The New York herald., 1921-10-31
UNTERMYER DOUBTS
REFORM IN BUILDING
Tells Merchants He Sees No
Wage Relief Before
Next April.
EMPLOYERS VICIOUS
'Herculean Task to Prove
Conspiracy of Labor
With Them.
WANTS HELP IN INQUIRY
Lockwood Committee Ready to
Tackle Any Line of Investi-
cation i'm November.
WANTS HELP IN INQUIRY

The Building Trades Council has not
reformed since Robert p. Brindell was
sent to Sing Sing. in the opinion of
Samuel Untermyer, chief counsel Of
the Lockwood committee investigating
housing. There is not much prospect
OF relief through lowered wages until
April, 1922. when the present wage
contract in the. building trades runs
out, he thinks. Mr.. Untermyer ex-
pressed his views in a letter to the
Merchants Association, in answer to
an inquiry whether the Lockwood
committee could aid in getting a new
wage scale to stimulate building.
The Building Trades Employers As
ISOLATION is a more vicious organiza-
tion than the council" Mr.. Inter
myer said. He declared he had no
doubt there was a criminal conspir-
acy" between the employers body and
the labor body, but it would be
"herculean task" to conduct the prose-
cution and it would have no practical
results because it would not be over
DeIOre me wage COulTdSl IuAo Oue.
..Emciency Hampered."
Mr.. Untermyer said If the associa-
ton could suggest any way in which
the Lockwood committee could aid in
getting the wage contract abrogated--a
contract which he thought was greatly
to the workers disadvantage-the COM
mittee would take j. up when it re-
sumes its sessions in November. The
union rules limiting output and hamper
ing efficiency. he thought. might be
abrogated by the force Of public opinion.
In his letter Mr.. Untermyer said.
your letter presents a difficult and
almost insoluble problem. There can be
no question about the abstract justice
of your position On the other hand we
must nct blink the fact that the men,
bers of the Building Trades Council have
written agreement for the maintenance
of the wage scale until April. 1922. /
think they are unwise in insisting upon
il under existing conditions, but it Is
evident that they will not forego what
they regard as their advantage and
what seems to me as a disadvantage
and the basis for q future day of
reckoning.
"No Drastic Reform
"If you can point out any concrete
thing that the Lockwood committee can
do to bring about the consent of the
Building Trades Council TO the modifica-
tion OF this agreement shall be pleased
to know what 1t Is. In my Judgment
there has been no drastic reform in the
council. There are now men on the
board whom I regard as upright, but
they are in the minority.
Tho Building Trades Employers AS
sociation Is. in my judgment, a more
vicious organization than the council.
IL encourages the insistence upon these
demands. in return for which the con-
sttuent associations. 1 have no doubt,
continue to get preferences In the way
OF union labor. under cover, although
the formal agreements assuring such
preferences have been rescinded.
"I believe that there Is evidence of
criminal conspiracy between the council
and the association, but Il would be a
hcrculean task to conduct that prosecu-
tion. BY the time il Is over the pres
ent contract with the council will have
ended and the law of supply and de-
mand in the labor market will have
solved the problem.
"wiII Try to Enforce Rules
"Upon the question OF efficiency, IL
your association will point out the par
ticular rules and practices in the build
ing trades to which you refer will
put the heads of these unions on the
witness stand and attempt to enforce
the sbrogation OF these rules and prac-
tioes through the force of public opin-
ION IL II can be done in that way These
rules are not Illegal and there Is no
way of bringing the necessary pressure
to bear.
I'VE keenly appreciate the situation
and you may rely upon our active CO.
operation in any practical step that can
be suggested for correcting the existing
situation. Our Investigation into these
labor conditions is s.Nl far from COM
pleted and am expecting to take up ar-
other phase of that situation when we
ieconvene In November"