The New York herald. [volume] (New York, N.Y.) 1920-1924, 1921-05-05
UNTERMYER SEEKS
JAIL SENTENCES
Suggests Plan to Committee
in Cases OF Those Who
Pleaded Guilty.
BIG COMBINE HALTS
Building Organization of
1000 Firms Suspends as
Investigation Opens.
PRICE FIXING CHARGED
Non Members Testify They
Were Unable to Buy
Materials.
BIG COMBINE HALTS
PRICE FIXING CHARGED

When the Lockwood Legislative Com
mittee, investigating the housing sit
uation, reconvenes to-day it will go
into executive session to determine
what recommendations II shall make
to Supreme Court Justice Vernon M
Davis, who on Monday will impose
sentence upon the nineteen individuals
and thirteen corporations which on
Tuesday pleaded guilty Of violations
OF the Donnelly act as result OF the
committees investigation. If the COM
mittee follows the advice and sugges-
1t will instruct him to request. as a
Special Deputy Attorney General, sub
stantial jail sentences in each case.
In requesting that the COMMITTEE
give him instructions Mr.. Untermyer
said
"My own disposition and advice would
be that I be directed or requested by
this committee. acting as a Deputy At
torney-General, to bring the subject TO
the attention of the AttorneyGe
from the point of view of the committee,
with a view of making proper represen-
tations to the court. The entire benefit
Of this investigation is not TO be gained
unless substantial Jail sentences are I'M
posed upon men who have been in COM
binations of that character, such as the
brick manufacturers and the dealers in
building materials in the city of New
York, who have been the most defiant
and the most baneful of all such organ
izations."
1000 Firms I'm Organization.
Most of yesterdays session of the
committee was devoted to examination
of Frank s. Hanley, secretary Of a num-
Der of organizations dealing in building
materials. chiefly in plumbing and
steamfitting lines. Mr.. Hanley's exam
ination, however was interrupted to per-
init Aldermanic President +. II. La
Cuardia to explain why he had referred
the now famous meter resolution to the
Committee on General Welfare rather
than to the building committee.
When he took office, Mr.. La Guardia
explained his attention was directed TO
complaints regarding the treatment the
resolution received at the hands of
Alderman William p. Kenneally's COM
rnittee on buildings. These came from
William s. Cetti, the agent OF the Badger
meter. who was trying ineffectively to
get mis- product on the New OK market.
II explained" said Mr.. La Guardla,
"that / did not have the power Of re-
view over the actions OF my predeces-
sor. but when the resolution was intro
duced again / sent II 10 the General We'll
fare Committee because / did not want
u to go to a committee about whose
chairman had received complaints"
Mr.. Hanley. the chief witness yester-
day, gets an aggregate salary Of about
$4,000 year from the various organ
izations for which he acts as secretary.
These include the National Committee of
Confederated Supply Associations. which
r. made up of five integral organizations,
namely. the Central Supply Association,
the Eastern Supply Association. the
Sanitary Potters Association. the En-
amel Ware Manufacturers Association
and the Range Boiler Manufacturers
Association. The other organizations
with which Mr.. Hanley is identified are
the Plumbing Supply Association or
Greater New York and the Greater New
York Association OF Jobbers in Plumb
ing and Steam Heating Supplies.
The membership of the whole group
approximates 1000 firms. with an ag-
gregate capital Of about $500. 900 900
and covering practically the entire coun-
try, with agencies and representatives
in Cuba. Several firms, the witness
testified. have withdrawn from member
ship in one or another of the interlock-