New York State Joint Legislative Committee on Housing Investigation Subject Files

Alphabetical by name of association or business.

This series contains information primarily on building suppliers, construction employee associations, and manufacturers, and reveals price-fixing conspiracies among various suppliers of both labor and material primarily in New York City's construction industry. The committee, known as the "Lockwood Committee" for chairman Charles C. Lockwood, collected these records as part of its investigation into the housing industry in general and conspiracies in the construction trades in particular.

The investigations into employer associations for roofers, plasterers, stone setters, and plumbers, along with suppliers of masonry materials, stone and gravel, and building materials are well represented. Correspondence between these associations, their ledger books, cancelled checks and check stubs, copies of sealed bids, minute books, and treasurers' reports provide evidence of collusion, combinations, or oligopolistic practices as these groups conspired to set prices which allowed all participating contractors to take turns providing the lowest bid--but a bid still higher than had there been free market competition. The trade associations masked these conspiratorial activities under the guise of their legitimate business concerns.

Some court-related materials such as grand jury hearing or testimony transcripts from the prosecution of some of these associations or combinations are also found within this series. Such grand jury transcripts are restricted.

Microfilm is available for use at the New York State Archives or through interlibrary loan.

Folder list.

This series was originally accessioned as part of boxes 1-6, 15, 19, 20, 22, 23, 34-41, 43-45, 45a, 45b, 46, 48, 51, 52, 71, 77, 77a, 78-80 of accession -216, old collection #405.

Grand jury hearing transcripts: Restricted pursuant to Criminal Procedure Law, Sect. 190.25.4(a).