The New York herald., 1922-02-04
UNTERMYER QUEST
COSTS HIM S50O,OOO
Signalizes Departure for Flor
ida by Plea for Continuation
of Lockwood Inquiry.

Before leaving for Florida yesterday
afternoon, where he will draft pre-
liminary report on the work of the Lock
wood committee, Samuel Untermyer is
sued statement defining his position
in the fight that is shaping in the Legis-
lature on the proposal to continue the
committee.
There is greater reason, Mr.. Inter
myer points out, for continuing the COM
mittee than there was for creating it in
the first place. because of the unfinished
work. His statement follows
IF the people have not sufficient
gratitude to the Lockwood committee
for the work it has done and for the
powerful enemies it has made, nor
enough Of the instinct of self-preserva-
tion to make their voices penetrate the
political consciousness of the powers that
be in no uncertain terms, and these to
iLstill the fear of day of reckoning,
the committee will come to an end with
it's most important remedial and con-
structive work undone. The same malign
influences that are able TO destroy 1t in
the very zenith of its usefulness will
slaughter or SC emasculate the remedial
and constructive legislation affecting the
life. fire and casualty companies as to
render that branch of the inquiry worth
less
"The work has thus far cost me per-
sonally well over 100000 in time and
money, and has been a great drain on
my health. My family will hail this re-
suit with delight, and to me 1t will be
a great personal relief, but to the pub
lie 1t will be nothing short of a disaster.
From the very first day ] took up
this work ] have again and again given
warning of just the sort of fight we
would encounter IL our work proved
really valuable, and have never lost the
fear that these mighty forces of evil
that work I'm the dark, and that are ever
wakeful and alert. could prevail over the
public interest. The test has come and
we shall see which of these forces will
prevail.
''rhe pretext OF economy won't work
in this case. Apart from its construc-
tive work and other activities, the COM
rittee has been a source of large direc;
revenue and not Of expense. Every day
II continues it will be a source of addi-
tionai revenue over and above any fur
ther expense. The interests that are
bent upon it's destruction will have to
find better pretext. Their next cry
will probably be business disturbance or
corporation batting or unfair methods
which has been the complaint of every
man indicted and in prison. from Brin-
dell and Hcttrick all the way up and
down the line.
"'rhe splendidiy equipped lobbies of
the fire and casualty companies. whose
monopolles arc in peril. and of the Pru-
Dental and Mutual Life Insurance COM
panies investigations into whose in
vestments and why they prefer Wall
Street securities to real estate mort
cages are still under way, OF proflteer-
ing landlords and OF innumerabIe other
powerful interests, are on the job day
and night, and their lying propa gands
bureaus are being worked overtime to
poison the minds of honest Legislators.
as they tried to poison the public mind
last year in order to prevent the COM
mittee from continuing.
Yesterdays conviction and sentence
to imprisonment and fine of Foster. the
head detective of. the structural steel
combination. for refusing to produce his
reports of the spies maintained by the
trust, is fair indication of the UNI
finished state of the investigation. Fos-
ter's contumacy required us to suspend
tnat DTaHCn Oi the inquiry. lfldbli
that thirty days In prison and a $500
fine will change his point of view. The
structural steel crowd have been the
most defiant of all. l am sure the steel
trust considers the committee an un-
necessary expense and an all around
nuisance, whose life should he choked
off. as does the General Electric Com
pany and all the other Morgan monopo-
lies that are preying upon the public.
1T Is a hard combination to beat and
| expect nothing but abuse for having
the temerity to make the effort, but "
the people want me badly enough to
make the night 1 shall stand by until
the last gun of this superb lobby has
been fred
''1f they don't want protection badly
enough to fight for II. ! am satisfied.
There Is far greater reason to-day
for continuing the life of the commit
tee than there was for appointing IL.
The extent OF the violence OF the oppo-
sition accurately measures the necessity
for It's extension"