The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1920-11-20
BIG COMBINE ON
MARBLE AND GRANITE
Witnesses Describe 1t as Very Rock
bOund'-Prices of Building Materi-
ais Topping in New York.

NEW YORK, Nov. 20.-Disintegra-
ton of the contractor dealer-labor com
biue forming New York $ alleged build
ing trust has begun and prices of con-
struction materials have tOppled over
and dropped since active warfare against
these interests was opened, it was re-
ycaled yesterday by witnesses before the
Joint legislative committee conducting
the investigation.
Increased productivity of labor also
has been apparent since the lnvesug"I-
ing committee began exposing one sean
Mai after another and the grand jury
started returning indictments, employ
erS testified.
Mingled with these developments came
evidence to show the existence of coun-
try-wide control of production and prices
in marble, cement, limestone and other
trades. National associations are throt-
ding these industries, it was alleged.
Testimony that the cement trade of
he entire country is under the abSo-
lutte control of a national association
agreement in the granite and marble
industries was given by Hugh White.
vice president of the George \. Fuller
Construction company, one of the larg-
est concerns of its kind doing business
throughout the United States.
He expressed the hope that he might
soon see competition in building ma
tcrials, trades and labor. Mr.. Inter
myer added he wanted to release labor
from the thralldom of blackmail. ,.
Proceedings of the day also brought
forth evidence that policeman,
stephen Birmingham, was granted six
months leave from the police department
while he worked under Brindell in the
compensation bureau of the Building
Trades council.
Collision in bidding among contractors
and dealers in brick, cement sand, mar
L Ill L eT,.1s
intimated during Mr.. Whites testi-
mony. A mass of estimates ''unvarying
in amounts and with even the wording
absolutely uniform" submitted to the
Fuller company by dealers in various
materials was offered in evidence. Cor
respondence of that company to various
cement manufacturers asking direct sales
Of cement, and replies refusing the re
quests also was submitted.
Mr.. White declared his company, be
fore asking for estimates from various
dealers knew there was mo use" in hav-
ing more than one, but always held the
hope that "a break would come.
The cement mems national asSocia-
ton has divided the country into dis
tricts he testified. Manufacturers will
not sell to dealers outside the sphere as
signed them. Similarity dealers will
not deal with contractors beyond their
designated territory.
George AtweI, a demolition contrac-
tor. also testified to nationwide con
/ troll of the cement business. He told Of
an instance in which he was not permit
| ted to buy cement because he was mot
a member of the association Both wit
| nesseS cited recent price reductions. Mr..
! AtweIl declared bricks dropped from $50
| a thousand to half that amount. while
| Mr.. White also spoke of their decline.
\ saving of $4,000 was made by the
! Fuller construction company in two
! hyvQ
! than expected estimates on S7O0,0 600
worth of work. lie added that not only
| have prices come down, but that the
c0mpany's unit labor costs in the last
1.-TWO or three weeks show more pro-
ductivity for the men than before the
/ investigation started and l have had the
same statement made to me in reference
to the sub-contractors by their represent
atives.'
As an example of reduced material
| costs he cited an estimate he had I'M
| til four or five weeks ago on a certain
! limestone job for $50 ,00O 10 days ago,
| he said, the contract was closed for APP
prOximately $3S.100.