The New York herald., 1922-05-02
UNTERMYER insists
State CURB UNIONS
Recent Disclosures of Labor
Abuses Lead Him to
Take Action.
NO RIGHTS VIOLATED
Limited Regulation by
Incorporation Plan of
Lockwood Counsel.
NEW REIGN OF TERROR
Practices of Jewish Bakers Re-
vealed in an Address to
Free Masons.
NEW REIGN OF TERROR

W lorCe tEe incorporation OF LABOR
unions as means of bringing them
more easily under the control of the
courts. last night announced he nad
been driven to the conclusion that a
limited regulation of unions by State
agency is absolutely necessary. Mr..
Untermyer was discussing abuses
practiced by organized labor. as they
Eave been disclosed by the Lockwood
committee. at reception in his honor
by Paul Revere Lodge. F. and A. M.
in Terrace Garden
He also publicly revealed for the
first time a situation which he de-
scribed as a 'veritable reign of terror, .
by which Jewish bakers unions main.
tain a wage scale more ttan double
that of other unions in the trade. He
asserted that despite wage scale OF
between $40 and $50 week for FIVE
hour day maintained by the Jewish
bakers unions other bakers were a BILE
TO sell bread at one cent a loaf less.
measured by the pound, as is the Gus
tom among wholesale bakers.
VII HlCiils cl pldHS LOT lsle TeSuld-
ton OF labor unions predicated upon the
Lockwood committees revelations OF
abuses in the plumbers masons. cement
mixers. plasterers' bricklayers and
other unions in the building trades in
vclve:
l. The submission by each union ,ot
its constitution and bylaws for approval
TO State commission and the granting
10 II of license. if an unincorporated
>.s. %s ~ - - 80
Is contrary TO public policy.
2. The right OF a member Of the union
10 a review of any determination OF his
union that he believes to be unjust to
him.
,. The right OF any person feeling ag.
crieved by the action OF the union to a
like review
4. The right to any complainant hav-
ing just grievance against the rules.
practices and regulations of union to
have such abuses abated. being in this
respect somewhat analogous to the pres
ent authority Of the Federal Trade Com
mission to prevent unfair business prac-
tees among corporations engaged in
Interstate business.
5. The privilege to either party 10 a
controversy before the commission to
appeal to the courts from its decision.
Jurisdiction Limited.
In presenting his plan Mr.. Untermyer
said:
Such a regulatory body would be
given no power to enforce arbitration
between the unions and their employers
or TO intrude into any of the controver-
sies over wages. hours Of labor or any
other matters that are the legitimate
subject OF contract or OF barter between
The employer and the union. Its juris-
u,a ha 10 he
ton OF unfair regulations and prac-
tices"
Mr.. Untermyer began by a reference
tr the recent appearance of Samuel
Compers before the Lockwood commit
tee and the veteran labor leaders
strnnuously voiced objections to any in
terference in the administration Of
labor's affairs by the courts while al
the same time admitting the abuses COM
p,ained OF. OF Mr.. Gompers's charge
N at labor could not expect a fair deal
Ia the courts, Mr.. Untermyer said there
was no basis for such contention. Cor
f,r uing he said of the leaders in organ
j-ed labor:
In the same breath that these ad-
issions are made they denounce ard
threaten to resist the effort to bring
those abuses within the condemnation
.nd redress OF the law. Their only ex-
cuse for this lawless, defiant attitude
i~ that the courts are so biased agains;
the principles and policies of organized
labor that II permitted 10 intervene ia
relieve this oppression by the unions
they fear that the oppression practiced
bv the court against the unions in gran
irg this relief will result in still greater
oppression against the unions"
Mr.. Untermyer then listed more tina
q score OF the more nagrant abuses
r-actlced by unions OF the building
trades and which have been described
ncm time to time by THE New YopK
HERALD. Then he disclosed the situa
tor in the baking industry. declaring
tnst, so far as he was aware. no oes-
rotism on earth was comparable with
that prscticed by the Jewish bakers
tnsons
Evil Eject ON Bakers.
The result OF the wage war MIR
Iatermyer said has been TO reduce the
number Of baking employers from So
- 800 within a few years and TO threaten
the elimination OF the employing class
among the Jewish bakers. He said:
THE city is divided By the unions
into zones. There are separate unions
~ each zone that contain considerable
Jewish population. although banded
torether by sort Of general go-between
CT administrator. The unions have
However, forbidden employers TO bar u
together into a single organization.
wtey make their contracts by collective
bargaining on their part. but refuse Il
recognize collective bargaining on tn.
part OF the employers. The journeymer
ate assured 1fty-one weeks in the year
of steady employment. which includes
ten Jewish holidays. enumerated in the
contract. for which full pay Is required
IA be given. Tho minimum weekly wage
VARIES from s6s upward. but the prevail
irL wage Is between $40 and $50 q
week for an average Of Eve hours wofl,
day.
"Thes ,locsI unions arc affiliated witt
lAs American Federation OF Labor. bu'
rre, have no connection with tho Chris
dan bakers uaons except indirectly
through their general sfliiiatlon with tn
A. r. OF r..
'grhe weekly vase among the Chris
tar unions is s3T for an eight hour
dsv. 50 that the Jewish bakers get con.
,ls;prably more than double the pay o.
the Christian bakers. although the ski
ad character OF the work are precisely
tho same