Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1920-11-23

THE NEW YORK COMMERCIAL, in its is
sue of October 26, gives the following general
statement of what has thus far been uncover
ed:
"The conditions revealed by the investigat-
ing committee in regard to building conditions
in New York City require the most energetic
action the part of the authorities to break
up the graft combination among the delegates
of the various unions. What the situation
amounts to is this: That practically no build
er can undertake contract without having to
pay tribute to the representatives of the vari-
Gus unions to be insured against strike while
the work is in progress
"Thus far the half has not been told, for the
system has permeated itself into every nook
and corner, until it is worse than any political
graft was ever known to be and is only COM
parable with the days of piracy, when tribute
was paid for protection by every ship that
passed. 1t means that pirates have got hold
of union labor in New York City, so far as the
building trades concerned until it is i'm
possible to operate without their consent.
"It would be an unjust indictment against
the individual members of these unions to
charge that they were parties to this form Of
criminality. On the contrary, they themselves
are victims just as much as the builders. They
ordered to strike whenever it suits the
fancy of the delegates, often without the slight
est knowledge of what the strike is for. They
are thus compelled to lose day, week, or
more, merely for the purpose of Furnishing some
recalcitrant employer who has refused to pay
the graft to the delegates, for it has not yet
been brought out that these collections are
distributed among the rank and file of the
men"
NEW YORK WORLD, OCTOBER 21:
"The first session of the Lockwood Commit
tees inquiry into the real conditions underly-
ing the housing situation in this city brought
out these facts Samuel Untermyer, acting as
counsel for the Committee):
"The building trades employers are banded
together in close association for mutual pro-
lection and profit, and have entered into writ
ten wage agreements with the Building Trades
Council.
"The artisans or journeymen of the various
building trades with but two or three eXcep-
tons are similarly banded together under the
name of the Building Trades Council
The Master Plumbers of Greater New York.
ing, boiler and ventilating apparatus; and the
building stone cOntractors-all have close
associations ''for mutual profit, protection and
the elimination of unfair competition through
John T. Hettrick, an attorney"
Robert P. Brindell president of the Build
ing Trades Council, walking delegate or bus
mess agent of the Dock Builders Union en-
joys an income in dues personally paid to him
= by the 1880 members of that Union of so cents
a month from each, or about 100000 year
Including some other sources of income).
Brindell dominates the council and negotiates
all its agreements with the Building Trades)
Employers Association"
"The dues paid by the members of this En-
ployers' Association go to form a fund to
protect the members against strikes''
Read the Facts as Brought Out by the Inves-
tigating Committee and Reported by
New York Papers: