Dr. Jacob Blum, president of Poultry Slaughterers’ Union Local 440, resigned on the eve of the hearings at which his union was to make answer to the charges of coercion, intimidation and racketeering filed by the Vaad Schochtim Oifes, a rival union, with Arthur Simon, it was revealed at the hearing yesterday.
The scheduled answer was not made at the hearing yesterday. The reason, it was explained by Ell Meltzer, vice-president, was that Nathan L. Perlman, counsel to Local 440, had not had time. Asked, however, whether the Local wished another hearing, Meltzer said, “As far as we are concerned, this is final.”
FIST FIGHT BREAKS OUT
A fist fight almost broke out in the trial room of the Health Department, 139 Centre street, where the hearing was held, when, at the close, one of the poultry slaughterers insulted another. An altercation was prevented by the intercession of a policeman. A heated argument continued on the street for some time after the policeman had evicted the slaughterers from the room.
Meltzer was called to the stand first, and said that he had received a sealed resignation from Blum. He could not open it, he said, because of the union by-laws. Abraham Heller, executive of the Local, volunteered the information that Blum resigned “because he felt like it.”
Asked by Mr. Simon as to charges that members of the union used a speed system of slaughtering poultry which was not in accordance with the kashruth laws, Meltzer asserted that the union members used a system known as “kepel schechitah” which, while it expedites the slaughtering, is perfectly lawful, he said.
THEY DON’T KNOW
Repeatedly Meltzer and Heller answered “I don’t know” to questions concerning the union fired at them by Jacques Buitenkant, counsel to the Vaad Schochtim Oifes.
Buitenkant declared that the charges of racketeering and coercion are still unanswered, and asserted that Local 440 “is controlled by racketeers.”
Damaging accusations had been presented by Simon to the union executives in a conference last week. None of these were touched upon by Local 440 executives in the hearing yesterday.
JTA has documented Jewish history in real-time for over a century. Keep our journalism strong by joining us in supporting independent, award-winning reporting.
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
