The New York herald. [volume] (New York, N.Y.) 1920-1924, 1920-12-20
MILLIONS SAVED CITY
BY HOUSING INQUIRY
Long Record of Crimes Re-
vealed by Lockwood Commit
tee ut Work Two Months.
GRAND JURIES KEPT BUSY
50 Indictments Returned,
Graft Rings Broken Up, La
boris Gar ShOrn Of Power.


Exactly two months have elapsed to-
day since the Lockwood Legislative
Committee on Housing held its first pub
! lie hearing in the City Hall with Sam
! uel Untermyer as lis volunteer counsel.
( During these two months the commit
! tees investiga ton has gone ahead with
"A yigor that has amazed leaders Of the
! bar In this and other cities so that at
I present il has TO its credit a long record
1 Of crimes exposed, of offenders prose-
/ cuted. or broken combines. forced drops
! in the prices of materials and of fortunes
saved the city and private builders
through cancellation of gouging con-
tracts.
With the help of victims of the sys-
tenn and records seized through search
warrants. and by playing one plotter
against another, the committee and it's
counsel have revealed to the public n
great part of the underlying cause for
the terrific increases in the cost OF build
ing within the last few years They
have investigated impartially. hitting
| both employer and employee alike. They
have brought about the Indictment of
representatives of both classes in their
efforts to rid the building trades situa-
ton of the pests that have been respon-
/ sible for the housing and building short
! age.
Millions saved the city.
! SO vast has been the committees work
| in exposing the various schemes. the
many rings the labor pirates that
were mercilessly lcotng the industry.
! that brief summary of it would be
next to impossible. Its scope may be
In, frta Il
ing features of the inquiry upon which
the attention Of the city has been TO-
! cuSsed.
| One of the greatest services performed
! by the committee and it's counsel was IN
| bringing to light the manner in which
| the city Of New York was tric.led into
approving the bids for work upon the
new court house and the consequent
1 cancellation Of these bids. with saw
| ing to the taxpayers Of upward of
| $1,000. 900. More will come of This later.
for nine men concerned IN the alleged
| attempted ieccinG of the city on this
! Job already have appeared before one of
the Grand Juries hearing evidence rclat-
! ing to housing graft and have testified
after waving immunity.
Within the last three days the Board
| OF Estimate las further recommended
cancellation of contracts aggregating
I So0N,UVV LOT Llf nt1lliS ana NEltilaLlllE
| of three public school buildings, ana City
| officials are looking into other contracts
aggreGating more than 100000 600. as 4
result of revelations before The Lcch-
wood committee.
Within the last week thirty members
! of the Cut Stone Contractors Associa-
ton. one the combines involved in
! the court house bidding. have entered
| pleas of guilty to violation of the State
I A. q. "a
| sum aggreSating 10000. They have
also stated in court that their associa-
| ton has peen voluntarily and pcrma-
Ecntly lisbapded and that they are
ready ~ do all in their power 10 aid
| counsel iGr ha committee in prosecuting
John r. Hcttrick. who. they declare. or
ganized and directed the affairs OF their
ring.
Combines Now Broken IN.
The Masons Supply Bureau of Brook
| Ign. another combine that has been un-
der fire by the committees counsel. also
has disbanded voluntarily. and menu
bers Of the Building Trades Employers
Association of ManhAttan. against which
! the alta TX is soon TO be concentrated.
have signiied willingness 10 get out of
the ring IL II is possible TO do so.
AS direct result OF the sweeping at
tack upon monopolies in various
branches Of the industry the prices of
building materials have fallen approx
ma.ely 80 per cent. Marked decreases
have followed in the prices of brick. ce-
ment sand and lime
The system of plumber inaugurated
by certain labor chiefs is said on good
authority 10 have been abruptly halted
by the filing OF indictments against
Robert 7. Brindell, president OF the
Building Trades Council and ear" of
the industry. and Peter Stadtmuller.
William H. Chapman, Joseph Moran
and William L. Doran, other labor lead
ers. The filing OF charges against these
men and their arrest was due directly
TO testimony before the committee 10
the effect that they had been parties to
a scheme for creating a reign OF terror
in the industry by calling strikes on
big jobs and then calling them Off
again upon payment of brides by the
contractors
Brindell. said by witnesses to have
been the absolute boss OF the situation
from January ! until the start of the
committee public hearings Is said TO
have been shorn of his power. and
numerous employers are reported to be
on the verge OF reputation of contracts
entered into with him for employment
OF members Of his organization. His
practice Of forcing members OF other
Unions out OF their jobs and compelling
them 10 pay dues in his own organiza-
ton TO obtain permission TO work also
has ceased
90 Indictments Returned.
Other indictments filed by the grand
juries which have been giving their
time exclusively TO examination Of evil
dence gathered by the committee and
investigators include one against six
teen members OF tho Employers Metallic
Furring and Lathing Association for
alleged wilful destruction OF records
wanted BY the committee as evidence.
They also include the indictment OF
7 three officers OF the Builders supply
Bureau, John A. Phibrick. Joseph Penny
J and Wright u. Goss. for refusal TO an
swer questions put TO them before the
committee. In all sixty-nine indict-
mcnts have resulted from evidence
gathered In the course Of the commit
I tees public hearings and arrangements