The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1920-11-19
HAS LABOR BOSS MADE
HIS FORTUNE IN GRAFT
Amazing Revelations Re
garding His Control
of Labor Trust
BY LoRRY A. JACOBS
|. e. A. staff Correspondent.

N. T. A. stan Correspondent"
NEW YORK, Nov. 19.-How
much money, If any. has Robert P.
Brindell, head of the Building
Trades Council of New York city
received as the result Of his amaz-
ing control of building operations
in New York and elsehere?
This is probably the most abb
sorbing question of the entire scan
dial that has grown out OF the in
vestigation OF the Lockwood Legts-
lative committee and the conse-
uuent deliberations OF the special
grand jury and city official tnves'
legations.
Huge Sums Paid.
The first phase OF their attack
upon corruption in the housing
situation has been ended by Chair
man Lockwood and Chief Council
Samuel Untermyer.
Brindell, according to testimony
taken, received the following
amounts from contractors and
house wreckers for the privilege
OIL continuing LueIT HOEh'
Geo. S. Backer, contractor. .$25, 900
G. ]. Atwell, house wrecker 10000
Albert A. Volk, excavator.. 1871
NJ. Blumberg, house wrecker 5000
L. ]. Cohen, house wrecker.. 4,250
w. Melton, house wrecker.. $500
F. Melton, house wrecker... $500
M. Mininson, house wrecker. 1000
]. Fradus, house wrecker... 1,OOO
]. L. Kamen, house wrecker 500
l. Goldstein. house wrecker 200
This is total Of S59,621.
Then Brindell, according to the
same testimony. received from the
other side OF the housc-tnat is
from workers, the following:
Dues and initiation rees for
Building Trades Council, new mem
bers, dock workers. walking dele
gates, and for working cards for
members annually, averaging $780,
0O0.
Brindell was the highest paid
labor executive IN the country, re-
ceiving $4,000 a year.
Is Questionable.
Certain other witnesses testified
that Brindell tried to extort $780,
500 more, but failed. Guesses and
,estimates as to the probable
amount Brindell has received have
been made by practically every
p4t-coneaFped t0I7g4 be E9E,
;;tl0nss. They vary from $500 00s000 00f
to S5.0 .0oo, ,Q09ff
AZ for the, Lockwood inyestiga'
ton itself ], It has wound and thread
ed. It's way through such a'mage OF
amazing facts that no one-not
even Uutermyer himself-wfll pre-
dict where It will lead. The, In
vestigation began October 80 and
developments followed swiftly, the
outstanding results Of the investi-
cation being briefly as follows:
Indictment of George S. Backer,
millionaire contractor, by the Ad.
ditional grand jury on charge OF
perjury. Backer first testified he
gambled away S25,000, but later
said he had given It to two men
he did not know and had found at
the Chatham hotel.
Cancellation OF $62,594,501 city
contracts, on which evidence tend.
ed to show there was collusion OF
bidding contractors.
Evidence tending to show that
Robert P. Brindell headed an enor'
nous ring that mulcted practically
everyone who has had any building
to do.
Evidence tending to show that
John T. Hettrick maintained at 165
Broadway a clearing house for col.
lusive bidding by contractors. Het.
trick Is the collector Of the Code
of Practice" by which contractors
operated.
Evidence to show that there was
collusion between nine contractors
of q charmed circle" who got con-
troll OF the court house limestone
contract for $2,372,000: This con
tract has been cancelled,
Testimony that Brindell's graf
scale was on a basis Of $1,000 peg
floor q building, his demand being
in one case $4,000 to allow his men
to complete a fIve.story building.
Evidence that extortion money
was paid in out Of the way places,
in Central Park, in automobiles, In
hotels and in subway kiosks.
Evidence that no building could
be done without the permission OF
Brindell and that his building was
divided up among his various
henchmen.
The startling theory, advanced
by the New York Evening World,
that. the wall street explosion was
the elimination Of the fight be-
tween Brindell's union and that
headed by william Zaranko ana
that members of Zaranko's union
were forced to pay $40 a week to
men representing themselves as be-
ing agents Of BTindell.
Want Federal Aid.
The investigation has now reach-
ed such proportions that federal aid
Is deemed necessary and Counsel
Untermyer has been IN negotiation
with Senator Calder. chairman OF
the Senate commission Of Recon
struction and Production, m the
hopes OF obtaining joint action BY
the Lockwood committee and the