Evening star., 1922-02-25
DECREE TO REMOVE
BUILDING SHACKLES
Government and Unions Are
in Agreement to Abolish
Various Abuses.

Executive heads Of IT, 1nterna-
tionai Organization of Bricklayers.
Masons and Plasterers in conference
with Attorney General Daugherty
yesterday consented to the entry OF
a decree In the federal court at Ne"
York enjoining certain practices OF
the union which have been under in
vestigat!on by the government:
The decree, which is d'ree.eu
against "a vicious practice" a series
of "nation-wide abuses and "vaTt-
Gus determinations" by the 10o,eoo
members of the organization in build
ing operations Throughout the cQun-
try. was described by MIR. Dausaertv
as "a new bill of rights for the nome
builder, the rent payer. the mahutac-
turer and the business man who has
to build
Basic Principles.
1t lays down and adopts, he said
four basic principles:
u. There is to be no limit to the
productive capacity of the indiVidoai
workman within the working day or
any other given time.
-. There is to be no limit upon the
right of the employer TO purchase MS
materials wherever and " henever and
from Whomever he may choose,
whether those materials be union
made or otherwise.
% There is to be no favoritism
shown by organized labor toward EN-
ployers or trade associations or con-
tractors associations. and no d.scrlmi-
nationS art. to be indulEed in against
the independent employer who may
not be 4 member of such an associa-
tion.
a. The labor organization is not
to be used or permit itself TO De
used by material men or contractors
or sabcontractors as an instrument
for the collection of debts or enforce.
rrent of the payment of alleged
claims
Yesterdays conference. culminat-
ing in the agreement to the filing of
{. consent decree. Mr.. Daugherty eX-
planned was the result of several
months investigation by District At
,orney William Hayward of New
York. in conjunction with the Justice
Department investigation of build
ing trades and the housing situation.
Acknowledge CO-Operation.
The department" he said. would
rot have hesitated for moment to
proceed by indictment. as it has done
in a number of other cases in New
York and Chicago and other large
cities. but it did not feel justified In
pursuing that course with labor lead
ers. who have shown every desire to
cooperate with the government in
checking the abuses complained OF
and who have indulged in these
agreements and practices. not for the
purpose of any personal gain. but
with the aims of their organization
at heart"
Attending the conference with Mr..
Daugherty were Col. Guy d. Goff. the
assistant to the Attorney General:
District Attorney Hayward of New
York. d. L. Podell, D. A. L'Esperance
and Miss Susan Brandeis. special
counsel to Mr.. Hayward; Thomas r.
Preece. vice president: William Dob
son. secretary: Walter V. Price, spe
cial deputy, and Messrs. Keeling and
Hugg of Indianapolis. as counsel. rep
resenting the international organiZa-
tion of bricklayers, masons and
piasterers.
Discussing the effect of the decree
upon the building sit-ation through
out the country. Mr.. Daugherty de-
clared it freed employers from 1.-The
shackles" thrown around them by
these numerous illegal restric IONS:
it recognized all the lawful aims or
objects of labor unionism." and finally.
''the most important, it gives the pub
lie d chance"
Effect ON Unions.
There is nothing in the decree. he
asserted. prohibiting the regulation
of the hours or conditions of labor
by the unions.
aualifedly forbid any concerted ef-
fort at curtailment of production by
any such limitations upon the pro-
ductive capacity of the individual. In
wcrd. it eliminates the penalizing
of ability and the encouragement of
efficiency"
Labor itself Mr.. Daugherty contin-
ued. has suffered the real loss where
building operations have been dis
couraged through general practices
of preferences granted by the building
unions.
1T is manifest" he said, that such
a state of affairs is likewise one of
the most potent factors in the ex-
orbitant prices that have prevtiled in
building and related materials. all of
which have tended to create and con-
tinue the acute shortage of housing in
every large city in the land
Other proceedings, Mr.. Daugherty
SpEEIAI. NOTICES