New-York tribune., 1922-05-26
Baker Attempts
To-Day OFF Man;
Now Faces Ruin
Employer Tells Lockwood
Committee of Union War
ON Shop. Resulting From
Request to Reduce Force
Rival Store Is Opened
81. 500 a Week Business Is
Cut to $500 by Price War
and the Use of Pickets

Max Schlesinger was contcnted and
thriving East Side master baker, who.
with the assistance of his wife and
daughter. made his little bake shop at
% Avenue c yield $1,000 week. On
June II. 1921, he asked permission of
the Jewish Bakers Union to drop one
Of his workmcn because times were
dull and there was 10 work to do
Through this simple and apparently in
nocent request Schlesinger. according
to the testimony before the Lockwood
upon his head and home endless
troubles
Here is the reply. the witness said
the union made to the bakers request:
They called an immediate strike
against his shop, withdrawing all the
union workmen.
They held outdoor meetings in front
of his place, eXhorting customers to
keep away from the shop, and adver-
tised IN papers that he conducted a
non-union bakery
They raised fund Of $4,000 with
the aVoWed purpose of "bringing him
to terms whatever that means, and
were preparing to spend $4,000 more.
They opened bakery shop next
door to him and sold rolls and bread
at loss in an effort to ruin him. His
business has been pounded down from
81, 500 d week to $500.
Family Subjected to Insults
Schlesingers family has been sub
jected to insults and bounding and all
kinds of annoyances. He says he could
exc out bare living if the union peo-
pie would only leave them alone. He
thinks there is nothing to be done but
go on until the last penny is lost.
Samuel Untermyer counsel for the
Lockwood committee. however, thinks
otherwise. lie characterized the ac-
ton of the union as conspiracy Of
the most despotic kind directly an
sWerable to the courts. He holds the
story as one Of the most fragrant
abuses of a labor organization ever dis
closed, and points to it in support of
his contention that there must be some
sort of legislative control over unions.
There were indications that Mr..
Untermyer was not willing to let the
matter rest there. for when four of the
union men who We're said to have been
lntrusted with the conduct of the rival
store refused to waive immunity when
placed on the witness stand the coun-
sci declined to examine them rather
than shield them from possible prose-
cutlon These men were Louis Kor-
man, Robert Soilson, Samuel Krell and
Meyer Some
There was testimony also to the ef
feet that Jacob Goldstone, local organ
lzer for the International Jewish Bak-
ors Union, had been presented with a
$4,000 home a year ago as the result
OF "agitation' on the part Of union
workers. He admitted that $4,000 for
the home had 1been "agitated" mainly
out of the pockets of employing bak-
ers and that it did not come from
union men.
Mr.. Untermyer intimated that Gold
stone was also involved in the con-
spiracy against Schlesngcr. The or
ganzer said he didn't know whether
he would approve the action of the
union men, but said that if the thing
was illegal he would have it stoned
at once. He testified, however. that
nothing had been done to close the
rival store.
Granite Association Dissolved
MT Untermyer interrupted the bak
cry investigation long enough to an
nounce that the National Building
Granite Manufacturers Association,
winch came under the scrutiny of the
committee last week. had sent a letter
TO the counsel stating that a resolu-
May IS" had been adopted at a recent
meeting.
Mr. Untermyer intimated he would
question one of the officials of the asso-
clation on just what had been done in
connection with the alleged dissolution.
Schleslnger told now he awoke on
the Saturday morning of June II last
year and found his men picketing in
front OF his shop instead of working
at their ovens. He explained that he
had asked Max Hozer, delegate of
the Jewish Bakers Union, Local 100,
for permission to lay off man. 1t
was summer and times were dull and
there was nothing for the extra men
to do, their being six men regularly
employed in his shop. He said he was
invited to lay the matter before the
executive board of the union.
And before you could lay the ques-