Evening star., 1937-07-22
FORD FIRM BEGINS
REBUTTAL IN TRIAL
Employe Testifies Personnel
Head Called Good Work,
Boys" After Beating.
By the Associated Press,

~ the Associated Press.
DETROIT, July 22-The Ford Mo-
tor Co, overruled in its move to OBJ
tain dismissal of a National Labor
Relations Board complaint charging
unfair labor practices, started its at
tempt to disprove the allegations to-
day.
Its first witness before the n L. r.
B. trial examiner hearing the charges
was Arthur Ogle. Detroit News re-
porter who testified he was with
Harry Bennett, Ford personnel dlrec-
tor, from 1890 pm. until 3 o'clock
on May 26. the day United Automobile
Workers organizers were beaten and
chased from gates Of Ford's Dearborn
plant.
The N. l.. r. B. complaint charges
the Ford Co. instigated brutal and
malicious assaults" on the organizers
and yesterday John Godleski, a Ford
employe called by the board. testified
he heard man he Identified as Ber-
nett call good work. boys" to two
participants in the fighting. He
named the two participants as Ford
employees.
Five Workers Dismissed.
Godleski did not definitely state
what time it was he heard the re-
mark, which he said occurred after
the union men were beaten.
The disturbance at gate 4 Of ths
huge River Rouge plant. which fol-
lowed attempts by union members 10
distribute hsndbills, occurred during
the hours ogle testified he was with
Bennett.
Before the board concluded its case.
Attorney Laurence A. Knapp deleted
from the original complaint the names
Of five men it listed as DISCHARGED bv
the Ford company for union actiy1tv.
Knapp said evidence respecting the
hVe was 1nconcluSlve and that most
OF them had no desire for re!nstatn-
ment at the Ford plant. They were
JACK LelS, John Pirosko, Valeriu Pom,
James ProskO and Herbert c. Mehl
Knapp also placed in the record,
over objections of Louis j. Colombo.
chief Ford counsel, a copy Of a speech
broadcast June 13 by William J.
Cameron of the Ford company. in
which Knapp said Cameron referred
to amateur reVolutlonistS" and
tactics learned from Moscow"
Columbo's Objections Rejected.
Moving for dismissal of the COM
plant, Colombo renewed arguments
that the Ford employees named in the
N. l.. R. B. charges were not invoked
IN interstate commerce and that the
board had no jurisdiction. and added
the contention that witnesses had
failed TO establish any allegation con-
tanned in the complaint
"Overruled," Examiner John r.
Lindsay commented
Colombo yesterday challenged John
Godleskl's Identification Of Bennett
from a photograph. Godleski, former
Detroit policeman, now employed at the
plant, said he was watching the
fghtlng and was only 80 feet aWav
when the man he said was Bennett
made the remark. He testified the
speaker was in an automobile which
drove up during the fight.
From other photographs the wit
ness identified the men addressed
as Wllfred Comment and Samuel
Taylor, who are among seven Ford
employees awaiting trial in State
court on an assault warrant based
on the beating of union members.
A. M. Smith, a Detroit News re-
porter, was called before Trial EX-
amlner John T. Lindsay Just before
yesterdays adjournment To testify
that his published account of an al
dress by William J. Cameron, a Ford
executive, was accurate
Quotes Charges Against Board.
He quoted Cameron as referring 10
the N. l.. r. B. hearing as "a trav-
elng lnqulsltlon which is judge. fury
and eXecutioner whose
purpose is to discredit industrial man
agement." Cameron spoke yesterday
before the National Editorial Asso-
citation Convention here.
Guiseppi Gregorio told the board
ne was discharged by Fords June 9
few days after he had refused n
sign "a vote of confidence" In the
company.
Blrtus c. Hall testified he Was dis
missed after man had followed
MN to his automobile on Ford pro1
erty, asked for a union application
blank and knocked him unconscious