New-York tribune., 1922-11-28
Bricklayers Accept Inter
myer Proposal and the
Employers Are Expected
to Capitulate at Meeting
Lockout Can Be
Stopped Tonight
Men Scheduled To BePaid
OFF; Mason Builders Hit
as Not Helping Peace

At the conclusion Of three.hour
session marked by frequent, angry
verbal clashes, the Lockwood Com
mittee, intervening to prevent tie-up
OF building construction in New York
City, recommended yesterday to both
sides in the controversy that they
patch up a temporary truce until De-
cember 81, the committee meanwhile
to make efforts to bring about the
amaigamation Of the two rival hod-
carriers unions at the root of the
dispute.
The proposal was made by Samuel
Untermyer, chief counsel to the COM
mittee, to Frank C. Conover, president
OF the Mason Builders Association,
and Walter V. Price, head of the New
York executive committee of the Brick.
layers Union. 1t was the action of
this union in calling strikes on sew
eral construction jobs, because of it's
1avoring the cause of the International
Hod Carriers Union, which led the
employers, who are declared to back
the Independent Hod Carriers Union,
to plan lockout of the bricklayers.
Complete Tie-up Possible
This, in thirty days, would COM
RiS'eiy ZIG uP puAlulH8 operations In
New York and throw 125,00O men out
of work. While the order for a lock
out went out yesterday-in an attempt
to forestall the Lockwood committees
efforts to bring peace into the situa-
tion, 1t was said-it carried with 1t a
provision that the paying off of the
bricklayers was not to take place until
tonight.
Mr.. Price willingly promised Mr..
Untermyer he would recommend to the
other bricklayers' officials that they
agree to the truce proposal, and, con-
cluding meeting of their own COM
mittee, they SO decided last night. It
was with much more difficulty that 8
like promise for such a recommends
tion was exacted by Mr.. Untermyer
time during the verbal passages ex-
changed, being termed as arrogant"
by Senator Charles c. Lockwood, chair
man of the committee.
gsph answers are to be given the COM
'snittee when II Resumes Its sessions at
10 o'clock this morning. No intimation
as to the Intentions, Of the employers
was obtained last night and opinion
was divided as to what they would do,
leaning trifie, however, to the belief
that they would capitulate.
friends Of Mr.. Untermyer, who said
"there will be plenty of trouble for
them If they refuse to agree" ana
broadly implied threats of court pro-
ceedings. They called the "independ-
ent" hod carriers "a company union"
Untermyer Hits Employers
Mr.. Untermyer repeatedly criti-
cised the mason builders and their
parent organization, the Building
Trades Employers Association, during
his interrogation of witnesses. One
OF the most important points scored
by him occurred during his examina-
tion Of Christian G. Norman, chairman
of the employers board of governors,
when he brought out that the employ
ers wanted to declare lockout in the
face Of the fact that the number
of bricklayers actually on strike-on
only eight out of 1892 construction
Jobs now going on-was only about
one twentieth Of 1 per cent of the
total number of bricklayers at work.
Again, also in the examination of
Mr.. Norman, Mr.. Untermyer accused
the employers of preferring to deal
with the independents" rather than
the .internationals" because they thus
could save 81 day per man in wages
stead of 81, day. Previously this
charge was made by the first witness
on the stand, Hugh Frayne, general
organizer of the American Federation
OF Labor. who also declared that a
".'padrone" system existed among the
independents" whereby they were re-
CURED TO pay out So week from their
own wages.
II suppose" said Mr.. Untermyer, in
addressing Mr.. Norman, "that you pre-
fer the independents because they
have secret agreement with the en-
pioyers for $1-a-day rake-off."
I'VE have no such agreement" Mr..
Norman replied
"Oh, | don't mean in writing" Mr..
Untermyer retorted, "but secret thing
to break down certain unions by going
under the scale. You had an agree
ment with the Independent union to
build it up, did you not ?"
mot an agreement We were just
helping them out, that's ALL"
Asked why the employers preferred
to deal with the independents" Mr..
Norman said they regarded their union
as the more responsible"
Then you regard an international