The New York herald. [volume] (New York, N.Y.) 1920-1924, 1920-11-16
Lockwood Counsel Calls
Halt on Chickering's in
Stormy Session.
$50 PER CENT. PROFITS
Taxpayers in Strangle Grip
Of Pirates in Labor Grab.
Asserts Untermyer.
BIG REVELATIONS soon
L. S. Attorney Generals
Promised Aid Fails to Show
Up in Housing Quest.

Confronted with ample evidence
Of its shortcomings. the Board OF
Estimate determined yesterday 10
start forthwith an investigation OF It's
own into all city contracts in an en-
deavor to help the Lockwood Commit
tee free New York OF the bands O
pirates and buccaneers" who have
the building industry ana the munici-
pality by the throat
This action was taken after
stormy conference had been held
by the board and committee, at which
Samuel Untermyer. chief counsel for
the legislative inquiry. told the off,
cials that seventy-five per cent. Of
the municipal contracts were based
on collusion and fraud and that the
taxpayers were paying bills which
represent $50 per cent. profits which
all comes out Of the rent
Mr.. Untermyer told the board q 10
Of other things. The officials started
pickering the moment they joined the
State probers in conference. The law
yer called a quick halt, telling the
Mayor and his associates that the
business in hand was too serious To
this city for It's officials to spend time
sparring for verbal advantage. II was
up TO the board TO purge itself, he
said.
Only the surface OF the building
scandal has been scratched, Mr.. I'm
termyer said. The big revelations OF
wrongdoing are yet to 30 made. and
/ tho Lockwood committee is not going
20 be sidetracKed either 10 save city
officials or do their duties for them
lie gave slam 10 the Federal Ad-
ministration. charging that the in.
qulry authorized by Attorney
Palmer was doing nothing to help.
The United States attorney has
handed gold brick to the committee.
the lawyer said
City In Grip of MonopoIie-.
1--WE have found this entire community
In the cin ~ uoparstic phiust'-7r
from .hs lowest te aiFhes, ed ~~.
have Gar t0ep oal few Ok thS
small nnniaai0ns frterr1yfr
said. Thesa comt. oDs arc irisr
state 1loa 1a I.4e ..sla-sr
we shall have to attack as we reacn
them in due time--provided we get from
the Federal Government the cooperation
that has been given thus tar in words
but not in deeds.
quite incidental to our main inauiry
we found the city In the throes OF these
combinations--these pirates OF labor and
industry-and we have brought few
TO public light. II Is now the duty Of
the city government TO end the abuses
| IN its contracts.
I'VE have only scratched the surface
in two or three OF the forty-odd trades
and we must go on II we ever are to get
through We have all the banks ana
insurance companies TO deal with and
our accountants are working on this
line. You must finish the city Job W.
have started for you"
Mr. Untermyer found the members OF
| the Board of Estimate waiting. As soon
as the session was in order resolutions
\ were offered stating that the city Off
clals were eager to give all possible as
sistance to the investigators.
The Mayor read a long statement ex
/ planning In detail how city contracts arc
made and how he Is in no way rcspon-
sible for anything wrong that may hav,
crept in. The Mayor said he had invited
the heads Of departments 20 be present
lie dwelt az length on the Board OF Edu-
cation contracts. The statement con-
cluded
while there has been a desperate ef-
fort to place all tho responsibility upon
the Mayor for the letting OF contracts
he has nothing TO do with letting cos
tracts. except the Court House contract
which has been cancelled"
city officials Clash Again.
Then the Mayor wanted to read some
letters Several objections we're made
The Mayor, Comptroller and others be-
gan scrapping. Mr.. Untermyer suggest.
ed some one BE- named to keep order
and added he was too busy 20 waste
time listening 90 that kind Of talk
Restrain yourself; The facts VII
come out" tho Comptroller told IN
Mayor.
THE facts won't escape me-ths
Mayor Is going 10 be heard"
Ahfh sAlf AHNttHl1tI WIS lMNlAfu 10
tell the board what they were all there
for. lie said
The Lockwood committee has neither
TIE power nor no virh o "a f'e
duties that devolve upon the officials o.
the city. | have listrlcd So d,r-
able annoyance 20 thia proceeding. The
business seems 20 me too serious to war
rant anybody sparring for position y,
the passage of resolutions that neces-
sariiy are ineffective. or by verbal state.
ments intended not so much that We
should enlighten one another In the con.
ference as they are intended apparently
for some other purpose.
The Lockwood committee IS a leg.s-
lative body that has certain powers Il
nncl by the resolution under whlch
,,as appointed. aud it has no dlsposltio
% trapd outside tte powers that hav.
peeu delegated 90 it lt has duties o.
.he city and to tho state.
The committee found az once shsi