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Show ASSERT mWL DID NdTMNTERFERE Witnesses in Plumbers' Trial Say They Bought as They Pleased. CONSIDERED IT JOKE Former President Says He Disregarded Assertions of Salesmen. With the submission of the evidence of a few more witnesses for the defense io the c.tse of the United States against a number of local plumbers, charged with the restraint of trade in violation of t he Sherman anti-trust law, and "whatever evidence in rebuttal the government gov-ernment will offer, it is expected that the jury will retire for determination of the farts not later than tomorrow. There was an inclination yesterday on the part of both the government attorneys at-torneys and attorneys lor the defense to "speed up''4he taking of testimony with this end in view. Henry Green, a former master plumber and erstwhile president of the Master Plumbers ' association, was recalled re-called to the stand bv the defense at the morning session, hi support of the contention of the defense that there was no unfriendly feeling apainst non-member-, Mr. Green testified that out-Bide out-Bide plumbers were invited to social functions and had a good time generally as guests of the local organization. The gales of supplies, he testified, by manufacturers, manu-facturers, jobbers and wholesalers to non-members was discussed at meetings frankly and freeJy, but owing to a difference dif-ference of opinion nothing was ever done about it as an association. Mr. Greene testified that Crane & Co. had five sheets of prices Crane "0" representing one set, "R" an-. an-. other and so on and it was "an even break" with those in and out of the association as to one being on the low list and another .on the high list. The differences in prices, he (stated, had nothing to do with the men belonging to the association, as Crane & Co. sold generally. Considered It Joke. Continuing, Mr. Green said, "The Wolverine company advertised in the trade journals that it sold the master plumbers .by preference only, and in the face of that, it sold to anybody. Many traveling salesmen professed and advertised that they sold to members of the association only in order to get the business. I always considered it a joke, as I knew all the time that, they were selling outside just as much as the inside." In conclusion, Mr. Green said that as far fcs he knew it was not the custom cus-tom of the association to notify the, supply houses as soon as a man dropped g'oxit of the organization, and that the f association never received any money ' from supply houses in reference to commissions com-missions on the sale of goods. The-Longfellow The-Longfellow school incident, he testified, was not an association matter. On cross-examination hy United ' States Attorney Ray, the witness testified tes-tified that he did not remember one "Smith of Colorado" who, in nominating nominat-ing Chris Irving, one of the defendants, defend-ants, nt a convention for the office of president, advocated as one of his qualifications quali-fications that he had the punishing power against the supply houses. Had No Interference. Parley G. .lames, a master plumber of the firm of James & Obray, testified testi-fied in behalf of the defense that he purchased goods from practically all of the dif ferent houses which sent salesmen sales-men into this territorv, even when he was not a member of the association. He said he always bought where he found the goods and prices to his liking. lik-ing. , John Cottrell, a former striker and a .union plumber, tostified that during the time he was in .business in 1913 and 1914 the association never interfered inter-fered with his purchasing supplies, notwithstanding not-withstanding he was not affiliated with it. V. H. Rossiter of the firm of Hig- son-Russiter company,' a rftrtner ot ; one of the defendants, testified that J though he attended many of the meet-I ings of the Waster Plumbers' association, associa-tion, he was not familiar with the discussions. dis-cussions. "Did you ever talk to salesmen with reference to the sale of goods to anybody any-body outside of the association from an association standpoint ? ' ' queried Attorney L. C. Boyle of the defense. Blamed Two Men. "No, fir; unless it was in regard to to Midgley, " replied Mr. Rossiter. "i blamed Midgley for .being the cause of the strike and it got ns in pretty bad shape, and I got pretty sore about it, and I refused to buy from anybody that I knew sold Midgley. That had nothing to do with the association. I never undertook to discuss sales of plumbing supplies with any supply house as to anybody else other than Midgley and possibly Tobin.f) 0. T. Greenwood of Price testified that he made purchases of supplies without with-out any evidence of antagonism .by the association. A. ,1. Atkin of Ogden, one of the defendant, de-fendant, plumbers, in his testimony, entered en-tered a general denial that men outside out-side of the organization of the Master Plumbers ' association experienced any difficulty in obtaining supplies by reason rea-son of their non-affiliation. At the close of the morning session the attorneys for both sides visited the residence of Will Eees, president of the local organization, for the purpose of taking his testimony.. Mr. Rees has been confined to his bed for some time. Upon returning to the courtroom at 4 o'clock it was decided to adjourn court until this morning, when the testimony of Mr. Rees will be read to the jury. |