The New York herald., 1921-12-06
Widow Confronts Hogan in
One Case of Mortuary
Benefits Withheld.
PERMITS TO WORK SOLD
Thousands of Non Members
Charged $3.50 a Week for
Right to Earn Living.

Testimony tending to show the man
ner in which the local field for inside
electrical workers was completely
dominated by William A. Hogan.
financial secretary OF Local No. 3, In
ternational Brotherhood Of Electrical
Workers. was brought out yesterday
at the resumed hearing Of the Lock
wood legislative committee on hous-
ing In the City Hall. According to
this testimony huge amounts of money
expert accountants testified that
there was no way Of telling how much
have been collected since 1917 in
the form Of permit fees from electri-
clans who sought work and were will
ing to Join the union, but were kept
out because "the books were full"
All of this, 1t was shown, added ma
terially to the cost Of building. Nom
union electricians were forced to pay
$3.50 a week for permission to work,
while 81 week was assessed against
their helpers. Union members paid
81 and $3.50 a month respectively
When contracting electricians-and 1t
was shown there were between 400
and 600 Of these connected with the
union-had a score or more of cleo
tricians at work on a big Job over an
extended time the amount they paid
to Local No for permit cards ran
into big figures. How big It appeared
Impossible to estimate. the witnesses
said. because in the latter part of 1917
the practice OF numbering the cards
consecutively was discontinued.
Four clerks were kept busy taking
in money at the headquarters of the
organization at 100 East Sixteenth
street, but no cash book was kept. and
auditors who attempted to check up
the organization's receipts and dis
bursements said yesterday the task
was hopeless.
Cement Prosecutions Urged.
Mr.. Untermyer made statement at
/ the opening OF the days session or the
committee in which he attacked the Fed
eral Government for delay in the prose-
cution Of the members Of the Cement
Trust" Both State and Federal gov
ernments, he said. have been doing moth
ing, while at least 10000 business men
whose interests represent hundreds OF
millions of dollars have been running
their business In violation of the law.
at is always comparatively easy to
convict guilty labor leaders" he said
Il wish II were just as easy TO admins
ter Justice to the equally guilty men of
business and finance. 1t should be a
source of humiliation to us that it is
rot"
The prosecution of the Cement Trust,
Mr.. Unte-1nyer charged. has been de-
layed despite his repeated protests TO
Attorney-Gereral Daughe1ty, who has
been well meaning and full OF PROMISE
but thus far absolutely without per-
formance." although the combination is
both notorious and country wide"
"It is impossible. for some reason that
{ cannot understand" Mr.. Untermyer
said. ito force. the Department of Justice
to bring these rich and powerful male
factors to trial. The big fellows seem
immune. The higher w we go In the
scale of relative power and Importance
Of the offenders and the more dangerous
they are to the community. the more
difficult Il becomes to get theGovernment
70 bring them to trial"
Denth Benefits Annexed.
The foregoing was the outstanding
feature In the first days disclosures con-
cerning the broader aspects Of the build
ing situation in New York. Another
sensation, developed with plenty OF
dramatic accompaniment, had to do
with the affairs of Secretary Hogan. OF
Local No. g. Samuel Untermyer, chief
counsel to the committee. wanted TO
know how Hogan became beneficiary TO
the extent OF $1,000 each In the case
OF four members of the union who died.
The high spot In his examination was
when Secretary Hogan admitted he had
collected a $1,000 death benefit from
the organization as beneficiary under
the will Of one James u. Smith. a
member who died In Jersey City hos
pital on October 81. 1918
After severe cross examination Hogan
explained that the will Smith left was
an authorization in writing for him to
collect the money, made out on card
and filed with his record at union head
quarters. II never had been probated
and Hogan did not collect the money.
he explained, until nearly two years
after Smiths death. Smith. he said. had
been living in furnished rooming house
apart from his wife. but the witness
could not recall the address. Suddenly
Mr.. Unterrnyer asked:
"Do you know Mrs. Smith. the
widow"
"yee I met her"
"She's cripple. isn't she?"
II don't know
Mr.. Untermyer turned toward the
door. Come here. Mrs. Smith," he
called An elderly woman clad in black
and supported on either side by a SER
geant- at-arms of the committee limped
Continued on Pare Elrht.
- a~wa xi-aff nj