New-York tribune., 1920-10-27
Picks Newton
TOPrOsecute
Building 9, Riin,s.: Q;
Continued from page one,

N the demolition of an uptown hotel
tells Of two specific Instances Of hand
;nr over money TO agents of the labor
ring. In one case he cave uN' 81. 900
and in another $500 for the privilege
Of carting away debris unmolosted
The system Of taxing the contractors
and workers is So Widespread and far
reaching. say witnesses, that scarcely
board is nailed uD anvwhcre that
tribute is not levied and the whole
buildjpr Industry thus terrorized.
An amazing story is told hv William
Zaranko. the walking delegate for the
Houscwreckers local No. IA949. of the
International Hod Carriers Union.
Zaranko saws he has told all he
knows Of the operations of tho Building
Trades Council to Mr.. Untcrmver and
Leonard Wallstoin. associate counsel
for the committee, 10 whom he has
tarnod over many books and documents
covering his experiences
Eo saws that about six months ago
his union. with 500 members. was
asked 70 Join The Building Trades Coun-
oil. The members, under the proposi-
tion. were to Join some other union and
come in q individuals at an initiation
fee Of from $50 30 SIS. Zaranko saws
that he Was asked to turn over all the
properly @ the union and the $1,000
In the treasury 20 the council
Weekly Toll Specified
In addition the men were to pay the
council weekly toll Of SO out Of thoir
wages, which averaged about S44 a
week. The men We're TO hand over the
money to "a mysterious collector.n who
would appear ~ the various Jobs where
the men were engaged every Saturday
He was understood to represent the
council or those connected with il
who were TO receive the money eventu-
SLY.
Zaranko says that he would have been
taken in a . delegate at SIS q week
FOR three Years If he would have con
sented to the arrangement
Upon Hs refusal, he says, pressure
was brought TO bear upon the contrac-
tors employing members Of his union.
who were then hred right and left
Contractors wese threatened with strikes
II they reemployed any of these men
without express permission The result
was, sad AaraNko. that all of his 1,S00
men were soon without Jobs.
The council then organized 2 new
housewreckers' union i'm onposition to
the ZaranAo local, membership in which
is TOW hold by about 700 or 500 of the
ZaranSo men, who still retain member
ship IN thelr old local. Zaranko saw
thai these men are paying the Slo
weekly levied 0y the collectors. nottinr
approximately S. 600 q week.
III a-e-tlor, he says hundreds Of
thousan1s o. dollars in tribute are be
ing paiG weekly by contractors engaged
in the removal OF debris in the cree
tior and construction of buildings. All
Of this money, he declares, ultimately
comes out Of lne pockets Of tenants. as
the builders always place these extra
charges on 10 the cost price Of the
structure.
Zaranko says he has taken the mat
ter un with Pres idcnt D'AMessandro of
the International Union Of Hod Car
rlers, Who IN turn has brought it to
president Of the American Federation
OF Labor. So far, he says, nothing has
been done.
lie mas also complained to Mayor
Hy-an Of threats made against his
tZara1 ko' 81 lie because of his opposi-
ton to the methods employed by the
eourcis agents. asserting that one Of
his foremen was assaulted recently
Nh at work ~ Broad and Wall
streets, while another loyal member Of
his organization. who refused TO pay
tribute, was beaten un at job in
Fitty-e eighth Street He is still being
watched, he said. and many more of
his men are being discharged without
an apparent excuse
Zaranko To Be Witness
When Mr. Wallstein was asked about
7arankos story he said: at is true
thai have talked with Mn Zaranko,
but have nothing TO say in connec-
tior eith the matter 1t is expected
thai Zaranko viii he one of the com
niittee's star witnesses at Its hearing
tomorrow.
civ contracts are to be still fur
the tiehtened up on Mayor Hylan's
orders To prevent mulcting. Commis-
sioner Hirshfeld has been directed to
investigate every city contract let dur
ing the last year OF more n order to
find ou- If any bear the imprint Of
couuston. The probe includes millions
Of dollars worth Of contracts for piers
In Staten Island and elsewhere, all
contracts for police stations and fire
house. public institutions for Black
wells Island and farm colonies outside
the city limits.
The contracts for school buildings
we're ordered investigated several days
ago. The investig cation will be ex
tended to every phase of public work
which may have come under the in
kgEsA