New-York tribune., 1921-05-25
Two Combines
Confess Griip p ON
Building Costs
Service Bureau of Hardware
Manufacturers Traded
Members Discount List,
Attaclle Tells Untermyer
Price Of Labor Boosted
ManteI, Tile and Crate Mem
Made Contractors Pay
More Than Workers Asked

The Builders Hardware Manufactur-
crs' Service Bureau and the Mantel,
Tile and Crate Association were the
two organizations exposed by Samuel
untermyer, chief counsel to the Lock
wood legislative committee. yesterday
as having contributed largely to the
high cost Of housing constructions
Through the operations Of the for
mer combine it was brought out
by the testimony that the prices Of
articles used in the building industry
were boosted 200 to 300 per cent in
the period between 1915 and 1920. ReCu-
lations binding the members in the
Mentel, Tile and Crate Association,
1t developed, made competition in these
lines virtually impossible, enabling the
members of the organization to charge
builders S24 day for two mechanics
the men, however, receiving only S14 a
day for their joint services
Before going into the details of the
operations of the organizations. Mr..
Untermyer referred to his letter to
proffered his resignation as Special
Deputy Attorney General in charge of
the prosecutions growing out of the
revelations of the committee.
Much Important Work Undone
He was emphatic in declaring he had
not the slightest intention Of giving
up his work for the committee. On the
contrary he pointed out that while the
q q hnf xsl,o
only three more weeks, it was quite as
important as, if not more important
than, thework done so far. He added that
1T would hardly be worth while to go
on with 500 to 1000 indictments merely
to collect money in the form of fines,
as this, in his opinion, "would not fur
nish the necessary pressure for the
abatement of this nuisance"
Hartwell A. Taylor, secretary of the
Builders Hardware Manufacturers
Service Bureau, was the witness through
whom Mr.. Untermyer and his associ-
ates, George r. Brennan and Raymond
L. Wise, obtained most of the testi-
mony regarding the workings of this
organization. Taylor said the bureau
of thirteen members had Offices at 9
Rector Street, and included such firms
as Sargent & Co, New Haven, Conn:
Russell & Erwin, New Britain, Conn:
the Barrows Lock Company, the P. e.
F. Corbin Company, the Penn Hardware
Company, of Reading, Pa; the Cham
pion Hardware Company and the Yale
& Towne Manufacturing Company, of
Stamford, Conn.
The total output of these corpora
tions, said Taylor, in 1920 was about
$21,OOO,OO0 "n builders hardware"
which, he added, did not include tools.
screws, nails, wheelbarrows, steel
framework and articles of such nature.
The witness admitted having re-
ceived as secretary from each member
a daily record of sales and that he had
sent out each month q reorganization
of the data, He testified also that up
to certain period, which he did not
designate, the members forwarded to
him all changes in the discount rate
and that he relayed these to other
members. Taylor denied, however, that
his association received advance in
formation of the changes of discount
before they were issued to the trade
by the members.
1t was shown by Mr.. Untermyer that
several of the firms had prearraneed
time for issuing simultaneous price
lists. MIR. Taylor declared Mt first that
this was merely a coincidence, and then
Continued ON paee sjx)