The New York herald. [volume] (New York, N.Y.) 1920-1924, 1920-11-20
Restriction I'm Bidding.

Take the granite and marble indus
try: there is a rockbound arrangement
among those people, isn't there
Yes" Mr. White replied They had
the same code system which restricted
bidding"
Mr.. White went over the bids for the
Manhattan Hotel marble work. Four
bids ranged from s2SS0o0 to S26o.0ou. Re-
vised bids were asked on October 70
after the investigation was well under
way and each of the original bidders
dropped his figures. The contract was
let for 1892 900.
The Fuller company uses something
like 1.O00O00 barrels of cement year.
Mr.. White said. He reviewed eleven
bids for Broad street building and the
prices for brick We're all sS0.75. Prior TO
1917 the price was from s. to 81 a thou
sand.
"Our experience told us there. was no
use taking so many bids, but we We're
always hoping for a break" the Wit
ness said. The proposals all came in
the same form. We had to buy through
the dealers and could get our supplies
only in one way. We talked of getting
our own brick plant or importing from
Belgium, but found they would not let
us do It."
On that same job there We're eleven
bids for the cement work, the witness
said. He explained that formerly Port
land cement was a certain kind, but IN
recent years it meant any kind. There
were eleven bids on the Broad street
building for cement and ten were Tor
s1050 and one for 5000. The price only
a few years ago was around 80 cents.
The whole country is districted
Mr.. White said. I'VE are not allowed
to buy direct from the manufactures.
which we have tried many times 10 do.
We are compelled to buy our cement
and brick from the same dealer. The
West will not sell to the East"
DO you consider $40 thousand low
for brick as compared with the cost
of manufacture"
I'VE do not consider it So it has
got to take quite a tumble yet before
it gets on a legitimate business basis.
Buying Channels Limited.
Mr. White went through other lists
showing cost prices. Ten estimates Tor
white Portland cement were S7.2O each
a bag: for hydrated lime the price was
so ton.
IF competition had been open is there
any question that bids would have been
varied?"
mo question at all
do YOU mean TO say, Mr.. White, that
IL you wanted to buy cement In Phila-
delphia for building in New York you
could not get it?'
mo, sir; we cannot. We have to deal
through the dealers. We cannot go to
manufacturer. a dealer outside of
the district will not deliver here"
so the network of combination among
the cement people encrcles the whole
country. does it, and all the localities ??
Yes; the national organization con-
trolls the price of cement In the whole
country
Have you heard of the federal suit
against this combination ever having
been tried?''
II have not"
Have you any idea whether the
scheme will be at all different by the
time they get TO trial?"
II have not"
You know that it isn't difficult to
switch these combination plans. don't
your"
II would infer that it would not be
impossible"
80 that by the time you get to trial in
civil case the manufacturer hobs up
with another plan different from the
one that is in sut?"
Yes. sir
Discussing a question OF competition
and labor, Mr.. Untermyer remarked:
''All this committee wants TO do with
respect to labor is TO release It from the
thraldom of Matchmaking"
Mr. White said that is all the builders
want.
Mr. Atwell. tall and blond and wear
ing bone spectacles, was recalled to the
stand when the committee met in the
morning.
Untermyer Answers Mayor.
Mr.. Untermyer asked and received per-
mission to read statement answering
Mayor Hylan's attacks while on the
witness stand on Thursday. He said:
During the extraordinary scene that
took place in this meeting yesterday. I
ahottfd aav tho IA ther bur,iiiatinO scam