The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1914-06-06
GENERAL MOTORS
And LELAND ARE
FLAYED By REED
Senator From Missouri Reused
by DetrOiter's Letter Demand
ing Congress Adjourn
CADILLAC HEAD CALLED
HIRED MAN OF TRUST"
Senator William Alden Smith
Answers Democrat and Hot
Debate Follows

wAsHINGTON. June G-Roused
by letter written by Henry NJ Le.
land, president OF the Cadillac Motor
company 70 Senator IN
which the Detroit man declared that
d state or business depression existed
throughout the country and called
upon congress TO adjourn and give
business men a rest" Senator James
A. Reed, OF Missouri. in the senate
last niGht denounced the General
Motors company Of which the Cadillac
company is member as an illegal
corporation and referred 10 Leland as
The hired man OF a criminal trust
He was replied TO by Senator VII
liam Alden Smith. OF Michigan, and
an acrimonious debate ragged for
some time on the floor OF the senate.
II took occasion 10 look up the Cad
filac Motor Co. OF which Mr. lie,
land, as president, spoke In his let.
ter" said Senator Reed. The Cadil'
lac Co no longer has an existence as
an independent company II is a
part of the General Motors CO. in
corporated in 1908. as a holding com.
pany. In other words, II is the latest
and last word In the formation OF
trust Now this trust, organized in
defiance OF the Sherman antitrust
law, has the temerity 10 come here
and lecture congress, and lecture the
president and every other man who
may Interfere with its conduct OF
business This is the institution
which brings here the claim that
there is nothing to warrant business
disturbance. but nationwide dis
trust OF Washington, There may be
something the matter with business,
: but IL does not seem TO have reached
this particular institution.
This manual continued Mr.. Reed
as he read from a pamphlet. shows
the net profits OF the companies in
the General Motors Co. for the year
1912 10 be $4,S3s44S. The General
Motors Co controlled the companies
in II TO such an extent that Of that
sum 1t received s4,746,756 The Gen.
eral Motors Co., OF Michigan, is one
OF the companies in this International
trust It's total outstanding mort
gage obligations are $4,000. 900. OF
which $l3,300O00 are owned or
pledged to the General Motors Co
The Cadillac, with sl.500,000 stock.
has every dollar OF IL owned by the
trust. The same man who wrote this
letter is the hired man or the trust
He does not even occupy the re-
spectacle position OF an officer OF an
Independent company
"The General Motors Co. was or
.ganized in open defiance of the Sher-
man antitrust act. publicly am
calling the attention OF the attorney.
general of the United States 10 this
company. and asking him to investl-
gate and take the necessary steps 70
bring about frs dissolution"
Il want 10 cali attention to the
fact" said Senator Smith, of Michi.
gan, that the company against
which the senator from Missouri Is
protesting was organized under the
laws OF New Jersey, when Woodrow
Wilson was governor"
That's about as logical" replied
Senator Reed, as II would be IL
horse thief was caught in that state
and he claimed he should be released
because Woodrow Wilson was gov
ernor."
The institution vas legalized IN.
der the laws OF the state OF New Jer-
sew" Senator Smith said.
Senator Reed read 10 the senate a
TELEGRAM received from Edwin q
Wood. OF Flint, Democrat national
committeeman from Michigan. II
said In part:
1T Is interesting to know that the
man who wrote the letter is the same
Mr. Leland whose name appeared on
n protective advertisement about N
days before the last election. The .ad-
vertisements, which we're carried in
many Michigan papers were intend.
ed / 10 intiInidate. They. stated that
unless Mr.. Taft was elected. ruin
would result. The stock OF the Gen.
eral Motors Co. shows an advance on
its market price OF nearly 300 per
cent In the last year, Notwithstanding
the thousands OF dollars paid out IN
predicting dire disaster"