The Butler County press. [volume] (Hamilton, Ohio) 1900-1946, 1921-06-10

among those attending the convention
and good-sized booklet, stating the
case against Bird at some length, was
also made available to anyone who
would take it. Dissatisfaction with
the present management of the asso-
citation, it developed, had been brew
ing for long time, but the upholders
of the established order had hoped to
stave off an open break until the ere
adjustment of industry"-with its
implication of reduced wages-had
been completed. To the conservative
group, the break, coming when it did,
looked very much like rocking the
boat"
S. F. Bowser, vice president of
the association and head of the S. F.
Bowser Company, of Fort Wayne,
Ind, was one of the leaders of the
insurrection, but it's substantial char
acter was indicated by the fact that
circulars advocating a change in man
agement were signed by 200 or more
members, including firms in 25 states.
The business organization represent
ed in the protesting faction included
the American Type Company, Thomas
A. Edison, Inc, General Motors, ten.
motor car manufacturers in Detroit,
and many iron, machinery, rubber and
other companies. The circular pro-
mulgated by this group read as fol-
lows:
Resolved, as the sense of this
meeting, constituting voluntary
committee of members of the Ma
tional Association of Manufacturers,
that the deplorable condition exist
ing within our organization must be
remedied by it's members at the forth
coming annual meeting of the asso-
citation on the 10Th, 17th and 18th of
May, 1921, by the election of full
board of representative, able and un-
pledged directors whose duty it shall
be upon assuming office to investigate
thoroughly all of the problems con-
fronting and involving the association
including it's political and other act
izations and corporations, and to in
stitute and carry out such reforms as
may, in their judgment, be necessary
or desirable in order to make the as
sociation the high agency contemplate
ed in it's inception for the develop
ment of American industry in the in
terest of it's members and equally of
American citizens at large and of hu-
man progress.-Adopted April 20,
1921"
On the reverse of the circular were
printed statements from numerous ma
tionally known corporations giving
reasons for withdrawing from mem
bership in the national association.
DR.. Edward Weston, president of
the Weston Electrical instrument
company, of Newark, came into prom
inence at the convention as the floor
leader of the insurrection. Specific
ally, the charges against Mr.. Bird
were that in his operation of the Ma
musa corporation-which presumably
derived it's name from the initials OF
the National Association of Manufac-
turers Of the United States of Amer
ica-he had dissipated the funds OF
the corporation and had piled up in
debtedness far exceeding its assets
1t was also the feeling in certain
quarters that the management of the
association had shown favoritism tt
certain group Of companies, par
ticularly munitions manufacturers
In support of the charges agains
Bird, copies of letters written by hin
were introduced by the insurgents, a
we'll as letters from an official Of tn
} National City Bank of New Yorl
denying that the Namusa corporation
had any right to use the name of tha
bank or Of any of it's officers as ref
erence. It was planned that the al
legged hopeless insolvency of the Ma
musa corporation should be demon
strated by lecture, illustrated wit
, lantern slides, which the Westo