Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1921-05-26
Ask Federal Laws
Continued from PAGE One)

combinations described that arc be-
lieved to be operating contrary to law,
urging. that their investigators keep
in touch with them and report from
time to time upon the activities of the
members of those of them that are
claimed to have disbanded, as well as
those that have pretended to do so
anc those that are still openly oper-
ating.
THE worst breeding nest for the To-
cal combinations that are operating
in violation of law is the building
trades employers association, to
whose operation counsel proposes to
give close study with a view TO de-
termning whether there are suffi-
Gent grounds for criminal prosecu-
tons against the responsible officials
of that association. What a Pity that
this cancer upon the building trades
can not be treated like an ordinary
gambling den, or liquor still, and be
raided and broken up by the police.
May | at this point be permitted
to a personal word by way of note
of warning? i am no alarmlst and
have unbounded confidence in the
soundness Of our institutions, but my
great fear is that the country either
does not sufficiently realize or has be-
come callous to the perils that Turk
in the social unrest that is being &C.
centuated by the greed and piracy of
these combinations that infest the land
from end to end.
They are all powerful. 1t is still
possible to reach the little fellows,
but the biggest and most dangerous
of them apparently are already above
and beyond the law as it now stands.
That the law failed to reach them is
demonstrated by the fact that they
have thrived and multiplied Year by
year in defiance of it. Our ability to
protect the people against their ever
increasing intolerable explorations is
going to tax our resourcefulness to
the limit. i will be the supreme
test of government. | believe that we
shall in the end prove to meet the
test as we have the other crises in
our history. But it will be we'll for
us not to ignore or minimize the peril
We must recognize that we are facing
crisis and act promptly and agrees
sivcly."
Through the testimony of Petrie
and certain letters introduced in evil
dence, Mr.. Untermyer brought out
that substantially all the tile and
mantel manufacturers of the country
were affiliated. through their district
organizations with the national asso-
citation which, in turn, worked in
close harmony with the international
unions. Under agreements between
the manufacturers and the unions
the former pledged themselves to
hire only union men and the latter
agreed to work only for contractors
who belonged to the association.
Petrie admitted that the national
association of tile manufacturers hal
contributed to the defense of a Chi
c9go local. charged with having an
exclusive contract with the unions
The witness also admitted that a
code of practices" had been adopted
by the national association in 1919.
MI. tntermyer withdrew his criti
clsm' uttered earlier in the day of
acting District Attorney Banton. who
mad been reported as criticizing the
Lockwood committee and Mr.. Tn
termyer. Mr.. Banton declared his
remarks had been garbled and as
sureo the committee and Mr.. Lock-
wood of his sincere appreciation of
their work.
MI untermyer said he was sorry
he mad misunderstood Mr. Banton's
attitude