Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1920-12-16
TO REFUSE STEEL
TO Union BUILDERS
Bethlehem Corporation 70 Protect
Open Shop Policy. Will
Not Sell 70 Them
nv As.ociaed press % Every Evsninr


New York. Dec Is " orle'
general solicitor of he American Bridge
10, and 4 T. DAVIS. aIzo On of cial a
tho [ itc states Steel Corporation rIh-
zidiarv. were plected from fhc committee
room ~ tT,day's session - ne legislative
committee investigating the building
trust when Senator Kaplsn, presiding,
interrupted the proceedings ~ declare
they werc prompts ng witnesses.
Joshua Hatfield H-presiden' and
commercial manager of the American
Bridge Company was IN The witness
stand Both Corieft and Davis left The
room. escorted bv the sergeant-at-arrns
A few moments before Walter Drew,
counsel for the National ErecfOrs' Asso-
ciatinn. was similarly elected under threat
~ being thrown ont by the aergeant-s'-
arms. after pcrslsfentlY lnterrlpting Sam
uel frnterrnyer. committee counsel, ~ the
examination of Charles Cheney, secretary
of the asaociatlon
During Mr. Cheney's testimony the
committee counsel accused the ErectOrs
Association ~ deliberate attempts A.
zarbllng and Justification of records
Documentary evidence bad bern nitro
duced showing that material facts had
been omitted for certain minutes ~ the
ASSOCIATION TneeflnNs-
When first threatened with election bv
Mr.. InterTayer, Sir. Draw 3et1ed the
committee 70 remove nirn st this Senator
Kaplan ordered his removal by force \
necessary bv the serHcant-st-arrns. Mr..
Drew then gathered up ms papers and
belongings and left the room quietly.
New York. Dec. ls-The Bethlehem
Steel Corporation will refuse 70 cell fabri-
Gated steel to builders and contractors n
the New York and Philadelphia district
70 be erected on a union shop OASIS.
This policy was disclosed BY Eugene
c. Grace, president ii the corporation,
who test fled YESTERDAY before the loInt leg
islatIve committee investigating the al
Ieged building trust. replying 70 charges
that ms concern was sponsoring the open
shop movement bv Withholding steel
from builders employing gnion men.
Il think Il Is a proper thing 20 pro-
-ect the open shop principle, declared
Mr. Grace. who explained that ms stand
would not lie changed even # building
operations in New York we're % he s'Is-
t-ended because steel could not &C oD-
tasred BY union erectors.
Whether the corporation vii extend
is policy 70 other parts 81 the country,
the witness SAID, depends entirely 90
what effect | should expect It 70 have
on our general labor sltuAtIon.
The steel maguate, who was on The
witness stand nearly an hour, was sub
jected 10 severe grillIng by Samuel
+ Cutermyer. the committee counsel
Charging Mr. Grace with fencing
! and evading ms questions, Mr.. Inter
myer several times during the examIna-
Il. ! -
chairman of the committee, % order the
witness to answer MS questions.
You are not in the Office Of the
. Bethlehem Steel Corporation; YOU are
! before legislative committee, Mr..
I Tntermver reminded the witness several
/ times. adding that the president must
/ not have his own way al the time.
/ While his corporation was 4 member
+ OF the National Steel FabucatOTs' As
/ sociation. Mr.. Grace declared It had
acted Independently Of the association 5
'topen-shop' program and had not en-
/ tered into any agreement with any
other interests 70 sponsor the move
ment
Asked il he believed the Bethlehem
+ Corporation big enough to carry out
its open-shop principle if every other
! steel company decided otherwise, the wit
ness replied:
That IS matter Of judgment
Denying that he had attempted to
dictate 10 union builders as 20 how they
should erect steel. Mr.. Grace asserted
/ Il told them they cannot have our fab
ricated steel
When the witness denied knowledge
Of the movement among fabricated steel
manufacturers in the United States q
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