New-York tribune., 1920-12-04
Price Combine
Denied Before
Estimate Board
All Contractors but One,
Called by City's Inves-
iigators, Say They Paid
No Protection Money
Connors Scores Brindell
Man Who Got School Work
Asserts Trades Council.
Head Threatened Him

With two vacant chairs marking the
absence Of Comptroller Charles L..
Craig and Borough President Henry H.
Curran Of Manhattan, the Board Of
Estimate yesterday continued its in
vestgation into city contracts. The
board held halliday session in the
afternoon al which Assistant Corpora
ton Counsel Carswcli examined sev-
eral public school contractors. The
rival hearing OF the Lockwood commit
tee in the Other end of the City Hall
attracted the crowd and there were few
spectators at the board inquiry.
All but of the school contrac-
tors examined swore that they had
had no arrangements with any other
contractors in submitting bids or with
any builders associations, nor had
they ever paid money to Labor repre-
sentatives. The one contractor re
membered that he had been urged to
settle up with Robert T. Brinde'l, the
head of the Building Trades Council
under Indictment as d result of The
Lockwood invcatigation, but the con-
tractor could not remember whether
he had actually paid Brindell any
thing, or not. He said he could re-
fresh his memory from his checkbook
accounts, and Mr. Carswcll asked him
10 do so and return fer further cX-
animation at the next hearing.
Was On the Outside
Dennis T.. Connors. one Of the school
contractors, who mad been awarded the
contracts for Public School SO. in Man
haitian. and School AZ, in the Bronx,
during the last eighteen months. test-
fed in regard to the Brindell incident
Conners said that he did not belong to
citation, but vas on the outside and
had to handle his own labor troubles,
of which he had plenty. tIc said he
had not yet Strengthened out his labor
troubles.
You are still having difficulties with
them % asked Assistant Corporation
Counsel Carswel.
ooh, yes said the witness.
"They have got II more or less on
You, is that tho idea % asked Mr.. Cars
we'll.
'l think SO, replied Corpors.
"What form did their activities take.
apart from disturbing the labor that
is on the sob ?' the witness was asked.
WE'LL" replied ConnorS. they 20 so
far as TO put pieces in the paper cX-
pressing or conveying to the Board of
Education that my time should not be
extended on the school, aad indicating
to me orally that Mr.. Snyder (superin-.
tendent Of building in the Department
Of Education) knows ! am 100 per
cent 1t is not yet clear to me what
that 100 rer cent is. That is what
Nr. Thompson told NE. Mr. Brindell
told me 10 pay my bills. Mr.. McCon-
vile, Iahor delegate. told me how
strong he was with the New York
Police Department and practically they
go5 me all balcd up
Asked i'm regard TO his meeting and
talk with Brindell, the witness said hs
me- him once. He SAID he had oeea
asked to 20 10 the Office Of the Build
IN Trades Council at L. St Marks
Place and see . indcll, but that he
finally saw Brindeli at meeting IN
the rooms Of the Building erades En-
ployers' Association in West Thirty
third Street
Talk With H-inocll
after the meeting was all through
said Connors, "Brindel came out ana
stepped over to him and said, 'Your
organization and yourself have my jobs
tied up He turned and said. "Why
don't you pay your bills?' said. ]
don't owe you anything.' Well he
said, you owe McConville.' said, NO
don't And he said. Well, now
he said something else and | he'd
little piece of paper and l was writing
down and he sad, What are you writ
ing" ! said, what do you care Il
said, III you arc going to do business
with me you don't want 30 write any
thing down ] said You cover it up
lie said. You think you are a smarty.'
| said, You look like smart fellow
and he said. I will not only stop your
job here, but | will stop them out Of
town | don't know whether we told