The united opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1881-1970, 1920-12-24
SENATE BUILDING
CRAFT INQUIRY
Authorizes Calder Committee tc
Employ Counsel and Exam
inc Criminal ConSpiracles.
DENOUNCED AS SHOCKING.
Thomas Demands Fitting Penalty for
"ScoundreIs"-L "Splendid Sue
cess" of New York Committee
and Attributes 1t to Untermyer.

shington.-Adopting without OPP
position the resolution of Senator Cal
der to authorize the Calder Investigat-
ing Committee to employ counsel, the
senate opened the way to sweeping
investigation of the building material
situation in leading cities and thor
ough inquiry into the coal industry.
The Calder committee, which is Il
SPECIAL committee to inquire into huos-
ing and other phases of reconstruction,
will enlarge the scope of the inquiry
now being made in New York by the
Lockwood Committee into a national
investigation. The inquiry into build
ing material was prompted by the rev.
Citations in New York, which were re-
ferred to by senators as shocking.
Counsel will be employed in few
days and the committee will seek to
delve much further into coal profiteer-
ing
Senator Thomas of Colorado, promi-
nent Democrat, in a vigorous speech,
supported the investigation, urged en-
loyment of counsel and arraigned the
Bethlehem Steel Company and those
steel producers, who, as brought out
in the testimony of President Grace
of the Bethlehem Steel Company be-
fore the Lockwood Committee, refused
to sell steel TO concerns not operating
the open shop. When the resolution
was brought up, Senator Thomas said:
81 am not in favor, as a general
proposition, of investigating commit
tees, because they accomplish very lit
tie and promote the tendency to in
vestigate everything, well founded or
otherwise But the purpose of the
senator from New York in asking for
this is prompted by, and is certainly
justified by, the disclosures made by
the New York legislative Investigate
ing committee. under the direction of
Mr.. Untermyer.
"This committee has disclosed the
existence of one or two ir0nclad com.
hinatiOns or cOnspiracies against trade
and against social and economic con-
ulIlOuS llldl may SUI pllSS SoihS' '"'
which seem to me to be the direct
outgrowth of the tendencies of the
time. The remarkable and startling
fact disclosed is that this combination
is not peculiar to New York.
There seems 10 he in every city
sufficiently large to Justify it similar
coalition between few owners OF
certain classes of material. few
building concerns and few labor
unions. and the combination enables
the heneficiaries of il to work their
will in every community where they
exist. to dictate prices, to determine
who shall and who shall not receive
contracts and at what figures, TO de-
clare strikes, and to create at any
time differences between employees
and employer, and to levy blackmail
by the hundreds Of thousands of dol
lars.
Yesterday, the committee had be-
fore it Mr.. Grace, the president of the
Bethlehem Steel Company. He was
called because the day before two of
the great contracting firms of the
country, speaking through their prin-
cipal officers, testified that they were
unable TO purchase any structural
steel from the steel manufacturers of
the country, because the concerns rep
resented in another combination had
determined TO refuse to sell structural
steel TO any concern which did not
operate what is called the open shop.
Now. am an open shop man.
believe IN It thoroughly. and must
believe in 1t as long as ! believe in
equality of opportunity in country
like this. But the combination of steel
producers which proposes 10 dictate to
purchasers what course they shall
pursue with regard to employment,
and TO refuse to supply material, at
whatever cost, To those who Will not
comply with their requirements, dis
closes another combination, quite as
vicious and unholy. as indefensible as
any combination | ever heard OF"