The New York herald., 1921-02-10
COERCION THE CHARGE
Code of Practice Among
Plumbers Said to Have
Stopped Competition.
UNION AS A WEAPON
Boosting of Building Costs and
Graft Alleged to Have
Resulted.

With the jury box filed and the
prosecutions opening address disposed
OF, the State will begin to-day pre-
senting its proof Of the charge that
John T. Hettrick, originator of the
building trades code OF practice:
William L. Doran, William Fl. Chap
man and Herbert Smith attempted to
coerce master plumbers into member
ship in an organization designed to
boost building prices. Judging from
the States opening shot at the ac-
cused men and the array of counsel
for prosecution and defence. the trial
probably will be a long drawn out
battle.
Eight men were in the jury box
when Supreme Court Justice John V.
McAvoy ascended the bench at 10
o'clock in the morning. 1t took from
then until 1:10 p NJ. to fill the jury.
The scene inside the railing resembled
a political caucus. The seven lawyers
for the defence and Ave for the prose-
cution were almost continuously on
their feet during the examination Of
the talesmen. At one time the legal
forces Of the accused men disagreed
on the rejection of Juror. but unani-
nifty was obtained after Justice Nc
Avoy ruled such was needed TO reject
the prospective juror.
1t took Kenneth NJ Spence. Deputy
Attorney-General. about two and half
hours to present the States case to the
jury He was interrupted by the ap-
pearance Of the Extraordinary Grand
Jury which has been handling the
criminal charges resulting from the
Lockwood committees investigation of
the building combine. The Jury handed
UP TO Justice McAvoy an indictment
against twenty-nne corporations In
cluded in the membership of the Asso-
citation of Dealers in Building Material.
The Indictment was purely technical, as
sixty-two members of the association
were inflicted last week and now are
out on bail awaiting trial.
How the Code worked.
Mr.. Spence in his address said Het-
trick sought to have the Master
Plumbers Associa ton adopt his code of
and. failing. that he then used
poran and Chapman, president and
business agent respectively of the United
Association of Plumbers and Steam
filters. to bludgeon individual members
into acceptance OF the code through
threats of labor troubles. Doran and
Chapman had the union adopt the code
as part Of its bylaws. Mr.. Spence said.
so Hettrick might the better use It as
weapon over the master plumbers.
Smith. the prosecutor said, conspired
with poran and Chapman to browbeat
the little fellow" into membership In
Hettrick's organization.
The code basicly was designed as
substitute for the hawking and ped
ding of bids, which was a wide prac-
tice in the building trades until re-
Gently. the prosecutor said. While the
code was purported 10 be a scheme to
protect the master plumbers from the
hawking and peddling evil. Mr.. Spence
declared. II actually was a stifler of
competition. The twenty-five corpora
tions and individuals who formed the
Associated Plumbers Association, the
cloak under which the code operated,
paid to Hettrick per cent. of the gross
business done. OF which per cent
went TO the originator of the scheme
In the year and Ave months HettriclS
adjusted bids for the master plumbers
his labors nettod him S55.000, Mr.
Spence said.
nen hettricks arguments failed to
convince doubling master plumbers
Doran and Chapman would be sent
around 10 sec recalcitrant persons, who
made the organizers arguments more
convincing. Mr. Spence said more than
one witness would be called by the state
to prove that Doran and Chapman
threatened 10 call n strike unless the
plumber paid Hettrick ,he $3.50 initla-
tion Zee and submitted his bids for eX-
animation before they we're sent TO the
contractor or architect. Charles VI.
Darmstadt was one % tho master
plumbers Mr.. Spence ssid, who declined
10 accede to their demands. and his
operations we're tied up by a strike.
The Darmstadt incident WAS called TO
the attention OF other plumbers. he said,
as evidence OF what would happen to
them II they did not submit.
Nstu buNsttt w tCthEgs
Mr. Spence described the operation
OF the code OF practice" at length and
tho green and pink card system which
HettriclS used In regulating bids. Tho
prosecutor said Il was not necessary for
the state TO prove Tiettrlck, Doran.
Chapman and Smith had actually CO.
creed. as it was only necessary tc prove
they had agreed tc DO so
AR spence said that Het;rick had a
photograph of Chief Justice White ~
the United states supreme Court hang
ing w Ills office. This led his friends
10 believe" he said. that Justice White
had declared the code was legal" Untll
Ifettrick entered the plumbing business.
the prosecutor declared. tho code Of
prsctlce" was unknown. but that th.
entire business was cnvcloped by Il
when tho Lockwood committee began rs
work last autumn.
Tho last four Jurors 20 be seated
were. John y Icrtei. . tailor, ~ i9i
West Nlnety-siXtn street william a.
retciyal. superintendent FOR tho Western
Uiwfric ror'pany ~ IS Post avenue
Henry W. Eoiles retired. Of i2i E'ni
Fifty.tourth rctt aud Wiliinu v
shropshire o crae manufacturer Of 6s4