The New York herald. [volume] (New York, N.Y.) 1920-1924, 1920-12-11
Unions Enforce Drastic
Penalties Against Contrac-
tors Who Arouse Ill Will
of Ringsters.
80 2. C. PROFIT IN WAGES
Even Owners Forced to Obey
Edicts About the Materials
Used i'm Erections for
Which They Pay.

The marble industry, tackled yes
terday by the Lockwood committee in
its housing investigation. according to
witnesses examined by Samuel Inter
myer. has concealed one of the most
perfect and complete double riveted
combinations yet discovered in the
field Of trusts and rings operating
within each other to control and boost
prices on every conceivable article
used in a building.
Thirty-six contractors. members of
the Marble Industry Employers AS
sociation, 1t was shown. had an agree
ment with the national organization
whereby they exercised complete
monopoly of the trade within a radius
Of twenty-five miles of New York.
Next, this association had an agree
ment with three unions, the members
of which are employed in handling and
setting marble. under the terms of
which the contractors would employ
I Obiy W lilpSt DDlpIS anu liAS
unions would work only for tho thirty
six members of the association.
Further. the Marble association war
a member of the Employers Building
Association OF New York known as
the Thirty-third street crowd. Tho
! employers association was tied up.
according to Witnesses, with the Brin-
! dell Trades Council, and under this
latter agreement tho members Of the
employers association could hire only
the Brindell men and the Brindell men
could work only for members OF the
employers association.
Code Outdoes Herrick's Methods.
Carrying out the terms OF its "code
Of practice" the Marble association
had a set OF ironclad rules which made
Hettrick's code of procedure look old
fashioned and conservative. Here arc
some of the provisions of the marble
code:
Rates charged for labor employed
by contractors were fixed so that
members of the Marble association
made profits as high as 50 per cent
on the actual work done in the trade.
IEl DluS SAUlHllleu 10 NOH-
tractor were final and even If the
contractor who wanted to use marble
in a structure considered tho csti-
mates as excessive he was compelled
to make his choice from the original
offers made by the members OF the
| Marble association.
n a contractor decided that the
marble prices we're too high. after get
ting the bids. and wanted to change
his plans TO substitute some other
material FOR marble he was not al
lowed 20 do so. once he had ad-
vertised for marble bids he had 10
take marble or all other work was
stopped.
The Courtesy rule OF the Marble
association required that a con-
tractor who did original marble work
in a building should use marble in
all additional work in that structure
regardles Of costs or what the
owner OF the building might want
Estimates were required TO be filed
through the association.
n was possible literally 90 enforce
these and all other rules OF tho Marble
Association because the labor u1ions
we're the enforcement agency for the en-
ployers. The testimony given YESTERDAYS
OH the operation OF the marble trads
links the Employers Association and the
Brinden council more closely than any
evidence heretofore taken by the Lock
wood committee. Otto Eidlltz is one OF
the big factors in the Employers Asso-
clation lie and his associates will be
summoned before the committee next
week.
Victims of Trust Testify.
Morris H. Petigor. soda fountain man
ufacturer: Joseph II. Siegel. contractor
and August zecha. contractor. told ;hc
committee how the Marble Association
had operated TO crush them. Thomas J.
Kelly. chairman OF the executive COM
mittee Of the Employers Association.
was the "snag' on which he was ruined
Pctigor said. he testified that Kelly.
who had been named often during tie
inquiry as a biz factor in the Brirdell
council. took a marble contract for him
self
"They ruined me. I was wiped out"
Petigor burst out Indignantly at the end
Of his remarkable recital
what on earth were YOU people thinS
lng Of? Couldn't you sec you wers fly
ing I'm tho face OF tho law Of tho land
Mr. Cntermycp asked OF William Is.
Fertig. secretary and treasurer OF the
Marble Association, after the witness
had admitted how his organization Oh
Grated to crush every semblance o.
competition. Mr.. Fertig was not SURE
IL was such an offence.
"Do you mean that seriously; or would
YOU prefer 20 say that IL was wrong ana
YOU see Il now7" the lawyer asked.
Il would prefer 20 say u was wrong
and I see Il now" the witness answered
feebly.
Potigors great ononse. Il developed.
was that he underbid members OF tn
Marble Association on a contract. That
was before no knew about the assccia-
tion's code" But his offsnce had bcen
committed and never could be wipef
Out as The rules nruvA6ed ~ man wrs