The New York herald., 1922-05-11
Emergency Legislation to
Be Asked Providing Rea-
sOnabIe Profit.
FURTHER ABUSES Barred
Tntermyer Says He Will Ask
Indictment of Lathers
Union.

extent. Samuel Inter
myer was authorized by sub-com-
mittee of the Lockwood Housing Com
mttee to prepare a memorial for Con-
gress recommending immediate cor
of emergency tariff legis-
lation that would give to manufac'
turers a fair, but not a gouging profit.
Mr.. Untermyer suggested that GER
tain building material. such as brick.
could be brought from England IN
ballast. if necessary. and sold on New
York docks at sl4 a thousand. The
price asked by the Hudson
River brickyards is s24 and s25 a
and the cost of manufac-
ture. the committee has found. is
about s11. The shortage of building
material, Mr. Untermyer told the COM
mittee. was due either to the inca
pacity OF the men in the material
business to cope with the existing de-
mand, or by design to maintain a high
price level He was not prepared to
say which. but hinted that the early
closing of brickyards along the Hud-
son last autumn would be investigated
by the committee.
IT propose TO take the present act
under which we are now operating.
Mr.. untelmyer said. covering build
ing materials, the act that is now be-
fore Congress the Fordney tariff bid
and the cost OF these materials, adding
a proper duty. and ask that Congress
docs not wait the settlement of the en-
tire tariff bill. but that action upon
certain leading items of building ma
terials shall be taken now as an emer-
gency measure. Something OF this KIND
must be done.
Assemblyman George n. Jesse Of
Manhattan put the motion authorizing
Mr.. Untermyer TO prepare such me-
mortal.
Further Abuses Exposed.
The suggestion of emergency tariff
legislation came at the end of session
in which further abuses by members
of the lathers' and plasterers' organi-
cations as ,practiced in Brooklyn were
detailed, and during which Edward
Anglen. financial secretary and treas
urer OF the Brooklyn local Of the Wood,
Wire and Metal Lathers Union, who
signed a waiver of immunity. was told
the committee proposed to recommend
the association for indictment.
Another outstanding development was
prediction by Joseph r. Aaron. for
eighteen years active In building in
Brooklyn. and the constructor or sew
eral thousand large and small houses.
that unless the labor market was stabil-
lied speedily and the price Of materials
reduced operations would come to a
standstill.
Mr.. Aaron's prediction was supported
by an unofficial report that the Metro
politan Life Insurance Company was
holding off announcement of its hous-
ing plans pending a decline in the ma
terial market.
II also was developed through the
testimony of John Sutherland. record
ing secretary OF the Brooklyn plas-
terers' organization. that approximately
$500 eco had been saved to Brooklyn
builders this season through the re-
scinding of regulation of the unions
requiring three coats of plaster on one
and two family houses. The order was
adopted on April 3 last and rescinded
on April % al the instance OF the Lock
wood committee.
Untermyer Gives Views.
Mr.. Untermyer made his announce
ment regarding tariff legislation at the
of Sutherland's testimony.
After reminding the committee that two
obstacles--the insta billty of the labor
wage scale and the material shortage
stood in the way OF continuance OF
this activity. he added:
There Is no dearth of material. brick.
and other material to be had
from the other side. They can come
in ballast under certain conditions. The
cost of transportation Ia trifling. There
H. no reason why they should not be
allowed to come in. Brick. for instance.
on basis of tariff duty that would
enable us TO buy them at the ballast
rere. at sit thousand That will al
low the brick manufacturers here a
legitimate and a very substantial profit;
and the same is true of a great variety
Of other building materials. RI our own
people here cannot or will not supply
the demands there is n need for allow
ing this merchandise TO come here
only by a tariff sufficient 10
give our people n reasonable profit.
" neither that Is gathered in by the
or by the dealer or by
tho mlddleman or what-not. We should
rot allow these conditions 10 continue
longer because IL they do continue Il
is going to paralyze this movement well
on the way TO cure the housing shortage
not only in the city OF New York but
all over the United States"
The session began with Secretary
Anylen on the witness stand. His
testimony showed that his organization
carried the abuses complained of by
The committee a step further than
anything vet disclosed and compelled
Iathing contractors. that is the EN-
ployers. TO belong TO the union. Several
Of these employers testified that unless
they belonged TO the union they were
unable to get labor.
Anglen further testified that the
Iathers' union fixed the price of ma
terlals used as we'll as labor.
Morris wasserman. lathing con-
tractor Of 1873 Hopkinson avenue, Brook
Iyn. after a grillng finally admitted
that with Others he had gone to Shep-
ard to get him TO help drive US out
OF the union The attempt was un-
successful.
Other contracting lathers told OF
fund OF 500 collected TO pay shepard
FOR his help in strengthening out dis
pute between the journeymen and the
employers and also OF contributions OF
y 20 from the coo iournAymen members