New-York tribune., 1920-10-23
LOckwOOdCommitteeCalls
on Governor to Appoint
Atty. Gen. Newton to
Cases and Specify Jury
Contractor Begs
Mercy at Hearing
Declares He Fears Ruin at
Hands of Labor Men:
Brindeil Denies Bribe

4IduuS O1 LdDOE N1cH
BrindeIl Denies Bribe
The Lockwood Joint Legislative
Committee investigating the alleged
building material trust will ask
Governor Smith to appoint Attorney
General Charles D. Newton as spe-
cial prosecutor to conduct the Grim
NAL proceedings expected shortly to
srise from the inquiry.
A letter has been drafted asking
the Governor to designate the panel
before which the proceedings may be
brought. 1t is not known whether
the matter will be placed before the
present extraordinary grand jury.
There were intimations that the
committee is satisfied it has sufficient
evidence to institute criminal action
Deputy Attorney General Berger
tried to get in touch with Mr.. New
ton at Rochester last night, but up
to late hour was unsuccessful
The investigation was adjourned
yesterday afternoon to November T.
More Startling Disclosures
The decision of the committee to
appeal to the Governor was the cll-
max of a session filled with dis
closures almost as startling as those
of the day before. The inquiry was
opened with a plea by a wealthy CON
tracing plumber for protection
against rapacious labor leaders
This man, Milton Schnaier, of 209
West Seventy sixth Street, asked to
be excused from answering certain
questions put to him by counsel for
the committee on the ground that it
would mean the ruin of his business
On the heels of this came the re-
scinding of contracts for the proposed
new 100000 courthouse By the
Board of Estimate. on the ground that
the bids had been entered under cir
cumstances tending to show that CON
binations existed to restrain open com
petition"
In this connection Mayor Hylan an
nounccd: If necessary, | am for stop
ping every public Improvement IN this
city, to land those who are responsible
IN jail. l shall stop every improve
ment if we can get those who have
been and are trying to mulct the city"
no Of g So
was brought about through disclosures
that the bidders on at least four of the
contracts were in some way associated
with Hettrick's Code Of Practice
group Of building material contractors.
Brindell Fails to Appear
Robert ?. Brindeli, head II the
Building Trades Council. failed %
show up at the hearing yesterday In
accordance with the invitation Of the
committees counsel, Samuel Inter
myer Instead his lawyer !. j. O'Con-
nor, attempted to read statement IN
behalf OF his client into the records
He was blocked by Untermyer.
O'Connor characterized the proceed
ings as Russian Inquisition.' tie
later made public a statement from
Brindell in which the Ia ter denied
knowing anything about the SO 600
bribe which Ephraim b. Levy, a con
tractor, said he gave an alleged go
between last spring 70 call or strike.
He asserted that the invest cation Wa
an attack on organieed labor.
Mr. Untermyer, resentng this state
ment, said that the committee can per
form no greater service for legitimate
organized labor than that of Tex
posing, Furnishing and ejecting from its
councils the wolves and vulturcs who
have been fattening ON is vitals"
Mr. Untermyer outlined the general
trend of proof TO be offered the com
mittee, saying it will show a banding
together among the material men.
first, in a separate association in each
of the thirty-two lines of the building
trades. from the manufacturer down 20
the retailer; second. the banding to
gether Of the different associations
under the head Of the Building Ma
terial Employers Association.
The committee would also show. hc
said, that not only has labor been
dragnetted Iii many cases into the
Building Trades Council, bat that en-
ployers have been dragnetted and
forced into certain Of these associs
tions by the relations that exist b..
tween the council and the building
Trades Employers Association. He
described this relation as You tickle
me and | tickle you"
AS to the testimony regarding the
$4,000 bribe, he said it would be
found that the little small change
that was referred to yesterday is 4
very trifiing item in this organize
raid upon the building industry. 1t is
so widespread that until it has been
checked and punished building opera
tions in the City Of New York are sim
ply impossible.
Hearings Adjourned
The hearings were adjourned until
November 1. said Mr.. Untermyer. be
cause OF the approaching election and
to give the investigators an oppor-
tunity to go over the great mass OF
evidence that has been gathered ia
connection with the inquiry.
Schnaier, whose testimony on the
smethods of the labor vultures" was Of
the utmost value to the investigators
was extremely reluctant to tell wha.
he knew OF the combinations tina,
throttled competition in the bui,din'
industry. He admitted he entered n.
Code Of Practice" whereby. il j.,
alleged, bids were submitted for an
provai to John T. Hettrick, attorney. q.