The New York herald., 1920-12-04

don't know would not want to say"
THAT is about what the tugs are
worth. isn't itT'
III should think So"
t'You can pay for the barges ON one
trip. 1t takes about a day to make a
trip. doesn't it?''
when we were running towing line
we came down in one day."
This Is very heavy tax upon the
brick business. isn't IL, this excessive
towing charger"
-'Yes, sir. 1t Is too much. We are
paying too much"
''How Is 1t there Is no competition In
the business? What has Cornell done?
How has ne managedy There used 70
be competition, wasn't there?
III don't know there never has been
any real competition that ! know Of
for great many years. Schuyler's
Towing Company used to be on the
river. Then there was competition. but
ineNer in the brick business"
-.Were they bought UP by Cornell?'
~ think corneN purchased that tow
!pg company
,sAre any brick manufacturers inter-
ested in the Cornell Company"
~ don't know .of any"
tThese tugs tow ice barges up, don't
nell tuSs?"
Brick boats Ice barses. stone boats
anything that floats
'And these excessive towing charges
operate as a burden upon the price Of
ice as we'll as Of bricks and other prod
ucts that come down the rivery"
.f'They have a special tew on brick"
s,s'When the rate jumps 500 per cent.
you know there is something wrong?"
s'As far as / know but don't know
about the other fsllow."
Back a few years the price was II to
II. cents for towing brick, the witness
SAID.
l''So that in the last four years you
have an increase of 800 per cent?!
Eyes"
Frank Melton, housewrecl1ing con-
tractor. testified that in 1917 he Brought
down many loads OF brick from the sec
end hand yards north OF Albany for
S75 a load Some one started comre-
tition and the price went down to SIS
and S25 a load. but that lasted only one
month. The Cornell company went even
lower and the competitors We're put out
or, business.
Contractor Hazy About By-iaw.
the Contractors Protective Association,
Of 334 Fifth avenue. which has forty
seven members who do excavating,
trucking, housewreckng and sand busi-
ness, was asked by Mr.. Unterrnyer about
a. provision in the bylaws that what
seemed advisable should be kept in the
records, but the witness could not ex-
plain.
Several committees were named by
the association. the witness said to deal
with conditions in the trades represent
ed; but denied they were price fixing
committees. He went over the minutes of
several meetings. The purpose Of one
item found there was that steam shovel
men not belonging to the association
should not be allowed to do business in
New York. The agreement made re-
garding the price contractors should
charge builders for labor applied only
I'd day work. the witness said. and was
seldom If ever used. 1t was brought out
that one member was fined $500 for
allowing chauffeurs to work on his mo-
tor trucks when another member had
a. Strike OF chauffeurs.
When the session opened in the fore
noon Mr.. Untermyer announced that
subpoena servers lad been trying for
days to find John A. Mccarthy and John
PsKane.
III understand these gentlemen are
clients OF Mr.. Conboy and we would
like to know whether he will agree to
produce them" the counsel said
Mr.. Kane is just recuperating from a
serious operation and ! will see what
can be accomplished" Mr. Conboy said
,''How about Mccarthy"
= II am not obliged to make any offers
40 produce any one"
Mccarthy seems 70 be able 10 dc
business. but we do not seem to be able
TO. find him. and our process servers
have been for him at least Ave times
Conboy said he would see what could
be. accomplished
Marvyn Scudder. expert accountant
was called TO the stand and said he had
been studying the minutes taken with
the documents of the Builders Supply
Bureau. for which Conboy Is counsel and
in which Mccarthy is known as account
NO O." The book OF minutes contained
loose leaf entries.
Sees Substitution in Minutes.
Are you familiar with typewriters
and typewriter Gibbons and with the
INVESTIGATION Of that sort Of thing?"
."Have you examined the typewriting
OF the minutes between the dates Febru-
airy and November last?"
IT have
Take up the minutes preceding Feb
ruary 1920. Do you And any that in
your opinion have been interpolated or
substituted?'
."I should think So"
Mr. Seudder enumerated in detail the
pages he said he believed had been SUBJ
stituted. The indication was. he said
that the heavy typewriting had been
done at one time. The entries were ali
fresh from January on. he said.
Yes think that these are substitute
minutes which were all put in nj one
tirne?"
."As to the minutes from February 70
November there Is no question they were
al. written at one time. II would be
mystery II they were not"
Joseph Penny. secretary of the bureau
SAID he had supervision of the minutes
fio said that as far as he knew Tho
several entries OF minutes were all in.
serted when made following meetings
He took the minutes and gave them tc
Miss Elizabeth O'Dca to transcribe
$50 the responsibility. ifIany, You put
on Miss O'Dea?'
u object to that statement" Mr.. Con-
boy Interrupted.