The New York herald. [volume] (New York, N.Y.) 1920-1924, 1920-10-18
FREE HAND FOR
UNTERMYER IN
HOUSINGINQUIRY
Senate Committee Gives
Full Power to Counsel in
Building Probe.
TO START WEDNESDAY
State, City and Federal Of
ficials Expected to Fur
nish Pertinent Data.
HEARINGS TO BE JUDICIAL
Thirty Witnesses Summoned
D..
TO START WEDNESDAY,
HEARINGS TO BE JUDICIAL
Thirty Witnesses Summoned
for First Session to BE
Held in City Hall.

The stipulation under Wnich Safnuei
Untermyer agreed 10 aid the Joint
Legislative Committee on Housing In
its inquiry into the charges that
combination OF building material
manufacturers and dealers is holding
Up prices We're revealed yesterday
when Senator Charles C. Lockwood,
chairman Of the committee, made pub
lie the correspondence which resulted
in giving to Mr.. Untermyer practi-
cally a free hand in the investigation.
More than thirty witnesses have been
summoned to appear before the commit
toe at 10 o'clock next Wednesday morn
ing In the Aldermanic chamber In City
HALL Mr.. Untermyer, acting as asso-
ciate counsel. without compensation. will
take the leading part In the inquiry.
With him will be Deputy Attorney-Gen-
eral Samuel A. Berger, Elmer G. Sam
mis-, Nathaniel l.. Goldstein. Leonard NJ.
Wallstein and Col. S. Herbert Wolfe.
Col Wolfe will serve as statistician and
expert accountant Hearings will be
held daily.
In letter to Senator Lockwood on
October z, Mr.. Untermyer. referring to
various visits made to his Office by Sem
the committee that In certain conditions
he would be willing to act as counsel
He charged Senator Lockwood with los
ing valuable time in getting started,
pointing out that 1t was then two weeks
since the committee was appointed. He
said 1t seemed to him that the commit
tee was trying to put Off the investiga-
ton until after election. Mr.. Untermyer
declared that he would not act If there
"a ~ naadlpou dalayn
Senator Lockwood's answer. dated Oc-
tober 0, said that he never had attempted
10 protect anybody and that he had
given practically all of his time since his
return from Albany to the work Of the
committee. With his letter Senator
Lockwood sent an enclosure of the min
utcs OF a meeting of the committee when
the proposed appointment of Mr.. Inter
myer was discussed.
First Proposal Too Ambiguous.
On October. IL Mr.. Untermyer replied
that the character Of the proposal was
too ambiguous and hedged about with
restrictions which would prevent him
from making the personal sacrifice. He
said that the committee had been en-
gagged in its work for a year, had taken
moro than 5000 pages of testimony at
great expense, but had not been able to
ANNohth'ht tti4J titiiit, " iCilcNC lit llOuS~
ing situation beyond temporary make
shifts
THE inquiry" said Mr. Untermyer
should be oispassionate. impersonal and
judicial, directed against no particular
interest and with no purpose other than
10 inpartiaily disclose the facts and pro-
vide the remedy"
Mr.. UntsTuyer declared that most of
the important provisions OF the resolu-
finn rrnflar xxbiel, 1,a ro,t
ceeding had been eliminated. Many OBJ
stacles, he pointed out. already had been
placed In the path OF the committee. He
then gave in detail the conditions under
which he would agree to aid in the in
Quiry. They were:
/. That there be no subdivision Of legal
work among the counsel except as they
may agree among themselves.
.. That satisticians be employed and
| put to work under direction Of counsel.
the hearings to commence without fur
Their delay.
8. That counsel be permitted 10 finish
exainlnging witnesses before questions
are put by members of the committee.
Asks Public OmciaIs, Aid.
Z. That the superintendent of bank.
and insurance agree to furnish data 10
the committee.
.. iHdt the ala OF tne EeQeTal Trade
Commission be sought
6. That the Department of Justice, SO
far as is consistent, permit access TO
data.
That assurances be received from
the District Attorney and the State At
torney-General that prosecutions will
follow attempts to defy the authority
Of the committee.
s. That counsel, in the event OF diff
ferences, shall be at liberty TO resign
and state publicly his reasons for do
ing so.
3. That he should not be asked 20
accept compensation for his work
Senator Lockwood, on behalf OF the
committee, replied on October 10, stating
IN effect that Mr.. Untermyer's condi-
tons we're agreed to. He again Insisted
that the committee had not sought to
delay the investigation.
On the same day Mr.. Untermyer re-
piled that, IL he had correctly read Sem
ator Lockwood's letter there was no
remaining point of disagreement
ct oonstrue in he said. "as agreeing TO
my stipulations in 80 far as II is within
your power. Tho conditions are intended
solely to safeguard the integrity and
usefulness of the investigation"
Following Mr.. Untermyer's formal
acceptance meeting was held and the
machinery OF the Investigation was set
In motion.
E0IrND nEAn. THP0AT lrJrT