Evening star., 1934-03-24
MOTOR CAR CHIEFS
0. K. BOARD PLAN
Settlement Is Expected in
Several Hours as Auto
Heads Confer.
Continued From First Page.)

has right to the list"
Meanwhile Associated Press dis
patches from Detroit said union work.
ers had set aside their strike plans
for the third time this week, and went
about their tasks in automobile fac
tories today while employers hastened
a policy of shorter hours and higher
| wages.
The latest postponement of the
strike came after union leaders, con-
ferring with President Roosevelt, tele-
graphed their locals that substantial
progress was being made toward set
tlement.
| In IA automobile and body factories
Office forces were at work on the final
details OF the new work-wage sched-
uleS recommended two weeks ego by
| the National Automobile Chamber of
Commerce. An announcement indi-
Gated that under the new plan, ex-
pected to be in effect in at least a Of
the chambers 81 member firms by
| March 81, the worker will put in an
| average of SO hours a week, instead
of 40 and will get compensatIng wage
increases.
II all members Of the N. A. c. G.
follow the recommendation, the new
plan will benefit some $4,000 work.
ers. 1t is estimated that in the Gen.
eral Motors factories belonging to the
| N. A. C. c., approximately $4,000
workers will Oe benefited.
IA Adopt Recommendation.
The wage increases are being CAL
culated on the basis of the rates in
effect during February.
| The factories which have decided
to adopt the N. A. c. c. recommended
ton include Buick, Cadillac, Chevro-
| let, Chrysler Sales Corporation, De
Sofa, Dodge, Graham-Paige, Hudson,
Hupp, Olds, Packard, Plymouth, Pom
tiac and the Fisher body division Of
General Motors.
A wide smile backed up Johnson's
prediction that the gap would be
closed today. ending, he believed, the
danger of a strike, which not only
| might tie up one of the most pros
porous industries in the country, but
might encourage huge spread Of
labor conflicts.
The motor company executives, who,
after three days of sitting in hotel
rooms waiting for conference calls,
we're anxious to go home. let 1t be
understood that they had yet to give
the President any definite pledges.
American Federation of Labor un-
ion officials said once again progress
has been made" but kept hard at
| work trying to convince their follow
ers at home that the thing to do was
to sit tight. They emphasized, in the
few guarded remarks they let out,
that the job was a difficult one.
Both sides waited further calls to-
day from johnson, who carried on
Executive. They we're hopeful that
night would find them homeward
bound.
Among the rumors that went the
rounds during the early morning was
one that union leaders, at a meeting
| last night at A. F. of L. headquarters.
had agreed to a presidential plan by
which A. F. of L. members would be
recognized as private citizen" repre-
/ sentatives for worker bargaining pur-
poses.
Collins denied this report, saying:
I'VE have not agreed to anything
yet. This matter is still in the hands
Of the President"
| There was apparently high hope
within the administration, also. that
the railroad wage row was approach
| ing an end.
Trio Sent to White House.
| Mediator ,JnSenh r Eastman the
Federal co-ordinator of transportation,
| said the rail managers would meet
the union spokesmen again today to
seek an end of the controversy. Smil-
ing, the co-ordinator said the mana
gers had accepted at least part of the
| program of settlement.
The automobile officials, in a further
effort to settle the strike question,
sent three spokesmen to the White
House yesterday evening after long
afternoon Of waiting at N. r. A. head
! quarters. Walter P. Chrysler, c. w.
| Nash and Donaldson Brown talked
with the President more than an hour.
! apparently coming closer to a basis
which the administration and labor
would find acceptable, but saying
neither "yes" nor no"
Nash, on leaving, told newsmen he
was lust chore boy" With a wave
| he indicated that the remainder of the
executives. including Alfred P. Sloan.
| jr.; Roy D. Chaplin and others, had
| to be consulted before the definite
! answer could be given.
The three spokesmen of the fedora
on-aff1liated employees who threaten
strikes, waited while the management
! side was talked out and then sat in
with Mr. Roosevelt for scant 20 min
| utes. They appeared cheerful on de-
parting, but refused to predict when
the negotiations would end or what the
outcome would be.
Earlier in the afternoon johnson had
| revived his tactics of last August, when
an impasse on the coal code threatened
to stall N. r. AS whole program.
His Office is at the center of long
corridor f1anked by those of his aides,
all with communicating private doors.
Six rooms to the left he had the labor
| men installed with Edward F. Nc
Grady, his labor assistant Four doors
to the right the executives we're
ushered into the room of Executive
OAuCCA AlNl oAOWll. OOllLloOu olAPPCO
into his own Office and the labor dele
cation of 80 was ushered in. They
stayed nearly three hours.
The executives waited, smoked,
talked and paced the floor. Once or
twice johnson slipped out of a door to
the right toward the room of the
motor men. Through the frosted
glass door from the corridor could be
seen the big silhouette of Walter
ChrysIer. gesticulating forcibly with
outthrust right arm and forefinger.
As soon as johnson had obtained
the best he could from both sides he
escorted their spokesmen to the Presi-
dent. There again the two groups
sat in separate rooms and did not
meet.