New-York tribune., 1921-04-29
Cheaper Machine Approx
ed by Experts Barred
From City by Mayors
Recent Veto of Bill
Change in Record
Charged to Collins
Kenneally Also Involved
in Disclosures Before
Lockwood Committee

Amazing disclosures involving Mayor
Hylan, William p. Kenneally, vice
president of the Board of Aldermen,
and William T. Collins, Tammany floor
leader of the board, were brought to
ligh: at yesterdays hearing before the
lockwood committee on housing in
connection with the price-tixing COM
bines in the building industry.
According to these revelations, the
Mayor, Kenneally and Collins are
charged with being responsible in a
large measure for the continuation of
what Samuel Untermyer, chief counsel
for the Lockwood committee, charac-
terized as "graft-taking and extort-
ing monopoly" in water meters.
The Mayor, it was testified, only a
few days ago vetoed measure that
was designed to admit an independent
water meter company into the field
here and break the combine of eight
manufacturers that were banded to-
gether as one of Albert Ainsworth's
open price" groups. Resolutions with
the same purpose. are declared to have
been smothered IN committee by Ken
neatly. Collins is charged with having
altered" report of another COM
mittee that had approved the indie
pendent firms meters.
Blocked for Two and a Half Years
Despite the fact that the meter had
been approved by the engineers of the
Department of Water Supply, Gas and
Electricity and costs about half the sum
charged by the eight members in Aims
worth's water meter combine, every
effort for the last two and a half years
to have it admitted into the city for
use among its householders has been
blocked by mysterious political influ-
ences' al every turn.
Alderman Kenneally considers him
self the representative of labor in the
Board of Aldermen. He was a member
Of the executive committee of the
Building Trades Council when Robert
T. Brindell, the labor czar, now in Sing
Sing, was head of it. Kenneally now is
delegate in the council as a repre-
sentative of the Plumbers Union, hold
ing his position for life at $1OO a week.
In connection with the nine price fix
ing groups conducted by Ainsworth,
which were related to the housing in
dustry, Ainsworth yesterday announced
he would at once obtain the dissolution
Of these organizations. 1t was under
stood that the four other associations
under his wing, not related to the build
ing industry, also would be disbanded.
Ainsworth agreed to take this step
saortly after he was put on the stand
aha subjected to a severe grilling on
she method of operation of his price
fixing combines.
"On advice of COUNSEL" he said. sT
am wiling to advise the abandoning of
tnese associations by my clients SO far
as Sneir reporting systems are con-
cerned."
Mr.. untermyer then expressed the
opinion that this action practically
means the abrogation of the usefulness
OF these exchanges. Ainsworth was
ton.
The story of the alleged efforts of
tne Badger Meter Manufacturing Com
}pany, not member of the Water Meteor
E&cnange, run by Ainsworth, to get it's
ilnachlnes into the city is tale of
osiKs at every turn. There are said
% be approximately two hundred thou
Saad water meters in use in the city,
WIN VIZ the number constantly increasing.
"hlie their use is not incumbent upon
small apartment houses or dwellings,
iaotels and factories are required by
law to use them.
Inc tale was told by William S. Cetti,
local agent for the Badger company;
,,S-Alderman Robert S. Allyn, of Brook
iyn; Colonel Merritt H. Smith, chief
es.hglneer for the Department of Water
supply, Gas and Electricity, and John
D. Giennon, chief clerk to the Mayor.
=, Cetti said he had Offices at 32 Court
street, Brooklyn. and had been in the
water meter business for twenty-five
years, having previously worked for
tne thomson Water Meter Company, a
member of the Water Meter Exchange.
me Badger meter, he said, is used in
every city throughout the United
states except New York, this being the
enly community from which it has been
excluded.
p de declared that the Water Meter
exchange included every manufactures
Sl e meters in the country except his
urn II, and the Cannon Meter Company.
me latter firm, he added, only recently
mas Tried to get into the city.
Our prices are much lower than the
ecHenange members prices" declared
leu. leu. We charge $1,000 as rock
poetom price for a five-eights-inch
"achine, with about 10 per cent dis
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