New-York tribune., 1920-10-29
Ones 900, 900 Firm and
Another $4,000 Con-
Germ Forced to Wall bv
Him, Probers Are Told
Cost of Building
Project Trebled
Trades Council Chief Also
Accused Of Collecting
Huge Sum by W orkers;
Price-Fixing Is Charged

An amazing story of the control Rob
ert P Brindell, head of the Building
Trade Council, holds over the building
industry in the city was told at yester-
DAYS session OF the Lockwood Jcint
legislative committee in City Hall.
The outstanding features of the tes-
timony were
Three contractors told Of having Civ
en- Brindell total of $4,000 for permis
SION to carry out contracts unmolested.
u7e Of these said he twice. handed over
1000. The other gave up another
$1,000. The second alleged victim testi-
ed Rrindell rad originally demanded
$4,000.
Another man testified he was asked
70 produce" $500 to insure the COM
rletion OF work, ana it was intimated
sat ST 800 was demanded of another
wealthy contractor.
Union Members Taxed
A contractor doing yearly business
Of 100000 said he was driven from the
industry because of his refusal to
meet Brindel's terms. Another, who
rad produced" but who had in some
way antagonized Brindel, testified he
was reduced to bankruptcy. losing a
business that ran close to 1000 900 a
YEAR
Some 115,ooo members Of 137 unions
affiliated with Brindell's Building
trades Council must pay S year into
a mysterious compensation bureau Of
fhe council, it was said. How this
money is disposed of cannot be ascer-
tanned. In addition, it was testified that
every union must pay $40 a month dues
INTO the treasury of the council for
every delegate it has represented in it,
making this source of revenue OF the
council about $4,000 year.
Hundreds of new men, it is charged,
are being weekly inducted into the or
ranization at an initiation fee Of $50,
winch must be paid in ten weeks, be-
-ides SIS for alleged extra disburse-
ments"
BrIndell's dictatorial methods in the
contracting business sent the cost of
building sky-high. it was said. In one
stance, according to testimony. he
'red TO have the cost Of an operation
boosted from S275,000 to 100000 in
hehalf OF a favorite contractor. Costs
~ere trebled, too, It is charged, be-
cause Of his demand that experienced
men be replaced by incompetents who
anow nothing Of the work they were
70 do
There were revelations Of an extra
ordinary intimacy between Brindell
and Charles J. Kelly, head of the
building Trades Employers Associa
'on. Walking delegates or unions
we're said to have been found on the
payroll of an employers association.
Brindel at the Hearing
A housewreckers' union, regularly
organized and affiliated with the Ameri-
can Federation of Labor, was smashed
according 20 testimony, to make way
or all outlaw organization by intim-
dating employers into discharging the
men to compel them to join the new
body Upon Joining this body the men,
It Is said we're forced to pay $50 in
ltiation fee at $40 week out of &
weekly wage of S44.
When they had paid in all theil
money they were dropped from Jobs
and their places taken by new joinees,
witnesses alleged. Hundreds of the
men in the old union are without work
because they refuse 10 pay the head
tax. it is charged.
There was testimony that efforts had
been made to influence the Lockwood
committee, but without avail. There
was 8 story, too, that one body OF en-
ployers had destroyed certain docu-
ments concerning an alleged price fix
ing agreement which might prove EN-
barrassing to the employers If 1t came
INTO possession Of the investigating
committee.
Brindell himself appeared at the
Continues on page sevcnteen)