Show BUILD IN G T TRUST RU SI I PROBE IS HALTED Evidence Is Given to Jury Two Are Cited fo for S S Contempt S haItIn halting halt halt- N NEW W YORK DeG Dec 4 Abruptly Into activities es of the In lag ing its inquiry into the I association association and the builders' builders supply bureau I the materials tion of dealers in Id building I investigating I Ithe Joint legislative committee the building trust Friday priday turned its its housIng housing hous hous- extraordinary I evidence over to the Indictments indictments indict Indict- which returned ing irig grand jury the bureau bu- bu officials of ot I bu-I ments meats charging g two reau with contempt I John JohnA I The indictments directed against A A. Philbrick former chairman of the I secretary re- re bureau and Joseph Penny refusals of ot the suIted from the repeated defendants to answer questions on th the witness stand pertaining to the ho bureau bureaus bureau's s They rhEY were given their liberty on 1000 ball bail each committee was While the tho legislative board of estimate was was in session the tho conducting cling its Ha own Inquiry into the 62 6 worth of city contracts MINUTES FORGED The committee quickly decided to discontinue discontinue discontinue dis dis- dis- dis continue Its Inquiry into the affairs or ot orthe the building materials organizations following fol following fol- fol lowing tc test mony b by its accountant and minutes produced produced pro pro- experts that the bv by the two associations before the commit es had been tampered with and ana substitutIOns made madeWe We Ve ere are re sick ani ans tired of this this books boo s people disappearing ml lutes disappearing most disappearing most disgraceful said Samuel the committees committee's counsel In asking asking- that the matter be given immediately to the grand jUlY The committee then launched into an inquiry Into the brick industry the Contractors Contractors' Contractors Contractors' Contractors Contractors' Con Con- tractors' tractors Protective as association and the th-a a alleged towing monopoly on the Hudson Hud Hud- son SOll river mei river BRICK DEALERS Several Sever l brick bricle manufacturers were heard including W W. K Hammond of this city and David Fowler Fowier of Haverstraw N N. Y Both Doth declared the were not guilty of collusion in price Irice fixing Mr Hammond admitted that the entire output of supplying the New York market was handled by three agents but denied they had anything an any thing to do with price fixing Informal consultations between manufacturers 1 had ad resulted in uniform prices he explained Fowler startled the committee wn when n he testified that the Cornell Towing company has a monopoly on Hudson river towing and has raised Us its rates more than per cent during the la last t few years These excessive excessive towing charges he said were a great burden on the brick business Testimony as to the activities of ot the Contractors Contractor Protective association an organization of seven forty-seven excavators sand trucking and house wrecking cc con n tractors was given by Thomas F. F McLaughlin McLaughlin Mc- Mc Laughlin secretary who also pro produced med the associations association's s minutes r The minutes read by the witness Indicated in indicated In- In that committees had been appointed appointed ap ap- ap- ap pointed by the association to to fix prices on the hiring of motor trucks an and for dirt and rock excavating |