Evening star., 1939-11-04
U. S..!Pushes Probe
Of Building Industry
In Six Cities
st. Louis Union Men u
Indicted and IS Firms
Charged in Pittsburgh
9y the Associated Press.

1y the Associated Press.
Justice Department officials as
sembled evidence for grand juries in
halt a dozen cities today in build
ing industry investigation which al
ready has resulted in indictments at
St. Louis and Pittsburgh. ,
Information is being placed before
juries in Cleveland and San Fran
cisco, and other data will be given
to panels meeting in New York
Monday and in Detroit on November
H.. Investigations also have been
started in Chicago and Los Angeles.
A Federal grand jury at st. Louis
yesterday indicted William L..
Hutcheson, president of the United
Brotherhood of Carpenters and
Joiners of America, on a charge of
conspiracy under the antitrust
laws. Three other union men also
were named. At his home in In
dianapolis, Mr.. Hutcheson declined
to comment until he had seen a
copy OF the indictment.
Thirteen Corporations Indicted.
In Pittsburgh, jury indicted 13
corporations and As individuals on
charges Of conspiracy to defraud the
Federal Government. 1t was alleged
that they conspired Ito secure in
advance" the awarding of contracts
to contractor selected by the Elec-
trical Contractors Association of
Pittsburgh.
The st. Louis charge grew out of
q jurisdictional dispute between the
Carpenters Union and the Ma
chinists' Union, both affiliates of
the American Federation of Labor,
over installation of equipment at
the Anneuser-Busch, Inc, brewing
plant.
The indictment said Mr.. Hutche-
son and the other defendants con-
spired to coerce IAN employer to
violate a contract with one group
Of employees and to replace them
with another group"
Doesn't Test Right to Strike.
Roscoe T. Steffen, an assistant
United States Attorney General, said
In st. Louis that the indictment In
no way tested the right Of labor to
organize or to strike for any such
purpose as shorter hours, higher
wages or better working conditions.
George Mashank, acting United
States attorney, said the Pittsburgh
indictment charged fraud on the
Government that may total $780,
000."
One Of those indicted was the
Hale Electric Co., which had been
given the electrical contract for a
new municipal hospital, partly
financed with Federal funds.
Eleven other electrical contract
Ing firms also were indicted to-
5gether with the contractors associa-
tion and three officials of the Pitts
burgh local of the Brotherhood Of
International Electrical Workers
"a. F. L..
See Cut in Building Costs.
When the Department of Justice
announced early last month that
the building industry would be in
vestigated in seven or more major
cities, omcials let it be known that
they expected the inquiries would
result In q reduction in building
costs. They added that these costs
were unduly high in many sections.
Asserting that complaints had
come from home owners and pro-
spectiye owners, labor groups, con-
tractors. architects, real estate
firms, material dealers and others,
the department said the general
agreement that antitrust action is
needed to end restraints has been
unparalleled in the experience of
the department with investigation
Of restraint Of trade in other indus
tries"