OFFICE OFTHEA~ORNEY GENERALOFTEXAS
AUSTIN
ffonorable Tom Seay
CouutyAttorney
Pottercounty
Amarillo, Texas
Dear 91x-r opinnionlo. O-4101
Ror (1) Is Artiole la?, Penal Code,
rendered Invalid and lnoparstive
beaause of the failure of the
Legitdatlre to define the m-
$2g of the terms "ystermplumber,"
erpployinsglumber and &maey-
man plumber In either the Clvll
Statutes or the Penal Coda?
(2) If not, bP vbat maan can
the meuring of mmh term8 be
detsradnsdt
Fhls ia to acknovledgercroeipt
of your reoent inwIry
upon the aueatlonr ar stated abovo. Ve have given oclreful eon-
aiderationto the aatter in aonneotlonvlth the brief suaitted
w Y-.
Article 122, Penal C&e, read8 as folllwar
person,
'Any' vhetherar asafer plumber,
emplo#ng, or ~0urneJacpLnplumber, engaged In,
voHcl.rqat, or aonduotingthe business of
plumbing witbout liceme as provided br lav,
shall bo fiasd pot less thaA tvent -fivqor
more than tvo hwu?reUaad fifty dof am.
As originallyemoted in 1.897~‘
the abave Artlole ip
rubntantlallyits present form, was Se&ion 6 of Senate Bill HO*
154, printed offiolall an Chapter 163 of the &moral Laws of
the Twatp-fifth 1ngi8L ture. we findother sections of the
or%- legl&ation, sow of vhloh have been aarended,nov dadi-
fiad b the Revis& Clvll Statutes as Artlales 1076 to lC&
.'
Honorable Tom Seay, Page 3
lnaluelve. To lntelllgentlyoCB8pFehend
your plwblaee ve here
quote euoh Articlea:
“Art. 1076. (986) Sevemge, etc.
"Eve- alty in thie Strto, hovever omanlee&
havbg untlerground eevers or ceeepoole,lball pee8
ordlwweo reguhtag the tapping of 8aa eevere
and ooeepcole,reguJ.ating houee draining emI
PlWine*
"Art. 1077. (990) Plumbing lnepeotor
'In any euah city where thorn I8 no tit
inspeotor or plumbing provided for by speai J
charter, the governing bo4y shall eleot euch
inepeator of plumbing, who shell hold offias
for such time au fixed by ewh board. Such
fnapettor of plumbing mey be the city engineer,
if the board 8008 fit to elect bias.
*Art. 1078. (987-a-9)Bowl of plu&iwe
"Suoh elflee.ehall ornate a board for the
exanlnatlonaf plumbere, to be known a8 the
exaadn4s and eupervielngbosml of plumbere,
to pravlde for aa inrpectlaa of plumbfag. Mae-
bere o f la idb o a r de h e ll
ma elvea o a o mp a a ea tlnn
fo r ler via ee
o n sa id B o a r d.T h eea ldy tiy
uo nsieto f th e r0imlrrg fivep er eo ner
or thelocolboe~4 of health, lf there be euoha
boerd OS herlth. and If not. then the oity phyeiaiea
or the aity health offiaw, the city engineer, t&e
aity laepeotorof plumbs, a meter plumberof not
experhnae
lees thus ten year8 aatlveand contizruoue
a8 a plueber,en8 one Journeyem plumberof not lee8
than five yore of euch sctlveend aontlauow experlenae.
The wyor aml the govemIng bo&y ehall mgul8tO the
term each mdber ehell eerve; they ehell fill all
vacoacles for ths unexpima tern of the ember vhoee
plaae 18 fillcrd.
"Art. 1079. (991) ReguZotlon of plumbem
"The extamingtrd eupervielngboardoiplumberll
Honorable Tom Seay, PWe 3
shall emu&m end pa88 upon d persona nov
engaged 'inthe buslwae of plumblgg, vhether
as master, employing,or journeyaauplumber,
Ln their reepeotlveoitiae, and all persona
vho mey hereafter vieh to e-6 in the buel-
neee of plumbing as water, &playing, or
journeymanplumber, vlthln their reepeotlve
jurisdictions,and also a4 pereon vho mey
8pply for the office of plumbing lnepoctor.
They shall leeue a llcenee to euch paraoae
only a8 eball eucoeeefullypa88 a mquiteul
Malul.Mt10n. They ehall regleter in a book
to bs kept for that purpose, the mum and 2
place of buelneee of eaah pereon to vhom a
plwber'e llceaee la leewd. Such llaenee
shall not be traueferable.
"Art. 1080. (9g2-y-6)Lloenae
"The board ehall not leeue llceneee for
e~orethen ens year, but the came ehall be
reneved froe~year to yaar upon proper appliaa-
flon. Bach eppllaant for arid axamlnatlonfor
plumber'8 liaense shall pay, to such pereon
ae eald board may deel.gnate, three dollare for
each water plqmber exaedned, end tvo dollare
for eaah joumeyeam plumber examlnad,vhiah
fee8 na yb eused b y lald b o a r d
to defmysp y
o f it8 legltirte d x p a neee,th er wddw, it
any, to be paid to the-olty tmseumr.
examlnatlonaudexamInatlon Pee ehall nofhsbe
required of the eeme pamon mom than oaea.
"Art. 1081. (997) Lioenee enled
Y&coopt in citiee of la88 thaa flve thou-
eand inhabitante,a lloenee ehall not bo leeued
to any pereon to carry on or vork at the buol-
nere of plumbbg, or tq aht a8 au l.nepaator of
pluemag, until he ha8 appeared before 8n ax-
amining or eupervleing board for aamlnatl0n and
regietratlon,and ehall %ve euoaaeefullypaeeed
the required ex~inetton.
we are authorimxl to coneidrr the olvll statute8 above
quoted in applying your qusetions to amlyele of Artiale 122,
Honorable Tom Seay, Page 4
Penel Code, mpra, for 88 obeervatlIn Love- ve. Rnglleh (Tax;
Clv. App., writ of error retueed), 2% S. W. 478, emny Artlclea
of the Penal code are lnaompleteml.088 reference 18 mnde to
the Civil Statutes In aid thereof. Although Article 6 of the
Penal code provide0 that an umi.ntelllliglble
lev 18 not operative,
It expreeely authorizes resort to other vrltten lava of the Stete
in oonatruing the varloue Articles of euoh ?eaal Code.
Ae noted by JOU, hovever, neither the Artlclee quoted
from the Revlaed Civil Stetutee, nor may other etatutory enaot-
ermt of the Texae Legislaturedofins the term “water plumber,"
"employingplumber" and "journeymn pluaber,' and, slthough ve
beve laboriouslytraced the legislativehietory of the orlgbal
Act of 1897. ae vell as the aaendatory eats to the Civil Stetutea
(Art. 1976, R.C.S., originally enacted In 1897, emended b A&o
1909, p; lb?; Art. 1081, Ibid, emended by Acte 1919, p. 2I:8), ve
have been unable to find a trace of etatutory enllghtiemnt nninl-
fasting a legislativektent of the meenlng to be aeurlbed to
tbe phmeea under lnveetlg8tlon.
Article 8 of the Penal Tootle
made as follovet
“Art. 8 lOWorde, hov underetood
Irorde vhloh have their we&g apedally
defined ehall be underetood In that eenee, thou@
it be aontrary to their uewl meanhg; and ell
vorda ueed in thie Code, exoept vhen a vord,
tare8or phrase 18 lpeolally d4fia4a, are to be
tsken end ocmh-uea in the eeneo in vhich they
am understoodIn aomoa lsnguqe, takfnglnto
oonelderatlonthe context end eubjeo$ ratter
relative to vhloh they are wlm.
Subdlvlslon1 of Artlola 10, Revleed divll Statutea,
under the general cub-title 'Oonetruotlonaf Love' contains the
folloviag1
“Art. 10. (5502) (3268) Oenerel Wee
"The folloving rule8 ehall govern in the
conatructlonof all aivll rtetutory meotmente~
"1. me ordinary eignifiuationebell be
applied to vorde, except vorde of art or vorde
Ronorable qotn Seay, Page 5
oonneated vlth a particular trade or subject
matter, vhen they ~ll.have the eigulfioation
attached to theraby expert8 ia euah art or
trade, vith reference to such eubjeot mstter."
In oonaectlonwith the laet quoted Articke, although
it la embraced in the Revlred Cltil.Statutea,lt Ime been held
"equallyaa appllc4ble,end of hladlag force in orimlnel proeecu-
tlone." Wurzuy vs. State, 21 Tax. App. 620, 630, 2 8. Ii. 757,
;~,s57vAm. Rep. 6?31 Bredfield ve. 'State,73 Tex. Cr. R. 353,
. . 734, An+Cae. 1917C, 696.
You are oorreot, la 80 far a8 our search reveale, in
eaylng that there do not seem to be any caees vhere our courts
have directly p4444d upon the questions involvedherein. Indeed,
the case of Brom vs. State, 74 Tax. Cr. R. 108, 167 S. W. 348,
cited by you, seems to be the only caee of a convictionunder
ArtLola 12:'of the Penal Code n8ahlng our Court of Crlmlaal Ap-
peals, slthough there heve been numerous deal4loa8 of our Civil
Appellete Courte.conetming the Clvll Artialoa adpted above.
In addition to .Trevittve. City of Dallae, (Tex.'Clv.App.) 242
9. y. 1073, cited by you, mfereaae la made to Cwmn ve. Colemen,
103 20x. 467, 101 9. W. 199, revsraIn& (Clv. App.j 96 8. w. 777;
Porrieh ve. Wright, (01~. App ., writ refused) 293 9. U. 659~
Dmrla v4. Roll.lend,(Clv. App.) 168 8. U. 11; City of Roueton ve.
Rlcbter (Clv. App.) 157 3. U. 189; Robineon ve. 0s veetioa (Clv.
App.) ll1.s. W. .1078;Bslrd VI. Peeler, (WV. App. f 137 8. V.
@a) 215.
Tn.the Brovn aaee, eupre, the ecoueed wee aoavlctea
of violating the e4me statute nov under aonalaeretlon,then or-
tlcle 131 of the Pen& Code of 1911. On appeal t@e judgmnt
of conviction-wasreversed beoeuee th& State failed to 8hov
that the City of Della8 haa underground eever4 end oeeepoola,
or a board of plumbing axeminer -- reQulred by pcovl8lone of
the Revleed Csvil Statutes, (now Arte. 1076 and 1078, 1925 Re-
vised ClvSl Statutes);vh$le the lt4tutory requirement8that
the plumben* examlutng board 8hould number 4mng its embership
a "master plumber" end a "journeymenplumber" vere dlscuseed la
the opinion, the court of Crlmlnel Appeal4 ala not exprees its
opinion aa ta the vslidlty of the etatute under which the pro-
eecrution ves brought.
That the point w&ienot rsieed or dlawseed seenisof
some consequenceto ue, especially a4 t&e cause vae reversed
~onorableToas.ay, page 6
and mrmand0d in6kad or beg 0amd dlsmi6~d, "a6 it shauld
haaueg IT the 8aou66dstood aanvloted er en utterlyVOld
800 fh'blIt&61.1CO. VS. &'aM "p Ta. Co61.App.)
130 T.x: 240, 242, 106 3. U. (?a) 136, 13:.
IIIthe C*Oe Or It31paX% BeCkWOrth, RO. ?1,598 (not
get *w-port&), a.l~hab.as oorpu6appenlto theflowtof criel-
l.mI Appesl6 bsWIe4 on orlglnal 6ubml66lonon April 23, 191,
it ameem that ROY Redcvorth -8 oonvioted ia the coppomtla
hUX% Of inrtPl1iIkg D1urbN fixtUlW8 In a hauee iu your oltp--
Aawlllo-- Mthcut hadng fLr6t obtained e perait a6 requuired
by a city ordme, v~6 s66a66eda rune or rmp d0ii~0, ud
sought release by the vrlt. The aounty oourt, after a hearing,
lvpaadsd sppellant.
Appellant!6 contentionthat the olty ordlnmce Or
Amwlllo la void lwthat the Dmalty provided therein ror m-
ing on the buslners 0r DlunbiBg vlthout lioeuee 16 in aonfllat
vl.thArticle 122, P&al Co&o, aqwa, vas 8uatainea,and 6816
ordmoe held VOlqh it appearing the onllnanc0 Drovlded a rlrre
or not qess rrmrethantvohundroddollar6,whem-
86thsPem1co 6 th6peAtlltybyPiaeBoeloainL-
EuplOS tventY-flveeolleLr6.
Inasnatcsr
aa if Article 122, euDr8, 1s vol. for any
re86on, the Dbint ana0 by rppalent must 0r nBca66 74 y ra, tha
Opiaion Of th13aOUl'trei6.6 Ul -St OOl!dUS~V@Dl'86U6@tiOilt0
mr niad6 that Artlulo l-2218 oomt1tut1oMl. T&e lee laaentti
Judge Chrl6tlan of the CaPni66lop to aid the Court of Crlalnal
Appealsvrote the oplnloa,oxpr6881~Idopted by the Court. &
the opinion 16 round -rem to and quotation6 froa the above
quoted Aptlo or th6 Rsvisod Civil Statutes,
IQ th eva r lo w a & vi1
lul~s mentioned shove, ve find
the conetitutioualltyof the pluabing Act as b vholo r88al3.06
on va r lo ua
g r euzulr
lr p,Wi& lly in ?6rriahYa. Wright 8nd Tretritt
VU. city or Dallar, and, vblle the particularpoirrteavha8la8d
w you doas aat seaa to have been urged or passed upon, the Act
has been generally 6uakln.d. 300 the oplnlorf In the Parrlah
c&&II*,
293 s. u. at p. 662. ,.
fa view or the authoritiescited snd~dlscus;~~a~~~
e6peciel~y ln the light of the vail-knolmand funcbme
, SO 88 to give brfeat to, rather ehsn to PuulfY it9
Bonomsble To61Mty, P4ge 7
ve 41% of the opinion th4t Article 122, P8n4Z Code is v4.lld
8nd operative,4ad ve tberefov6 4naver your rirat qum6tlon In
the negative.
m YOUZ? 8tlOond qU66tiOn~U Wish t0 knOV q V&t
a64na the tenna “mater plumber", maploy!ngplumber, 4nd
"joumaqman plumber' m to be dotermined.
That th. hgiU~tUr0 XWa8d t0 t&CO ~SO~XEIUM Or
the 88U66I'd.08XULOUl&OOdbfth6&OF&a COUPtin th# @4M Of
FoltoffVE. tit or At+a, 4 Qa. App. 183, 6l 9. E. 27, vlx--
t&Et amater pTuatborr and "employingplu6Ibsr6" M one and
the Em, 16 8VfdOtlOed by the f4Crtth4t in Artiole 1080, R.C.S.,
rupra, In rI.d.XIg thr iltp60 r6N3th6JIW16 ILOafUtint3ti~bOtVOm
?6RUtd 4Ild"cloying DhMbOz'6X IlOMIltlaD.16 6UdO 46 tO'th0
fee to be charged "slqploylng" plwaberx,vhemae the fme for
“aaxter” plumber6 ir ret at thr6k dollara 4nd th4t tar "journey-
6m' plumbers at tvo dollars. AP Article 1079 repuirsl the ax-
aahation 8nQ llcexi6eto be gr4nted to all t&me (t&6606, the
on&salon of tha term "employingjmmbera* In the liainae fee
statute vould rpperw to wws8nt auah conafruction. Thmefore
ve EIW of the ODiaiOIi that nuoh Wndmuctian shouid be follovod,
am& vo 6haJ.ltest the tsmx %aater plumber" and "aopleyl.ng
plumber"~46 0 6. The terrOB42'0SO used in the %‘OVltt
O&se* xupr4, by the folloving Ungwige In 242 8. W. rt
PO zw79r
as dafl.nedpadu6odlatha ordkaoe apply to
those who do owt4zIn klade of wrcbsni~alvrork
Although the Court, ln the 4boie quotottotr466art6 :
th8t the tenus "anploylmg (or xmter) plmb+ 4nd "jomym6n
plumber" each have "a well.-defined6166nlng, the aourt dosx not
elucidate to the extent of Lndiortingthe 66~66*
Frox~your brief ve quote tha follovingr
Bonoroble Tom &ay, Pm 8
"Xn 4 0460 tried in Our County Court,
l l lr c & 60~t h @ ud f h e tO6th OYiy Or l X-
DtWt VitIl~6606 bUUiru66
in th e Dlu a r b fILg &Id
fIIhi8 dWg0 t@the jUS7 defined 6UCh tOF6i6
46 fOl&Wll~
“‘A l4nbster
Plumber' ie c plumber havlq
4 Xqd.&r Dbee Of bUUIIld66, VhO COntmOt6 for
and 6UPOlmrf606 the prfOrPlanc0 Or phtabing
‘vork and vho hiaself, or by journeymanplumbers
and apprenticea in hla employ, perform auah
Plwlbblg vorki
"'A nJournqman Plumbor" is 4’p6r6on vho
ha6 lermrsd th6 plupbing trade xnd vorka at it,
not Oilhi6 OVl%EO~OUJlt, but fOl?V4gO6, 48 4
servant or 4mploye6 of a Master or Xmployw
Pluabor. (*
w&ii8 VO d0 IIOt 6aJ Unre40rV63tny tht IMh dOf%ftim
4C1) rbsolutely OOl’P4Ot ES,4 lPtt6W Of hV, t&WY do 4w4P t0 OOIP
r0nr gs0smuy to ~O~IPL~~OSL(I 4pp64ring in dicti0ame6 urd um-
~6lon6of oourts ln other Stst6x.
'Plumbemor 4vOrkerln 144a~aarr,4a1
ertlmn vho vorka lesd, XlnO, till,6he6itmot4l,
Ot6.; lUPe, 4 b~WE6lS VhO fUPBbh46, fib, 8d
l%DEf F6 846, l&W, esd 6Ofi P1~6, 016t1WM,
tanks, bothrr, v4tor olo6ot6, 4nd their rtttfX@U,
a OthOr 6Uttt4ry 48&d rirO-DPOtOOtitSt 4~~4awu6
roti 4 house o~othesbuildlry, i.nulutUqf the
jUXM3tbIWt0 tb 6ldR6 and 64V4F6. Th@ trcrdr
Or t&9 g&U fitter h46 in mp:~4$t6 bOOaU 64R-
8mt6ba rr0m that of ths pluaber.
"Jtmrwynd' adwar
‘Jourmy6aw-Foi.mer~, 4 PIBII hired to V&c
by the d4yr nOu,~oom~aly, 4
ea e h4ndiOr4rt or tl'lde;-- disf
Ronorabl. Toa Se*y,,Page 9
%46td 44rh6-d:
"~6t.F-4 VOdC6l4!l 60 JWOfiCfOllt 46 t0
be 4ble to follow hta trade ~ependmntly 4nd
t-ah ~~P6IltiOU6hfp6; henoe, a Iyp follovln$
64 tmde or nrcnutnotur. on hi6 own 8ooount.
And %46ter t'orkmnr OaU ap~lail.ly
sklllsd
in any art, huullaraft, or trad+ or v&o 16.4n
overxeer, foreaw.t, or eraployer.
Alm, x'6fe??encais wide to the follmi~ CC~86: Attor-
ney Oenerel VLI.Union Plwnbing Co., (Jkaa.) 16 f. E. (26) 89 go,
91; Behnalr & Co., VB. OPigsby, 61 Mf.60.335, 113 11.I. 8. 548,,
Orea$ Attitle Q Paelflo Tea 00. ~8. Roppenburger, 171 Xd.
l& A. 434, 4391 Co66~0~~s~th VU, Mocarthy, 22 ,
"9.E3j6?8g88; Todewo vu. City of Shreveport,
l * And, BS.S 33 C. J',91?1 38 C. J.
l
with nrerwae to the ebove &barge of the court, quoted
rm your briar, ve dLruat your UpWlfiC attention to Arti &i2,
Cads 0r Crlaiml Pr0e6a~, reading ae follovtr
YArt. 662. (739) (719) charge In mladewaaor
%h. bOUI’t I6 not ~U1F.d t0 w. the \n7
ia 4 IdUderrrpurozr 0480, .XWDt Et th. lVqU.Ut 0
oaursel on either 6146. vhen 00 P.QWJUtad h6 ahill
give or reruae 4uoh oh4~13e6, vlt$ or vfthout 6mri-
ctItioIl, ,8Q El’. asked in vritiog.
Inoonnt~th%x at&bate. lt ha6 b.eaheLbbythe
COlU'tor Criadn4l Appe4l.6
t&m In pl'O68f3UtiOM for 4 d6tl8a.4nor
(4X& th6 ~UlliUb6'6Ilt~~X'!6&~~~bd ia h-t. 122, P. c., -6 it 4Ud),
emr6 in the &Ergo, unl8Ba -t&l, W6t IlOt O&y b. OX-
C8pt.d to, but 6~0142 &4l’@6 oOl’P.Ot~ pl’.EUiting th. mtte6
OOX&d4fWd Or 6U6t b%
pP%BWtSd, f&n& if r6&~6%d~ %XWpt%d t0 &IV%
be bmught b&ore the Court or Orlr6lnalAppeals by proPer bills
es exo.ptioll.sfafpson ~6. state, 87 fex. Cr. Ft.27, 220 8* U.
777; B.rdell va. State, 87 Tax. Cr. R. 310, 230 8. If.UOlg Bovers
vu:state, 138 Tax. Cr. R. 98, 134 S. W. (pd) 675; and ==y others-
we thwu ~1esrl.yyouc ahnrge sufficientin wts 4bsmGe
of exceptionand spealal ah&r e 6ubmltfeU~ubsth*r l.m6Ut3h a ~3~4
it 6hOUid then b6 OhW?$Sd WOUed d8wAd Wm the WeOi~ @@me
Bonomblo Tom Seay, Page 10
requeeted. without auob a charge before UB, obv~oualyYe catz-
not pass upon It@ merlta. i
h3njaminYoodall
Aaaiatant