South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1920-12-15
STEEL MAKERS
BROUGHT INTO
TRUST PROBE
Unable to Purchase Steel For
Union Operations, Wit
nesses Charge.
APPEALED TO SCHwAB"
New York Builders Tell Board
They Must Purchase Steel
Indirectly.

NEW YORK. Dec. 14.-Tesimony
that the Bethlehem Steel company.
the United States Steel corporation
and manufacturers or fabricated
steel are blocking operations in New
York and other cities attempting 90
force their open shop policy upon
builders who employ union men was
heard Tuesday by the joint Iegtsla-
ture committee investigating the al
legged building trust"
Enforcement Of the "open shop"
principle IN steel construction in
New York and Philadelphia. it was
testified. Is merely "the opening
wedge" OF the system which was to
be extended throughout the Icoun-
try.
Despite personal appeals 20 Eu-
gene Grace, president OF the Bethie-
hem Steel company and Charles NJ.
Schwab, chairman OF the boari.
Paul Starrett. president OF the
George A Fuller company. and
Louis Horrowitz. president Of the
Thompson company. two OF
the largest construction companies
in the United States testified they
were unable to purchase structural
steel direct for erection under union
shop conditions.
Driven From Business
They declared they had been vir-
tually driven out OF the steel erec-
| ton business because OF their en-
plOyment OF union men and had 10
have all their structural work done
| by members OF the Iron League OF
New York or the National Erectors
| association, thus increasing the cost
of construction work.
Besides probing into the alleged
open shop" domination OF steel
manufacturers. the committee also
began an inquiry into the alleged
combination OF bridge builders and
structural steel works Organizations
the bridge builders and structural
| society-which includes in It's mem
bership the American Bridge com
pany, a subsidiary OF the L. s steel
corporation and the Bethlehem
/ Steel Bridge company.
George i. Clifford, secretary OF
the society, admitted It's % mem
/ bers had a system OF exchanging
bids and that It's book OF rules
contained provisions whereby esti-
mates could be revised 10 outside
I competition. He said Vice Pres't
| Earle OF the Bethlehem Bridge Steel
company IS head OF the society.
The National association OF steel
I fabricators was also brought under
/ the committees fire while Nj. Gif-
/ ford was on the stand. as he IS act
ing secretary Of the organization.
Reads Minutes.
: Despite tho denial OF the witness
that the organization was not form
! ed 10 deal "mainly with labor con-
ditiOns," Samuel Untermeyer, the
/ com mittee's counsel, read extracts
4 from its minutes showing Il had
! been supporting the open shoL"
/ movement.
Interlocked in the association.
/ Nr. Clifford said. was the structural
/ society. the structural steel society.
/ the national erectors' association
/ and the American Erectorg associa-
/ ton.
The organizations include in their
membership virtually all OF the
\ bridge and structural steel manu-
/ faCturers OF the country.
Minutes OF the association disclos-
] cd that Walter Drew, attorney for
I tho National Erectors association.
I had appeared before the steel fabri-
I Gators and told OF the open shop
tldal wave Just now sweeping the
/ country and urged employers 70 con-
I solidate The ground being gained, 3"
f. but warned them not 20 take advan-
( tage OF the present break in their
favor and CU wages"
2 Both Mr Starrett and Mr.. Hor-
/ rowitz testified that union structural
] steel workers were from Is % 35
+ percent more efficient than non
I union erectOrs and declared that
when they were forced 20 iet the
/ members O. the Iron league OF the
. national Erectors' association do
! the work j. added from five 10 ID
! percent TO the cost Of the JOB.