New-York tribune., 1921-12-15
lmprisoning Contractors
and $I25,OOO i'm Fines
Failed to Break Ring,
WitnessTe TellsUntermyer
Convicted Labor
Men Paid i'm Jail
Hylan Strike Settlement.
1t Is Alleged, Adds Mill
ions to Price of Building

1T was charged at yesterdays session
OF the Loc wood housing committee
that despite the fact that four mem
bers Of the tile contractors combina-
ton had been sent to Jail by the local
Federal authorities and others fined a
total Of $125,000 for violations of the
Sherman antitrust laws, the group
still was in operation.
1t was also testified that certain
labor leaders who had served iail
sentences for coercion, and against
whom other indictments for alleged
eXtortion are pending, had been con-
tinued on the salary rolls as regular
officials Of their unions during the
period Of their incarceration and had
taken up their union duties again upon
their release from prison.
Mr.. Untermyer said in the course of
the examination on this point, that the
reinstatement procedure "creates the
worst sort of prejudice agairtst organ
tied labor and stamps them as lawless
men," :,
Released Agent To Be Tried
In the case of William Chapman, a
business agent of the plumbers union
who had been released after serving
five months on Blackwcll's Island for
coercion In connection with the opera
tlons of j ohm I. Hettrick, and who has
been retained by the union as one of
its business agents, Mr.. Untermyer
said there we're three other indict-
ments for alleged extortion pending
against him and that he would trv him
at once on one of these felony charges.
in which Chapman is accused Of being
an accomplice of Robert P. Brindell,
the convicted labor car now in Sing
Sing
eve will see how long he will re-
main in the union," commented Mr..
Untcrmyer.
The resumption of the activities of
the tile contractors combination was
brought to light in the testimony of
Henry L.. Morse, a Brooklyn builder
Only three weeks ago Colonel William
Hayward. United States District At
torney, had sent several of their num-
and it Was thought that the combina-
tion had been broken up.
"The tile contractors" said Morse,
have combination where one man
will give you figure and no other con-
tractor will figure for you"
SIS that SO still since we sent four
or five of them to prison?" asked Mr..
Untermyer.
Fund to Pay Fines
eyes, sr,' replied Morse. with
respect to one individual to whom /
spoke in a restaurant last Friday, |
asked him, How often do you meet p
and he said, 'We met last week. l said,
Who is going to pay the fines for you 2
He said, THE National Association has
{. fund of $4,000, which l should judge
might be applied for the fines l said
to him, Fourteen thousand dollars
would not pay the $125,00O fines.
Well he said, we will have to get it
somehow
"'So,' said, did you have meet
ing last week?' He said yes, but he
would not tell me where"
The story of certain labor leaders
having been. retained in their unions
after serving sentences Tor criminal
offences was brought out in the testi-
mony or Fred Deagan, secretary or the
United Association of Journeyman
Plumbers and Gashtters Local 1853
When Deagan said that William Chap
man was still business agent of the
Plumbers Union, although he had re-
Gently been released from the peni-
tentiary, Mr.. Untermyer asked:
Don't you know that he is under
three indictments now for eXtortion, be-
sides the indictment on which he was
convicted and sent to the penitentiary q
Deagan said he didn't know.
Wages Paid While in Jail
"Now you say" continued Mr.. Inter
myer, that while he was in the peni-
tentiary the union met and voted to
keep this man in the same place, paid
his wages while he was serving his
sentence, and since he has come out he
is a business agent"
He always was" snapped Deagan.
eve will see how long he will re-
main," came back MIR. Untermyer. "Mr
Chairman, we are going to try him or
one of those felonies. lie is in the
same position in which he was as to
control and authority to perpetrate the
acts for which he was indicted, and on
enc of which he was convicted"
1t here developed that William A
Doran, president of the plumbers
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