New-York tribune., 1921-12-22
Lockwood Committee to
Force Firms to Cease
Mergers Which Add to
Costs, Lawyer Declares
Secretary Accused
OF Dubious Acts
Employers Official Made
Brindell's Work Posi-
BILE in Union Is Charge

Notice to the Building Trades Em.
ployers' Association that the Lockwood
legislative committee will not rest
from Its estigations and exposures
until the building industry is rid of
all illegal combinations resnons;h1a
Tor unreasonable costs was contained
IN a letter sent yesterday by Samue!
ontermyer, chief of counsel to the com
mlttee, to Christian G. Norman. chair.
man of the board of governors of the
association.
Mr' untermyer not only charges the
association with being the breeding
place for unlawful building material
combinations, but alleges that the sec
retary, Samuel B. Donnelly, was re-
sponsible for the conditions that per-
mltted Brindell to dominate the build
ing trades unions before the labor boss
was sent to jail.
Demand for Reforms
Mr.. Untermyer's letter was sent to
Mr.. Norman, along with copy of the
memorandum of reforms which the
Lockwood committee demanded of the
unions. Mr.. Untcrmyer asks for COM
ment from the employers on the pro-
posed reforms, and continues:
bad as l find these conditions in
the labor unions, they are not quite so
bad or so Injurious to the public well
fare as are the conditions that still
exist in your association, to the cor
rection of which the committee pro-
poses to vigorously address itself.
Notwithstanding the hundreds of
convictions secured against members of
the associations that find their protec-
tion under your roof and notwithstand-
ing the Jail sentences imposed upon a
of those members, your asso-
citation continues to be the breeding
nest for these unlawful combinations.
Your governors are either unwilling or
unable to- do anything to force these
men - for whom your association has
assumed certain accountability
within the law.
II regard this unregenerate attitude
on the part of your association as due
largely to the persistent refusal of
your association to get rid of it's pres
ent secretary, who has known for years
of this condition and has not only
tolerated it but encouraged it, 1t was
largely due to him that 'Brindelism
dominated the councils of your asso-
citation, and it will never free itself
from that taint so long as he continues
as the power behind the throne to
dominate its policies.
Told to Gust Secretary
81 believe that you are sincerely de-
sirous of cleaning house, but your
first step should be to require this man
to vacate the premises, for you will
never succeed so long as he remains
there. In the same way as l have en-
deavored to assist your association in
Kidding itself of union dictation and
abuses, so l shall endeavor to rid the
public Of the criminal combinations
that are now existing under the pro-
lection of your association and that
could not continue to exist if that pro-
lection were withdrawn, as it should
be-"
Mr.. Norman, after the meeting of
the association at it's headquarters, 30
West Thirty-third Street, late ycster-
day afternoon, said he had received
the letter and the inclosure, but would
make no comment.
Patrick j. Crowley, president of the
Building Trades Council, said that he
was discussing the memorandum of re-
forms with the various union officials.
There would be general meeting
Tuesday morning, he said.