The New York herald. [volume] (New York, N.Y.) 1920-1924, 1920-11-07
Lockwood Inquiry Counsel
Thanks Craig for Offer OF
His Cooperation.
CRITICISES THE MAYOR
inquiries Why Hettrick's
Promise of Labor's Sup
port Was Suppressed.
MORE INDICTMENTS SOON
Steps Will Be Taken to Stop
Violation of ColIusive Bid
ding Law in City Work.
MORE INDICTMENTS SOON

Along with the rest Of the interest
Committee has dragged, wheedled and
otherwise extracted from Builders,
house wreckers AMI others whose
businesses have brought them into
touch with Bob" BrIndell and his
Building Trades Council may ,ater be
that of none other than John f.
Hylan. Mayor of New York.
Samuel Untemyer let this ne known
yesterday in a letter TO Comptroller
Craig. The letter which was delivered
to. Mr.. Craig late in the afternoon,
contained Mr.. Unternyer's commenda-
tion of Mr.. Craig for tho latter's an
nounced intention of reviewing city
contracts entered into during the last
eighteen months and turning facts
thereon over TO the Lockwood Com
mittee of which Mr.. Unterrnyer is
chief of counsel
Mr.. Untermyer did not say that II
Was certain that the Mayor would be
called TO the witness stand. The letter
merely states that Mr.. Untermyer finds
II hard to assign a reason for the hia-
tus between the beginning OF the com
mittce's Investigation and the announce
mont by the Mayor that John 7. Hett-
rick had written to him, pIedging the
political support of labor should he ap-
prove the contract for tho limestone
work on the courthouse.
Letter withheld Two Months.
Then Mr.. Untermyer goes on TO say
that he considers one Of the peculiar
features of the case the fact that al
though this letter was received by tho
Mayor almost two months ago II was
not made public and no mention or In
| tifnation was given OF it's receipt until
after Hettrick's office had been raided."
Yesterday" writes Mr. Untermyer TO
Mr.. Craig, II again warned Commls-
sioner Hirshfield at the hearing room
of the committee that IL the Mayor
persists In delaying action / shall feel
that my duty as counsel to the commit
! tee Will require me TO call him 70 the
| witness stand to explain his reasons"
Mayor Hylan lost no time IN defend
| ing himself. Last night His Honor is
I sued q statement saying that Mr. Inter
nyer Attempted TO create false i'm
| PRESTON" and that he would he very
| glad to appear before the committee at
/ any time IL cared to listen TO him.
| Moreover. he characterized Mr.. Inter
| myers statement regarding the alleged
| holding back of the Hettrick letter as
absolutely false" That letter. accord
! ing TO the Mayor was handed over ON
October IL TO Commissioner Hirshfield.
who was at that time investigating
| the limestone contract before the LocJ<-
wood committee or Mr.. Untermyer be-
gan their investigation"
Mayor only Promised Aid.
Tho Untermyer letter after felici-
I tating Mr.. Craig upon his decision to
take action, deplores the fact that while
| AIR. Untormyer wrote Mayor Hylan on
! October 23. saying the Investigation OF
I city contracts might develop the fact
! that the city has been robbed of much
money because competitive bidding was
not possible the Mayor has not seen nt
| to make reply. save q brief note to Mr..
Untermyer. dated November 1. saying.
owing TO the work on the budget II
was impossible for me to reply TO your
letter OF october 3 before this date.
can assure you that you will have in
your Investigation any aid that the adj
ministratlon may be able 20 give YOU"
Mr.. Untermyer finds fault with tho
brcvity and non-committai tenor OF the
Mayors reply Therefore unless there
ls action In and from the Mayors of-
flee this week Mr.. Hylan will be called
as a witness
George :. Backer. the contractor who
testified before the committc October Il
ana was indicted for perjury last week.
surrendered himself yesterday and was
held IN $4,000 bail. Backer. who sttli
refused To look upon the affair seri-
ously. will be nrraigned for pleading to-
morrow. The indictment against Backer.
who arose from a meagrcly paid sales
man TO the ranks OF the millionaire con-
tractors. charged that he did not tell
the truth while testlfying that on May
II he went 10 racctrack with $4,000
intrusted to him that day as a bribe
20 be paid 20 avoid strikes; that he lost
the money on the races and when shown
that there was no races that day that no
turned the money over 10 two men
whose names he did not know.
/ The indictment showed that among
the witnesses who testified regarding
Backer were Eleanor r. Burns, Back
er's secretary Morris Mendelsou. his
bookkeepcr Frank J. Price. Thomas VI.
James, Reuben CASTOR, Maurice c. Kas-
: tenborn and Mark Rasalsky. Backer
/ said that he knew none of these people
except Miss Burns and Rasalsky, and no
I let n be known that his personal opinion
/ of Mr. RasalsiSy was hardly couipu-
mentary While Backer was IN the Urs-
/ trict Attorneys Office he defied all Of his
]