The Birmingham age-herald., 1920-11-25
} NEW INDICTMENTS
 COME IN WARP ARE
 ON BUILDING TRUST
Testimony Links Wrought Iron and Steel Industries to List of Concerns Charged With
 Keeping Prices Up
Bx Associated Pre.a

By Associated Press
 New York, November 24.-New York s warfare against the alleged building trust today brought forth three new indict- inents charging extortion, as we'll as tes- timony linking the wrought iron and wrought steel industries to the long list of other producers of construction ma- terials which are alleged unlawfully to hold prices uniform throughout the coun- try.
 While the allied forces of an extraor- dinary grand Jury and the joint legisla- tive committee made this progress in their major offensives. legal skirmishes occurred in two courts and the city's independent inquiry into it's million of dollars in contracts was postponed until Monday.
 Twice during the day the joint commit- tee was diverted from it's investigation to defend itself against onslaughts in tho courts. The committee was victorious in both occasions.
 Decisive defeat marked the efforts ot the builders material bureau in both the supreme and appellate courts to restrain the committee from getting hold of it's books and from examining it's stenograph- CT, Elizabeth O'Dea.
 TWO MORE AGAINST BRINDELL Robert P. Brindell, president of the Building Trades council, and alleged king of building trades workmen in the metropolis was named in two of today's indictments, both charging extortion. The other indictment, also charging extor- tcn, was against BrindelPs chief of staff" Peter Stadtmiller, member of the Building Trades council His ban was fixed at s1oe.ooo. Brindell, already under s10o,00o bail on previous indictments, one charging extortion and the other attempt ed extorton, was not required to furnish additional bail. but it was intimated he might be called on to do so Friday.
 Charges against Brindell alleged that he forced Louis J. Cohen, building con- tractor, to pay him $500 under threat or stopping work on construction job last July Stadtmiller was accused of extort- ing $i, 900 from the Garden City Wrecking company by threatening to put the firm out of business in case of refusal
 His counsel vigorously protested the high ball. saying Stadtmller was poor man on a S75 week salary. But Judge Mulqueen said he understood there were to be other indictments and Stadtmiiier was Brndell's chief of staff.
 'The bail should be the same, 7 he said. Tt is high, but in my opinion 1t IS not high enough,' Then he ordered both de- fendants to appear in court on Friday. DOMINATE INDUSTRY Testimony that three-fourths of the wrought steel trade in America is con trolled by three powerful corporations maintaining prices usually apsoiuseiy uniform,'' and that two great manufac- turing concerns dominate the entire wrought iron business with similar effect touched the peak of interest in the eVi- dcrce which the brought forth.
 Previously the committee had heard
 citnesses say that the national associa- lions regulate distribution and prices throupbout the United States in lime stone, marble. sand and other bunolns materials.
 The testimony regarding conditions in the wrought iron and steel market came from John c. Cornell, Jr., jobber and exporter, who also declared dealers quo- tations in New York are usually Identical and that there was a time when prices were fixed" at luncheons attended by 2 "club's composed of the 20 large Jobbing concerns. Now a price list is sent out Inv his concern and usually other nrms quote identically he testified.
 The three companies which he named as producing 76 per cent of the wrought steel in America were the Nationai mupe .omnany. Youngstown Sheet and Tube company and the Republic Iron and Steel ,omnany. Business in the wrought iron trade is ..practically paralyzed' now be- ca,,se one of the two ''big'. concerns has a strike at it's plants, he declared
 Cornell testified there were only nine wrought steel manufacturers in the coun- try. and four were wrought iron manu- facturing concerns, including the smaller ones. Testimony by other witnesses included tho alleged haraSsing Of real estate men and huilders by the 'clique," padding of pav rolls and the payment of tribute to Brindell.
 "A inc close of today's session it was bounced there would be no further hear :~o. ,,nfil Tuesday,.