Evening Star Newspaper, April 11, 1937, Page 4

A—4 FORDHAS NOFEAR OF C.1.0, HE SAYS Freedom Is Foundation of America, He Declares in Interview. BY the Associated Press. WAYS, Ga., April 10.—Henry Ford met broadsides from C. I. O. leaders announcing plans to organize his plants with the terse statement to- day, “I have no fear of them, be- cause they are wrong.” The declaration followed up an assertion by the Detroit automobile manufacturer that the Ford Motor Co. will demonstrate “wages, produc- tion and competition such as never seen before,” when current strike troubles subside. In an authorized interview at his Winter estate here, Ford, nearing 74, charged that “finance and organiza- tions” are retarding industry. He suggested that workers judge labor unions by results, adding, “The worker ought to ask himself, ‘What have I got out of the union in re- turn for what I've lost?’” Ford said annual income, not the daily wage, should be considered. Freedom Main Thing. *The main thing to consider,” he went on, “after all, is freedom. That's the foundation of America. The men in our plants are free and they are better off for it. There are thou- sands of things that could be pro- duced cheaply today for the comfort end convenience of the common man except for control manifested by finance and organizations of one sort ; or another. “When these organizations are re- moved and industry is liberated, ev- erything will improve. We will see & real prosperity.” Ford asserted financiers are sup- porting the proposal to reorganize Federal courts, because “we’ll have another N. R. A. if the court is packed and there will be another attempt made to control and throttle industry. “The court has never been packed before, because a President comes and goes before he is able to do so. The court now is created out of life itself. It was designed by men in- spired by the Almighty and has stood the test of time for 150 years. boxes, drove up to the gate. pickets stopped them. Immediately Thompson and Mayor Alex Hall mounted a truck standing nearby. The youthful mayor, nattily dressed in black derby and dark blue chester- field coat, reassured a growing crowd that “no mounties” would come to Oshawa “unless we say s0.” The crowd cheered. Soon after the strike started, Hep- burn called several hundred of the famous Canadian royal mounted po- lice to Toronto, to be on hand in case of trouble here. Thompson, & blue-eyed black- The Public Opinion Factor. “Public opinion will control the | eourt issue, just as it will determine | the strike question. That is why I | have such faith in newspapers. They | express public sentiment; and, best | of all, they have never been wholly controlled. Newspapers are both edu- cators and lawmakers.” In an interview earlier this week, | Ford said he would never recognize | the United Automobile Workers of | |to get haired Irishman, waved for silence. “General Motors have been trying some disturbance started 50 they can call the mounties in,” Thompson said. “These trucks can't do very much harm. As long as we keep these lines, General Motors can’'t make a car in Canada, and that's what we want. “Look them over to see what's in America or any other union for col- lective bargaining. John L. Lewis, C. I O. head, charged the Ford Co. uses intimidation and coercion to pre- vent its employes from joining labor unions. | ‘Today, Ford declared that “when | this strike mess is over, we'll demon- | strate some real competition in quan- | tity production with new methods that will call for more skill, higher wages and a larger number of em- | ployes.” Silent on Definite Plan. He would not elaborate or say | whether he has a definite plan at | this time to boost his minimum wage, now $6 & day. He recalled the mini- mum was $7 at one time before the depression. “Labor union organizations are the worst thing that ever struck the earth | because they take away & man’s in- dependence,” Ford said. ‘“PFinanciers are behind the unions and their ob- Ject is to kill competition so as to re- | duce the income of workers, and | eventually bring on war.” Discussing the relationship between employer and employes, Ford said, “We're all workers together, the men end 1” “My son, Edsel Ford, president of the Ford Motor Co., had a confer- | ence in Dearborn last week.” Ford | added. “We discussed the strike situ- ation first and then talked about our | men. He's very keen on revising present methods in production, sal- aries and efficiency. I'm in accord.” Strike (Oontinued From First Page.) the blessings that industry can af- ford to give us. “We have no fight with the Ca- nadian government. We believe in law and order, but we believe laws should be operated for the benefit of the people as well as for the cor- porations.” Martin concluded by saying the | union thought the Detroit agreement with General Motors covered the Canadian company snd that “we ex- pect Mr. McLaughlin to sign an agreement with the United Auto Workers of America.” McLaughlin is in Bermuda. Pickets Jeer Workers. Nothing more violent than vocal Jeers marked the reopening of the parts department plant, where the workers are striking for an agree- ment like that granted their co- workers in United States plants of the company. But at Toronto, Premier Hepburn, who has outspokenly criticized the Oshawa activities of organizers for the U. A. W. A, refused to admit Thompson to a conference he had with a strikers’ committee. He said negotiations were blocked because “the whole issue is Thomp- son,” and added: “Thousands of men are walking the streets and likely to stay that way for some time.” Hepburn declared company offi- cials, with whom he conferred before he saw the strikers, had told him they would have “nothing to do” with ‘Thompson. ' Some 60 workers in the parts de- partment of the big Oshawa plant went to work and departed through picket lines today, unmolested save for pickets’ boos and cries of “scab” and “rat.” ith no effort made to open the factory itself, the strikers agreed to permit operations at the parts plant, from which automobile parts are shipped for repair purposes through Canada. Pickets Circle 20 Gates. Dozens of pickets, all wearing heavy overcoats and mufflers, marched in circles around each of the 20 gates to the plant. A cold wind whipped in from Lake Ontario and snow fell {rom time to time. A chorus of boos went up from the picket line outside this parts degpartment when three express trucks, loaded with crates and paper ) them, but let them go in and out. “Don’t lay a hand on any one. When you do, that's breaking the law. That's what they want us to do. What they take out of here (the parts depart- ment) can't hurt you.” Hall apparently thought the strikers felt the trucks were taking machine guns into the plant, for he followed Thompson's brief speech by saying that: “If there are any machine guns, T'll be in front of them.” Talk of Trouble. There was talk yesterday of trouble when the parts department, closed along with the production division when the strike started Thursday morning, was reopened. It sends spare parts to dealers throughout Canada, | but_makes none itself. Thompson described those who went to work in the parts department as “scabs,” but, in the same interview, said the 3,700 General Motors em- ployes here were 100 per cent or- ganized. The company made no attempt to open the production division. The only police on hand were the 17 on the local force, dressed in oxford gray and high sealskin busbies. The whole town has talked of little but “strike” since the men walked out | 1 minute after work started at 7 a.m. Thursday. General Motors and sev- eral other companies that furnish parts are the town's only industries. The pickets have set up tents with wood fire stoves at several of the principal gates. Most of them wear United Automobile Workers buttons. Thompson Heads Group. Thompson headed the committee that left for the conference with Hep- burn shortly before noon. Toronto, where the conference was held, is about 30 miles west. Union recognition is the principal strike issue, although wages and hours also are involved. Thompson said the company was willing to draw up an agreement with the local union committee, headed by C. H. Millard, local president. The U. A. W. A, insists, however, that the agreement should be with the inter- national union. Hall has deputized 50 strikers as “union police.” These are charged by the union with keeping order on the picket lines. At Thompson's request the Mayor has closed liquor and beer stores. NEGOTIATIONS COLLAPSE. Premier Hepburn Refuses to Talk With C. I O. Organirer. TORONTO, Ontario, April 10 (Canadian Press).—Negotiations for settlement of the strike at the Oshawa plant of the General Motors of Can- ada collapsed today after Premier Mitchell Hepburn refused to talk with Hugh Thompson, C. I. O. organizer. Referring to the breaking off of To- ronto negotiations, Premier Hepburn added he is ready to discuss settle- ment with the strikers at “any place, any time,” but emphasized he would have nothing to do with Thompson. The premier refused to permit Thompson to enter his office with a committee representing the Oshawa plant’s 3,700 workers. Supporting General Motors’ posi- tion in the walkout, Hepburn said he — e HEATING CO. o WISCONSIN 4656 o 6800 WISCONSIN AVE, THE SUNDAY had been told the company also would have “nothing to do” with Thompson. Had No Alternative. Baying there was no alternative but to break off negotiations, the premier added: “No one regrets this more than I because this morning we met with | executives of General Motors and | they made what I considered con- cessions to meet the needs of the situation,” the premier said. Hepburn emphasized he would not “meet Thompson under any circum- stances whatever as long as there is s strike on.” He added he “made it clear to the delegation my responsibility as head of the government of Ontario carried with it an obligation to maintain law and order.” “So long as there are no illegal acts, there will be no outside police in Oshawa. But the minute there is & disturbance there, and the Mayor calls me and asks for police pro- tection, the province is prepared to step in and take charge of all po- licing in Oshawa.” Refused Request for Police. Hepburn revealed that Mayor W. | D. Robbins of Toronto had refused his request for police assistance when | the Oshawa strike started Thursday. | “We were just looking around to | see where we could get men if we needed them,” the premier explained. i"lt really didn't matter. We were | able to get all the men we needed and, in fact, it doesn't look as if we | needed any.” The executive of the Toronto Dis- trict Trades and Labor Council at- | | tacked Premier Hepburn's action in | a statement which read in part: “This action of Premier Hepburn | in refusing to meet Mr. Thompson | | and his latest statement to the press | |that the Ontario Government will | not meet the chcsen representatives of the Oshawa workers is regarded by this executive as a challenge to organized labor.” An appointment for a deputation from the council to see the Premier Monday was sought. Sit-Down (Continued Prom First Page.) lapse in production, they explained, | would help reduce the surplus and | thus help remove the reason for | quitting. | The strikers were mostly women. Employes in the packing and shipping departments remained at their jobs. A. Scalvani, a director of the com- pany, said the sit-downers were at liberty to remain in the plant or to leave it, as they wished. He said he had sent a cablegram explaining the situation to the head of the com- peny, the Marquis De Nobile, who was traveling in Europe. The strike entailed no disorder, but & half dozen police were posted at the plant. > While the cigar makers carried on their demonstration, another unique sit-down continued at the Bourne ‘Workshop for the Blind on East Thir- ty-fifth street. Blind men began picketing on the sidewalks, carrying signs reading: “We demand a minimum wage of $12 & week.” “Millions are contributed for our welfare, but we never get it.” On Broadway, 18 blind workers of the Community Craft Weavers’ Aux- | {liary remained sitting down on the sixth floor of a building. Officials of both blind organizations refused to negotiate with the strikers until they left the buildings. et Profitable Insurance Deal. A woman who received $361,250 from a life assurance society in Eng- land on a $25,000-a-year annuity, bought when she was 81 for only $142,250, and thus showing a profit of $219,000, has just died, aged 9. Est. 25 Years and distance. TIVELY RELIEVED. KRYPTOK LENSES visible Bifeeal In Invisible B One pair to see far and near. $12.00 value.__ STAR, WASHINGTO! Canadian Plant Patrolled Mayor Alex Hall of Oshawa, Ontario, wearing derby hat, confers with city police who patrolled the vicinity of the General Motors Co.’s strike-bound plant at Oshawa yesterday. —Copyright, A. P. Wirephoto. LEWIS SEEKSTWO STEEL GONTRACTS Puts Pressure on Largest Independents in Pitts- burgh Area. BY the Associated Press. PITTSBURGH, April 10.—John J. Lewis’ steel union under the terms of its wage agree- ment with the union and moved to effect a contract with two of the largest independents While Carnegie-Illinois Steel Corp., largest unit in U. 8. Steel, handed 15,000 workers at the Homestead mill their share of the industry's $100,000,- 000 wage advance, the steel workers’ Organizing Committee disclosed it would open preliminary contract negotiations with the Bethlehem Steel Corp. Monday. David J. McDonald, treasurer, will represent mittee, Another Conference Arranged. The committee also announced, “Conferences with Jones & Loughlin Steel Corp . have now been ar- ranged and might be started during the week.” Bethlehem employs more than 50,000 workers and J. & L. has 25,000 Both producers will be asked to 8ign a contract patterned after the agreement made by Carnegie-Illinois last month granting union recogni- tion and incorporating a 10-cents- an-hour wage increase and time and 8 half for all time in excess of 40 hours a week. Although Bethlehem and J. & L. Joined the industry last month in granting wage increases, until now they have insisted upon dealing only Wwith their employe representatives, Coshocton Parley Slated. ‘To the optimistic labor picture, the steel union today added the assurance that confereaces would open Monday looking toward settlement of the strike at the Coshocton Iron Works at secretary- the com- Monongahela, where the union mem- | bers walked out April 8, complaining 30 of their members had been dis- | charged. M. H. Isenberg of New-York, vice president of the Combustion Engineer- ing Corp., and J. Scott Skelly, presi- dent of Coshocton, will meet with John McGarry, subregional director of the Steel Union Commitee. Regional Director Clinton Golden will confer Tuesday with Lorenz Iver- son, president of Mesta Machine Co., where 1,500 workers were kept idle by a four-hour sit-down strike Thurs- day. Negotlations Continued. Oontract negotiations were contin- ued today with representatives of Firth-Sterling Steel Co. of McKees- port, Pa.; the Babcock & Wilcox Co. of Beaver Falls, and the McKeesport Tin Plate Co. President B. D. Willlams of the Cooper Bessemer Corp., announced today his company would recognize the union. It employs 2,050 men at Mount Vernon, W. Va.,, and Grove City, Pa. Golden will go to New York later in the week to meet with officials of Cruicible Steel concerning a union contract which has been granted by 54 steel companies. s e 23 Children in 24 Years. In her twenty-fourth year of mar- riage Mrs. M. A. H. de Beer of Villiers, Pretoria, has given birth to her twenty-third child, and is believed to have established a record for the num- ber of offspring in such & period. Special Offer 25% to 30% Saving Every one who wears bifocals will appreciate this 50% savings. White seamless lenses ground for reading EYE-STRAIN Exclusive Opties HEADACHES POSI- ifocal Lenses. | 56.95 Tinted or eylindrical lenses not included OCTAGON RIMLESS Engraved white gold-filled rimless mountings and fine quality clear lenses to see far $@D 95 or near. $12.00 The Shah Optical Co. OCULIST PRESCRIPTIONS ‘812 F St. N.W. FILLED ACCURATELY Established 35 Years lieutenants her- | alded “big steel's” first pay day today | jexclusive collective bargaining rights | 1937—PART ONE. ELECTRIGUNIONS FIGHT FOR POWER A. F. L. Discloses Plans to Take Over Company Representatives. BY the Associated Press. PITTSBURGH, April 10.—The John L. Lewis' Committee for Industrial Organization and the American Fed- eration of Labor laid new strategy to- day in their battle for employe leader- ship at the Westinghouse Electric & Manufacturing Co. The International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers of America, affili- ate of the A. F. of L., disclosed plans for “taking over” the company’s em- ploye representatives as a unit of the union. Lewis’ United Electrical and Radio Workers’ Union simultaneously an- nounced a national convention would be held in East Pittsburgh April 24 and 25 to draft demands for company recognition of it as the sole collectPe bargaining agency for all the 45,000 employes in the far-flung Westing- house plants. Pittsburgh Plant Target. But for the present both unions focused their efforts on the 8,000 workers at the East Pittsburgh plant and both offered the employes a form of industrial union including all clas- sifications of workers. A. R. Johnson, assistant business manager of the brotherhood, said 18 employe representatives of Westing« house pledged their support to the union at a mass meeting last night. Johnson asserted: “I think we will take over the en- tire employe representation plan “I have found that a majority of the members of the other union joined it only because they did not have an- other union to turn to. The employe representatives last night said they would do everything in their power to influence their members to join our union.” Meeting Set for Wednesday. Red-haired Margaret Darin, secre- tary of the Lewis electrical union, countered with the announcement that a meeting was being arranged for Wednesday between National President James Carey of the union | and Westinghouse officials. Yesterday she announced the union had given the ¢ompany one week in | which to sign a contract giving it | at the local plants of the company. She explained this demand would be expanded by the convention two weeks | away, adding: “We will draw up a program de- manding recognition of our organiza- tion as the collective- baergaining agency for all of the 45,000 Westing- house workers.” Union delegates, she said, would at- tend the convention from all cities in which Westinghouse plants are lo- cated, including Philadelpha, Spring- field, Mass., and Mansfleld, Ohio. ALABAMA MINERS SPURN NEW OFFER Operators’ Proposal to Grant 60 Pct. of Pay Boost Demanded Is Refused. By the Assoclatea Press. BIRMINGHAM, Ala, April 10— Alabama’s 20,000 union coal miners, who began a “holiday” when their work contract expired a week ago, re- jected today a proposal by operators | to grant 60 per cent of the wage in- | crease demanded by the union. Virtually all of the State's big mines, shut down when the “holiday” began, | were closed. Submitting a counter proposal to- | day, operators offered time-and-a-half | pay for hours above 35 per week, and a wage increase of 30 cents a day. Miners asked 50 cents a day increase and time and a half for overtime. William Mitch, district president of the United Mine Workers of Amer- | ica. said the union miners would re- | main idle until “increases equal to | those granted in the Appalachian | fleld” were granted. | Appalachian miners received a 50- cent-a-day boost last week. Mitch | has condemned a smaller increase here as “widening the differential” | between the two coal flelds. Under | old contracts, Appalachian miners re- ceived $1.50 a day more than Alabama miners. Sketched from stock. e dressy suit, fur \ | tana opposing it incidentally | speech before the People’s Lobby here. AWAIT GOURT VIEW ON WAGNER ACT Decision on Constitutionality of Labor Law May Decide “New-Blood” Proposal. BY the Associated Press. Friend and foe of the Roosevelt court reorganization bill alike looked forward today to the Supreme Court’s verdict on the constitutionality of the Wagner act as a potentially deciding factor. 8o close is the Senate's alignment on the President’s proposal to force “new blood” into the high court that both sides were quick to concede that the nature of the Wagner decision may determine the outcome of the controversy. ‘The Supreme Court will meet to- morrow to announce decisions. Whether the opinion on the Wagner act will be included, none could say, but it was generally considered a probability. If not, a'two-week court recess will intervene before the rul- ing can be announced. The Senate Judiciary Committee met yesterday, but not to hear testi- mony on the court bill. It held an executive session on nominations, and approved the appointment of Robert Lee Williams of Oklahoma for pro- motion from the Federal District Court to the Circuit Court of Appeals. Williams is 68, two years below the 70-year age limit suggested for Fed- | eral judges by the President. He | wrote, some weeks ago, to Attorney General Cummings saying that he approved the court bill and plans to retire at 70. Burke Out of Town. ‘This stirred up a storm among op- ponents of the measure. Some of | them, especially Senator Burke, Dem- | ocrat, of Nebraska, promised a fight against his confirmation. Burke was out of town yesterday. The nomina- tion was approved by the committee | without objection. | Speechmaking on the court issue | continued, with Secretary Ickes and Senator Barkley, Democrat, of Ken- tucky addressing a Chicago audience in favor of the proposal last night, and 8enator Wheeler, Democrat, of Mon- in a Wheeler contended that the ob- Jectives toward which the adminis- tration is looking can be reached by taxation, by “a tax on bigness.” He | added that it “isn’t necessary to make | the Supreme Court conversant with the interstate commerce clause of the Constitution” in order to stop the con- | centration of wealth, | Speaking generally, those who an- | alyzed the possible results of the Wag- | ner act decision foresaw several | eventualities. | A decision by a substantial majority | of the court upholding the act in gen- | eral, it -was felt, would probably swing i & number of Senators now uncom- | mitted on the issue to the opposition. | This belief wes based on the argument that such a decision would show that social legislation could be sustained without revamping the court. ‘ Close Vote May Have Weight. | On the other hand, congressional | analysts thought that if the decision | is on a vose of 5 to 4 or 6 to 3 basis, | the chances for the court bill will be | materially improved. | The effect of & unanimous or nearly | unanimous decision of unconstitution- | ality, they said, was difficult to figure | in advance, but they were inclined to | believe it would be helpful to the ad- | ministration’s side of the controversy, \ The Judiciary Committee’s hesrings on the bill will be resumed tomorrow, | with the expectation that the long : hearings will be brought to a close by | the end of the week. 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MUSKEGON, Mich., April 10.—The stoning of automonbiles passing a | picket line at the Naph-Sol Refining | Co., resulted in issuance of warrants | today for nine men said by police to be members of the Oll Well and Gas | Fleld Workers' Union, an afliate of | the Committee for Industrial Organ- | ization. | Walter Anderson, president of the company, sald the men tossed stones at motor cars which carried company officials through the picket lines this morning. The plant has been closed | and pleasure during Have your child taught to play and to love piano music. ACKNOWLEDGED EVERYWHERE since March 30, when employes wers paid off. Union members charged the action was a “lockout” and protested to the National Labor Relations ard, which has been investigating. Foundations of a Roman forum, laid centuries ago, have been found at Cirencester, England, and on them will be constructed a modern motion picture theater. WATER FRONT LOG CABINS FOR RENT Ax¥ift8us Rent a furnished log cabin, to work. 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