The New York herald. [volume] (New York, N.Y.) 1920-1924, 1920-10-31
Building and
a Graft Ring


tive hearing shows, has
throttled the city's b"ilding industry Is
providing a sensation that even the
political situation cannot burn ont.
Samuel Untermyer, counsel for the
Lockwood committee. has wrung from
unwilling witnesses a story of corrup-
ton, bribery and persecution that ex-
ends into every building line and into
the ranks of union labor. Contractors
nave testified that they paid much money
to Robert b. Brindell. president of the
! Building Trades Council. a labor con-
rolling organization. He got this money.
witnesses said. so that they could carry
on their building enterprises unhampered
by strikes or other labor coercion.
II also has been brought out that sew
eral thousands Of workers have been
ompelled TO stand for levy of $40 each
IN their weekly wage.
Men high In Tammany Hall are re-
ported 10 be involved in the affair and Il
has been said that that orgsnlzatior
FINISHED the opposition to n demand on
Governor Smith that District Attorn
Swami be superseded by Attorney-Gen-
eral Newton in the criminal phase OF
| ne investigation. Mr.. SWANS office
| 20 ght this request but the Governor
met the demands Of Mr.. Untermyer and
| Senator Lockwood and named Mr.. New.
4
prosecuting gents In any criminal cases
| that may result.
The investigation into the bond buying
| department of the State Comptroller's
office took an interesting turn on Monday
when Comptroller Travis was adjudged
| In contempt OF court for refusing TO an
swer questions at the hearings before
Justice Kernochan Of Special Sessions II
4 Al. It'll hues hafs
| too partial to certain brokers.
Mr.. Travis was questioned about his
personal accounts. and in seventeen IN
stances refused TO answer being declared
\ IN cortemrt in each instance. The fol-
/ lowing day several brokers took the
stand and their records showed that Mr..
Travis had purchased s156.000 in bonds.
Six hundred repre-
I Labor Unions seatatives OF trucking
Gil. and merchants asso-
Citations have presented
unique counter proposal to the $4,000
workers who want shorter hours and n
rise OF 81 week In the pay scale. The
employers called on the unions to accept
cut IN wages SO as 10 lower the costs
II trucking and thus red ce living costs
The matter is still unsettled.
Indictments. long awaited. were re-
turned IN Tuesday In connection with |
gambling in Nassau county. Joseph |
Cassidy. Curly joe" former Demo-
cratic boss of Queens; Sheriff Smith OF
Nassau, Assemblyman McWhinney, /
George Wilbur Doughty Republican I
leader. and Thomas O7<eefe postmaster !
OF Oyster Bay are out on bail charged /
with conspiracy. The investigation und sr
the direction of Supreme Court Justic, /
Scudder and District Attorney Weeks /
has shown Nassau county as the rcndez-
vous for New York gamblers with at /
least dozen large places In operation.
OF interest to science
ITO Going to was the announcement
Oh. Ar,.~~,;. Of an expedition TO the
Antarctic led by John
l.. Cope. a former commander in the
British Navy. Mr.. Cope is to leave Nor
folk. Va. soon for South America 90 ar
range for the start OF a party OF ITO for
the polar regions. Three large whalers
will be used and airplane sleds will he
taken along. The purpose of the expe-
dition Is TO gather commercial and scien-
tiic data.
The new rent laws enacted at the re-