South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1920-11-20
PRICES DROP
AS BUILDING
PROBE WARNS
Cement and Marble Trades
Also Bound by Trusts,
Witnesses Say.

NEW YORK, Nov. 19.-Disinte-
grafton of the contractor-d -deaIer-labor
combines forming New YOrk's al
legged building trust" has begun and
prices on construction materials
have dropped since active warfare
against these interests was opened,
IL was revealed Friday by witnesses
before the joint legislative commit
tee conducting the investigation.
Increased productivity of labor al
so has been apparent since the in
vestigating committee began expos
ing one Scandal after another and
the grand jury started returning in
dictments. employers testified.
Mingled with these developments
came evidence TO show existence of
country wide control of production
and prices in marble. cement, linN
stone and other trades. NationiS
associations are throttling these in
dustries, it was alleged.
Untermcycr Happy.
More than year ago. Samuel
| Untermeyer. counsel for the investi-
eating committee. declared that if
given an opportunity 10 conduct an
| inquiry into these com binatiOns' he
could send prices tumbling, and to-
| day, as his questions brought replies
showing his predictions have come
true, ne seemed the happiest man
/ in the big crowd that jammed the
/ committees chambers.
| Testimony that the cement trade
of the entire country is under the
absolute control Of a national associ-
/ alton and that there is a very rock
! bound .agreeMfnt" ,in--the granite
and marble industry was given by
. Htruh IA Nhffa N-iRR nrpGinp0f n the
George A. Fuller Construction com
pany. one OF the largest concerns OF
its kind doing business throughout
the United States.
He expressed the hope that he
/ might soon see competition" in
building materials trades and labor
1 Mr.. Untermyer added he wanted 10
release labor from the thralldom of
blackmail."
! Proceedings of the day also
brought forth evidence that a po-
liceman, Stephen Birmingham, was
/ granted six months leave from the
police department, while he worked
under Robert p. Brindell. president
of the building trades council. in the
| compensation bureau" OF the build
ing trades council.
Collision in bidding among con
tractors and dealers in brick, cement
sand marble and other building
/ materials, was intimated during Mr.
Whites testimony. A mass Of est
mates "unvarying in amounts" and
with even the wording absolutely
uniform" submitted to the Fuller
company by dealers in various mate
rials was offered in evidence
/ Correspondence of that company
to various cement manufacturer;
asking direct sales of cement, anC
replies refusing the requests ais,
was submitted.
Mr.. White decalred his company
before asking for estimates from
various dealers knew there was n,
use" in having more than one. bu
always held the hope that a break
would come.
Country DistriCtcd.
The Cement Mems National as
sOCiation has divided the countr,
into districts. he testified. Manu-
faCturers will not sell TO dealers out
side the sphere assigned them Sim
ilarly, dealers will not deal with con
tractors beyond their designated ter
ritOry.
George Atwell a domilition con
tractor, also testified To nation wild
! control of the cement business.
A saving Of $4,000 was made %
the Fuller Construction company il
two months. White testified by get
CONTINUED on PAGE FOUR.