Evening star., 1920-11-22

J and the Senate committee on produc-
| ton and reconstruction, which, WIN
subpoena power. has itself stuuieu
| the housing situation throughout tho
country.
| Expects Probe to Spread.
Samuel Untermyer, who is conduct
| inf the investigation for the JOINT
| legislative committee, after claiming
| a wear ago that he had established
| a clear case of criminal conspiracy
| in the building trades. Is conndehI
| that the inquiry soon Will assume
wider scope. He has openly cnaIgsu
| that "the most important of these
| criminal combinations and secret
agreements in the building trades are
| nationwide in their scope ana car,
not effectively be reached by locai
prosecutions"
the trail of the building trust" in
| 1919, after he had grilled witnesses
| who appeared at that time before the
i mayors committee on prof1teering
zone, a brick dealer, had testined
| that a remarkably uniform" price
New York and that dealers who cut
prices had been quickly put out of
business.
! No legal action was taken at this
time. but when the housing situation
in New York and. other cities of the
state became more discomforting the
legislature took notice of charges
that combination in the buifdlng
trades was holding the construction
situation in a vise-like grip and or
dered a sweeping inquiry.
Mr.. Untermyer was--asked to take
charge Meeting in the city hall on
October 20, the joint legislative COM
mittee, to which he was appointed
counsel. proceeded to unfold from
witnesses tale of an alleged con
called the reign Of Sam Parks. cor
rupt New York labor leader. who died
in prison in 1904 after having been
convicted Of. extorting sums from
contractors on a threat to block their
work il bribes were not paid him.
Crowds Rush to Hearings.
Stirred by testimony brought out by
Mr.. Cntermyer, who promised to send
prices tumbling by smashing the al
legged trust and putting these Grimm
als behind the bars where they
their way into city hall each day the
Committee sits. n
All types are to be found there in
the aldermanic chamber. Aff1uent
bankers jostle grimy laborers while
watching an array Of millionaire
pass in and out Of the witness stand
under the merciless nre OF committee
counsel.
Many OF these witnesses are seen
to squirm under the. volley. Of ques-
tions. Once in a while one pleads
for mercy as Mr.. Untermyer pins him
down.
"For Gods sake, Mr.. Untermyer,
don't sacrifice me on this altar" i'm
plored one contractor who had testi
fed to the domination Of certain in
terests. You don't want me to have
" p1A yryStf q d1t
lars worth of business on hand, by
answering you here"
But, day after day, the Investigation
goes on before the crowds of wit
nesses. and in seclusion grand jury
goes over testimony from the hearing
| selected for its attention.
Mentiens National Control.
Constantly there occurs mention of
code of practice" This cryptic term
charges that combinations exist
among building men to restrict out
puts. control prices and choke COM
petition: One witness admitted that
certain trade. was controlled the
nation over by national association.
Embedded in this testimony is "the
code Of practice" alleged to have
been operated by John r. Hettrick.
| lawyer, with several hundred sub
scribers. including cut stone, plumb-
! ing, heating and ventilating contrac-
tors. 1t was charged that these build.
ing men submitted their bids through
| central clearing house and the work
was apportioned.
Through the code" clients were
numbered and colored cards were
| mailed them notifying them of the
| status Of their bids Production of
| the key sheets to the mysterious card
| system was one of the sensations
of the investigation. Mr.. Hettrick
| charging that the cards and other
data had been stolen from his mail
| Witnesses testified that thousands
\ Of dollars were paid by clients to-
| Hettriek under the code" and that a
| large insurance fund" was maintain
ed by the various building groups, the
purpose OF which has not been ex-
| planned.
Brindell's Career Spectacular.
| Running along with the charges
that under the code" competitive
bidding was throttled was testimony
by various witnesses Of payments in
volving thousands Of dollars to Robert
| P. Brindell. president Of the Build
ing Trades Council. and his walking
! delegates.
Brindell. who testified that he had
been employed as a drug clerk at
Providence. r. l.. eight years ago. Is
| one Of the highest paid labor leaders
| In the United States. and has been de-
! scribed by witnesses as a king" rid
ing contractors with high hand. He
| has publicly denied the charges. but
/ has declined to return to the witness
stand after one appearance, at which
| time he objected to being questioned
as to his personal life."
| According to witnesses. Brindeli had
absolute control lover the 115,000
union men in the Building Trades
Council and could Strike" a lob at
any time II the contractor did not
meet his demands One witness de-
/ clared that the labor leader figured
81 900 a floor for himself on a corr
| struction job. On several occa sions.
| IL was testified that Brindell had de :
clined to take $500 or smaller amounts
offered him, with the statement that
he was mo Dtker."
| Contractor Tells OF Ruin.
| One housewrecking contractor do
clared that his million dollar busi-
| fused to pay tribute.
Throughout the hearings have been
marked by sharp -clas she's between Mr..
| Untermyer and certain witnesses. in
| cluding Hettrick, who was declared
/ in contempt end his Offices raided for
documents which he had declined to
| produce.
Mr.. Untermyer in q statement had
deciare that he is not warning on the
| that in driving out the "vulture" he
was rendering the labsr cause "the
greatest assistance"
ScTerai times during the invest "a