The New York herald., 1921-05-19
UNTERMYER URGES
JAIL FOR GRAFTERS
Lockwood Committee Fa-
yors Demand for Amend
ment to Antitrust Act.
APPEAL TO GOVERNOR
May Ask Special Session to
Insure Punishment OF
Contractors.
CHAGRINED OVER FINES
More Data on Price Fixing Are
Brought Out by Probers
of Combinations.
CHAGRINED OVER FINES

Samuel Untermyer chief counsel for
the Lockwood legislative committee,
suggested to the committee yesterday
that the State antitrust laws be
amended to make a jail sentence of
from six months 70 three years for
violators mandatory. and, in addition,
4 fine. not TO exceed $4,000, discretion
airy with the courts in the case Of de-
PENDANTS who plead guilty or are con-
victed Of violations Of the law. Senator
Charles c. Lockwood, chairman, said
that the committee was in unanimous
agreement with Mr.. Untermyer and
would take under consideration his
suggestion that Gov. Miller be asked
to call a special session of the Legis-
lature to amend the laws.
The determination of Mr.. Untermyer
and the committee to seek a more
drastic enactment OF the Legislature
direct result of the sentencing last
Monday Of thrty-three individuals to
fines by Justice Davis in the Supreme
Court. In making known the senti-
ment of the committee Mr. Untermyer
made it plain that he was not critics.
ing the action of the court in the cases
referred to, but was simply stating Its
effect upon the committees work. The
action OF the court, he said, had Sc
riously embarrassed the committee in
the present stage of its campaign
against building material combines.
Another development brought out at
yesterdays session of the committee was
the disclosure that the city had paid out
more than s2.OO0,000 on contracts for
school buildings which we're made as a
result of collusive bidding by plumbers
and heating and ventilating contractors
who were members of the Hettrick ring.
1t was also shown that since the Lock-
wood committees exposure Of the coli
lusive bidding practices by the contrac
tors the city had benefited to the extent
Of paper saving of about s13.000,000 on
estimates for eighty school buildings, ac-
cordng TO figures provided by G. y. ].
Snyder. Superintendent Of School Build
ings Of the Board Of Education.
~ Sn'sh "at'E 4Hstsr IAsnHHec.
The other features Of yesterday Is
work OF the committee included the put
ting into the record of the resolutions
ending the price reporting and price
fixing activities Of the nine various ex-
changes Of which Albert A. Ainsworth
was secretary which had to do with
building materials. One after another
Mr.. Ainsworth presented the resolutions
which Mr.. Untermyer read into the rec
ord with the warning that the committee
intended 10 pursue its inquiry to find
whether the resolutions were actually
being carried out. In one OF the ex-
changes--the Range Boiler Manufac-
turers--the record showed that a minor
ity Of the members had been repre-
sented at the meeting at which the reso-
luton was adopted. Mr.. Untermyer in
sisted on n ratification of the resolution
BY the absentee members and Mr.. Aims
worth promised to procure II. Another.
the Water Meter Manufacturers Ex-
change. Mr. Tntermyer said the COM
mittee would insist, should be dissolved
entirely, and not function even as a
credit agency.
To add to the sum total of the days
accomplishment Mr. Untermyer got into
the record a fairly comprehensive review
of the activities Of the Mosaic Employ
ers Association brought out through
/ Ellis y. McLaury of the McLaury Mar