statement, and the member of the deputation was advised iby the Mayor that he was not asked to make any statement, as it was not necessary to do so. Cr Candy moved, and Cr Ewington seconded, that the license fee for plumbers be reduced to Is. —Carried. The leader of the deputation asked for a more strict enforcement of the Borough ibye-law in connection with plumbing work, and in reference to the employment of qualified men. The Mayor stated that in the .past, it was not always easy to get qualified men to do certain work. The deputation then retired.