New-York tribune., 1922-03-06
t1ons it found when it began its investi-
gatlon three years ago, conditions
which still remain
PcriIs Cited jn Home Shortage


"Wc found ourselves face to face
with housing famine that continues
to be peril to the life. health, safety
and morals of the entire community
to an extent not generally recognized
and thst has not yet been aprrecsbly y
relieved" says the report
THE conditions OF living among the
masses of our people defy descriptions,
The term overerowding conveys no con
certicn Of the situation. In the City OF
New York j. has become necessary to
suspend practically the operation of
our sanitary and building laws so as
to preserve any sort of roof over the
heads CT the poorer population, Thou
sands OF our people are huddled to-
gether In insanitavy snd oven unsafe
teaamonts that sre unfit for human
habitatlon.'
The rep>rt rakes the Real Estate
Board of New York over the Goals for
its opposition TO The committee. charg-
ing that Its attitude is Influenced. "per-
hapS subconsciousiy, by the natural
desire to advance the interests OF it's
members, who would have to take less
rent from their tenants if the housing
shortage were relieved.
The report then taxes up general
housing conditions and declares the
problem ono Of the most critical and
urgent which faces the country. as
the high cost OF living viii continue
until rents come down. EiaboratinG on
this, the report says;
"lt is eStmated that the item OF
housing represents about one-ifth Of
the cost Of living in all OF tho great
cities OF the United States. 1t is by
far the most important OF the items of
cost famine In housing. with it's sc
! compsryiHE Invitation TO cNtortion,
prohteerine snd exploitation. IL there
| fore hy Tar the greatest deterrent 70
any eaort 10 secure a reduction in the
cost Of living. Until condition OF
normslcy in that item can be restored
no substantial general reduction can
be expected. II is not only far reaching
in it's direct effects. but il indirectly in
into the cost OF living, for the reason
that increased rents on business places
must be added to the cost Of every
! thing We buy,
A large portion of the report is taken
up with tie eAtortion and abuses viz
ited upon builders by Robert ?. Brin
dell. now serving term Of from five
80 ten wears. aud other labor union Off
Gals. Brndei, who controlled all the
building trades in the City OF New
/ York excepting the painters, brickia5-
ers and plastsrers Unions, from the be
ginning, worked with L few crooked
contractors and forced others to pay
him graft by calling strikes and other
wise using the tremendous power he
/ held This in time developed into the
discriminating OF builders, who were
forced TO pay him for insurance aguiNst
calling strikes and for supplying work
men. all Of which eXtortions were borne
by the tenants, The report charges
I'm the many piratical undertakings
of Brindell, AL accomplished within
less than ohc year, he acted apparently
without protest or hindrance Of The
men sround him connected with the
council. and a. though tine $4,000 men
connected with the council were mere
pawns in his game. His despotlc power
was complete and unchallenged, the
report continues.
1T is estimated tina, within the short
period OF from ten to eleven months he
eNtorted in the ways above indicated
more than $1,000 coo, All OF which was
added to the cost OF building construc-
i ton"
Unions Criticized
The ensuing chapter is devoted to
: tho unfair practices and require ments
b. labor unions. The conditions which
menace not only the present cmergenc!
but the housing Of future generations
the committee finds due 40 the IN
creasing despotism and inehciency OF
1 s Der, brought about by vaTious provl-
( sions in the constitutions. bylaws, ~ !es
and regulations and to the practices
thereunder OF the labor unions in the
building trades"
Excluding competent workmen from
some Of these unions. 50 as to keep the
trade in the hands OF a few, and using
IL
grating on the workers themselves,
was favorite occupation Of some of
the leaders OF organized labor, the com
mittee charges.
Discussing these abuses the report
| continues:
"AnotheY practice of many unions is
the limitation OF the number Of ap-
prentices in given trade. This is a
! common provision in the constitutions
Still another is the exclusion from the
privilege Of apprenticeship of boys
! over certain age. eighteen, nineteen
or less, The effect Of these autocratic
regulations is to create an injurious
and intolerable monopoly in the in
dustry against the present and future
! generations.
the unions tending to destroy efficiency,
delay operations and increase eX-
penEes we're revealed by an investiga
ton of their constitutions, bylaws,
rules and regulations AND by the tes-
timony Of witnesses, such as the limit
ing Of the amount OF days work
classifying the chars cter of work
whereby high priced mechanics were
required to perform the work Of la
borcrs; destroying moids, requiring
the destruction of models and other
devices after they had been once used,
although they might be utilized many
times for the same purposes; prohih-
iting the use Of labor saving devices;
prohibiting the installation Of machin-
cry approved by the public authorities
that would economize tabor; requiring
work to be done on the job instead Of
in the shop at greater expense; pen
alizing employers for accepting in
ferior work from the unions own
mem bers instead OF discipiining the
members for doing such work; re-
gulriIg the removal of ornamental
construction because not up TO the ar
tistjc standard Of delegates. although
entirely acceptable to the architect
and owner; prohibitions against an
owner or contractor b-contracting
for labor unless TIE sub contractor is
awarded at the same time the contract
for furnishing al the materials USED
in connection Tsh such labor"
Extent of Conspiracies Amazing
In the lntrod1,rtorv cnar,or soit;po