Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1920-11-06
TRAIL OF BUILDING
TRUST LENGTHENS
Arrangement Ordered Today
for One Man-Senator
Calder Called In.

NEW YORK. November (by the
Associated Press)-The investigation
of charges of graft and extortion in
| the alleged building trades trust"
mere has assumed such far-reachng
proportions that Samuel Untermyer.
counsel for the Lockwood joint eX
ecuttve committee. announced today
! mat larger organization would have
10 De employed to run down the rami
| fications of the trust"
There was no session of the commit
Tee today. adjournment having been
taken until next Thursday to allow
| lawyers and accountants time to ex-
anime the flood of evidence.
Millionaire Accused.
George Backer. millionaire. alleged
! go-between" among contractors and
| la oorers. who was reported indicted
yesterday by the additional grand
jury. was ordered to appear for ar
ralgnment in court today and furnish
par OF $4,000 The jury returned
three indictments. but the names of
an those indicted were not made pub
nc. Bench warrants for their arreS:
nave been issued by Judge Mulqueen
or the general sessions court
senator Calder. who possesses ma
man OF the Senate committee on hous-
ing. was called into the inquiry yes
Ierday. He was informed that John
r Hettrick. guiding hand in the code
OF pfactlce system. said to regulate
competition in New York. had fed the
city.
walking delegates of the building
trust also have deserted their usual
haoitats, and men armed with sub
poenas have failed to find them, said
samuel Cntermyer. counsel for the in
Vestigatlng committee
Warning From liking"
One witness testified that a delegate
OF the KING of the admittedly all
powerful Building Trades Council
/ warned him to watch his step and
sit tight" while being auizzed. He
was threatened with determination
from business i'm the metropolis if he
failed to do so.
rms witness, Walter Melton, APP
peared on the stand to reverse his
testimony of yesterday. when he de-
nled having paid Robert p Brinden
nead OF the Building Trades Council.
$1,000 in connection with a wrecking
contract Melton claimed he was in
brother and other friends
The city of New York, which last
week resclnded millions in contracts
LOT new courthouse, showed signs
OF tearing the city had been f1eeced in
other construction jobs Borough
president and department heads were
; instructed to begin scrutinizing every
contract let during the past eighteen
months. and the board of estimate
ana apportionment postponed consid-
GRAFTON Tor week of new contracts
for removal of snow this winter
Bidder Is Questioned.
Hanlein. solitary bidder on the
Sl,S0O,O00 limestone contract for the
New York courthouse. which was re-
scinded at Mayor Hylan's direction,
was questioned regarding destruction
of an agreement" between eight of
his competitors by which it was
charged by Mr.. Cntermyer he was al
lowed to be the only bidder.
He said he had been told it was de-
stroyed. This information he testified,
came from Charlie Hutchinson. an
employe in Hettricks' Office which
was raided recently after Hettrick
had been on the stand.
Hanlein admitted that in bidding
on the Cunard line building he figured
charging IS a cubic foot for limestone
and raised this to 50 cubic foot in
the courthouse bid. He did not esti-
mate what the courthouse job would
cost him before handing in his bid, he
said, and he had no cost sheets.