New-York tribune., 1920-11-07
Threatens to Place Him
on Stand in Housing In
quiry if He Delays Action
ON Ccllusive Contracts
Compers Urges
Housecleaiino
A~
Mayor Denies He Failed TO
Cooperate or y itllheld
Letter From Hettrick

George S. Backer, the millionaire
contractor, of 1877 Riverside Drive.
indicted on Friday in connection
with the building trades scandal,
was arraigned before Judge Joseph
r. Mulqueen in General Sessions yes
terday on charge of perjury. He
was released under $4,000 bail, fur
nished by a bonding company. He
will plead in answer to the charge
tomorrow morning.
On the heels of this development
came another sensation in the Lock
wood committees inquiry. Samuel
Untermyer, counsel for the commit.
tee, IN letter to Comptrolle,
Charles l.. Craig, served an ult;
matum on Mayor Hylan that if he
persisted in delaying the concella-
ton of certain contracts for city
work known to be based on collusivc
bids, he would put him on the wit
ness stand.
The Mayor gave out statement de-
nying that he had failed in any way
to cooperate with the investigation ~
the committee and denying specifically
that he had withheld letter from John
I. Hettrick. AS to the contracts re
ferred to by Mr.. Untermyer, the Mayor
said that, far from delaying action on
them, he had conferred concerning
them with his Commissioner of Ac-
counts and the Corporation Counsel as
soon as the courthouse contracts haa
been rescnded.
Gompers Urges HousecIcaninw
Another development Of the day wa
the cali issued by Samuel Gompers.
president of the American Federation
of Labor, to the local labor leaders lo
clean house. His remarks in connec-
ton with the building scandal were
addressed to the new Central Trades
and labor Council Of Greater New
York ~ "a meeting at 2l0 East Fifth
Street yesterday.
Prefaclng his declaration with the
injunction that the delegates prepare
themselves to meet an aDti-labor pro
gram Of the industrial interests. he
SAID: Il appeal to you to see to il that
our movement shall be clean and hon
est. so that no hnger of scorn can be
pointed toward lis. We must be better
than those we oppose"
Mr.. Ontermyer said he wrote the
Mayor two weeks ago urging the i'm
mediate cancellation of contracts for
the construction of schoolhouscs or
the ground that there was evidence on
hax
Iuslon SO far no acton mas been taken
on these suggestions.
VIII Call Mayor to Explain
Yesterday again warned Comn,s
Sioner Hirshfield at The hoaringv
wrote Mr. Un1ermyer. that if he
Mayor persists in delaying action
shall feel that my duty a. counsel To
the c4nmittee viii require me TO cali
him f6 the witness stand to explain
his reasons"
Mr.. Untermyer further EXPRESSED
the desire to know why the Mayor had
withheld the undated letter sent to
him by John I. Hettrick, of Code Of
Practice" fame. in which Hettrick Of
fered the Mayor the support Of labor
unions if he would sign the limestone
contract Tor the proposed new court
house. 1t Is peculiar feature he
said that he letter was not made pub
'ic until after Hettrck's Office hal
been raided, and that further signill
cant circumstance IS that no step was
taken to cancel the courthouse cor
tract until after the Lockwood invest
cation was we'll under way.
Mr.. Cntermyer suggests that a vie
lance committee of private citizens be
organized to scan all contracts for city
work.
Victim of Breach of Faith
Backer's offense reyolges abou. the
conflicting testimony he gave before
the committee about the disposal of
SIS, 900 OF the S25 600 given him By his
employer, Ephraim Levy, IA builder. T.
Tx up strike on an operation al Sew
enth Avenue and Thirty-tirst Street.
The money, said Levy, was to go to
Brindell. In an effort to protect Brin-
dell, it was said. Backer said he lost
the money al racetrack and then
later assertea he cave it 10 two stran-
gers IN the lobby OF the Chatham Ho-
tel
Backer at the time had two building
operations on hand on his own ac-
count, involving about 1000. 900. and
II IS thought that ne told these myth
cal stories in order 20 prevent the loss
or huge sums of money through labor
troubles TIA. might develop If he told
all he knew
He appeared little perturbed about
the affair when he appeared at the
Arlminal Courts Building yesterday
with his attorney, Samuel Levy. He
asserted 70 reporters that he was the
victim of breach OF faith on the
part OF leonard Wallstein and Samuel
A Berger, associated with Mr.. Inter
myer as counsel TO the committee. He
SAID that Wailstein and Berger had
promised not 70 call him 70 the wit
ness stand if he gave them certain IN
formation.
Served Wfth Subpoena
After had given them this infor-
nation" he said, "a process server
subpgnaed me, saying l was wanted
to answer couple OF questions The
next thing / knew ! was on the witness
stand before the committee"
After saying numerous other uncom
plImentary things about the committee
counsel, he added: My friends believe
kept the money instead Of disposinc
OF 1t as Levy intended. think more O
them than do OF the committees 5 coun