The New York herald., 1921-05-26
UNTERMYER BARES LABOR
COMBINE WITH EMPLOYERS

since the committees investigation be-
gan. Petri denied the allegation with
much vehemence. The denial led him
into a more uncomfortable position.
Mr. Untermyer then asked regarding
copies of code of practice" that COR
respondence showed governed the feia-
tion between the contracting tile men
on the one side and the brc,ilayers'
union, the controlling organization. on
tho other Mr.. Pet~i produced cae dated
1890.
we don't want that" exclaimed Mr..
Unteymyer. Where s ne one before
that?" Mr.. Petrt stout!y declared there
was none unt.l Mr.. Untermyer con-
fronted him with letter dated April
l. 1919 from Thomas f. Beck, then
president of the National Tile and Mar
tel Contractors Association. referring
to the fact that the new code was
printed and about ready for d.str!-
button" Then he admitted a code had
been adopted at the convention or 1919
but denied ever having seen a cop.
Denies Doctoring Minutes.
Charges of tampering with the minute
books OF the Atlantic Coast District AS
ISOLATION then were made b. the in
vestigator. Mr.. Untermyer confronted
Ai&' W4lHesS Win loose lEdt DlllOeF
containing typewriter sheets or obvi-
ously varying age and asked n il were
not true that the minutes had been
altered and sheets substituted for the
originals since the committee began its
Investigation. The witness denied the
charge. and Mr.. Untermyer suggested
that the minute book be sen: 10 the
District Attorney for his consideration.
Roy T.. Jordan, New York representa-
tive of the Mosaic Tile Company Of
GAINESVILLE, Ohio. testified that the ag-
gregate business of the twelve manufac-
turers of mosaic tile in the country was
about s6.000,000 year. He admitted
that the manufacturers sent daily re-
ports of prices and sales to the head
quarters of their organization at Beaver
Falls. Pa, but denied knowledge o.
what was done with them after they
were received by the secretary.
In his opening attack upon District
Attorney Swami, resulting from implied
criticism of the committee. Mr. Inter
myer said:
"If the District Attorney had per-
formed his duty the present situation
would not exist. If he believed the law
in its present form to be effective, why
thousands of these violations going on
around him and increasing from day to
day until the intolerable situation has
gotten beyond control. his office did not
lift finger toward performing its duty?
why is 1t that during ali these years
not a single prosecution was begun?
Why was it whef the building materials
combination was exposed for him by me
nearly two years ago and the evidence
was handed to him on a silver platter
did he carefully tuck ii so snugly away
that when we demanded its return ne
had trouble in digging the papers out of
a private safe. where they had been hid
den lest somebody should find them?'
Assistant District Attorney Banton
appeared during tho afternoon session
and declared that the supposed inter
view which led TO Mr.. Untcrnyer's
criticism had not been authorized by him
and that he had no such thoughts as
were expressed regarding the work of
the committee. Mr. Untermyer said
that he regretted Mr.. Banton had not so
informed him before he made his state
ment and the matter was allowed to
rest there
The committee will begin inquiry into
the operation of the Fire Insurance Tx
change to-day.