The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1920-11-01
TO INDICT MANY IN
|. BUILDING SCANDAL
Many Persons and Firms
Involved In New York's
Combine
BEGIN TO PRESENT
EVIDENCE TO-DAY
Brindells Compensation Bureau Will
he Investigated - Indictment of En-.
tire Membership of Lathers' Assoeia.
ton VIII Be Asked.

tire Membership of LatIlers' Associa-
ton VIII Be Asked.
NEW YORK, Nov. 1.-The Lockwood
inquiry into the housing sit
uatlon threatens very quickly to deyelop
into criminal term of the supreme CONT
with large number of indictments in
VolVIng many persons and firms and
based upon all sorts of charges.
Before the committee resumes next
thursday no less than seventy indict-
ments may have been found by the regr,-
lar November grand jury. Most Of
these would be duplicate indictments. or
wholesale indictments accusing number
OF men IN the cut stone and the pIumbinp
trades. Many of these, it is said, intend
10 90 before the grand jury and tell the
whole truth of their mutual relations
through the John T. Hettrfck organiza-
lions which they supposed helped them
TO evade the law and especially tho Don
nelly anti-monopoly law.
Mr.. Untermyer will 90 before the No
Eember grand jury to-day, assisted by
stanley. Richter and Deputy Attorney
General Berger. Some of the indictments
asked for viii relate to the anti-monopoiy
a
charges preferred before the grand iury
"lii relate to refusals to testify, perjury
and so forth
The compensation bureau of the build
ing trades council viii provide much food
Tor next thursdays inquiry. It has been
SHOWN that last March Brindell organized
TINS bureau for the supposed purpose of
taking care of every claim under tho
"crkmen compensation law, where an
employee IN the building trades who was
1t the same time a member of the Brin-
5eH council, suffers serious or temporary
injury.
One Of the systems which is being on
Grated through the Brindell council has
been disclosed to Leonard NJ Wallstein.
associated with Mr.. Untermyer who has
taken charge of this phase of the work.
The plan, IN ats simplest form, is this:
Every council member, and there are
ll3tO0 of them puts up 81 for which he
let's q receipt showing that he is regis
tered with the bureau This card and
the 81 have nothing to do with the ordi-
nary dues OF any union. But before he
-ets the receipt the member must indi-
cate what local and union he belongs to.
BrIndell has organized several dual or
outlaw locals attached to his own dock
builders union. This organization pays
him about $500 a month in regular
lues, at the rate of 80 cents a month
After the employee IS injured, and be-
lore the employers ASSOCIATION has a
chance TO reach him, he is notified by
AN attorney representing the council
that an investigation shows the member
had been guilty of eontributory negli-
-ence, IN which case he could get no dam
ages. BY what methods the council in
Yestigators reach conclusion OF Con
tributory negligence" in many cases is
Unascertainable.
In any event an attorney for the
council presents himself at the home of
the injured man and prepares to explain
what small chance the member has of
getting any money through the work
mems compensation law He Is then ad-
vlsed to make a settlement for a few
hundred dollars and if he IS agreeable
the cash is Forthcoming immediately.
Indictments viii be asked of the entire
membership of this association of metal
lath and sheathing employers associa-
tion, q men and firms, for this act, a
gross violation of the law since it was
done deliberately to prevent the Lock
wood committee seeing those ''incrim-
mating" minutes.
As a result of quick action to this end
it IS hoped to bring about a situation
where there will be enough evidence to
utterly destroy the existing combination
between Brindell as a labor leader and
harles J. Kelly as the head of the en-
1loyers in the building trades.
Forty or more members of another
trade will also be indicted next week
n the evidence of John 7. Hettrick, their
organizer" and it is expected that they
will have some interesting revelations to
make before they are sentenced. All are
willing to plead guilty if they can get
away with a fine.