Evening star., 1937-02-16
FILES STRIPPED"
BY c. N. OFFICIALS,
PROBERS ARE TOLD
Material Pertinent to Senate
Inquiry Removed, EN-
pIoye Reveals.
WORK OF PINKERTONS
AGAIN is DISCUSSED
La Toilette Questions Witness on
Location of Offices of Detec.
tive Agency.
BY JOHN C. HENRY.

Files of Alfred P. Sloan and Will
liam S. Knudsen, president and ex-
ecutive vice president of General
Motors Corp, were stripped of all
material pertinent to the Senate in
vestigation, the La Falette Civil
Liberties Committee was told today.
This occurred after the Senate
authorized the inquiry into labor
espionage last June, but before
committee subpoena was served last
September 10, it was testified
H. w. Anderson, chief labor rela-
tions officer of General Motors,
stripped Knudsen's files, he informed
the committee. A General Motors
attorney said Sloan's files were
purged by his secretary.
Anderson took his action on his
own initiative, because of the in
quiry, he said. For himself, he added
he never kept any material of this
nature on file.
Louis D. Seaton, a subordinate of
Anderson, testified he stripped his
own files since June.
Only Bills Submitted.
The testimony followed Senator La
Follettes observation that no docu-
ments had been turned over to the
committee since service of the sub
poena, except bills of the Pinkerton
and other agencies.
'I guess it's because this inveSti-
cation was voted last June" Ander-
son said with smile, and then told
OF the "purges."
Merle G. Hale, predecessor of An
derson, was called as the first witness
today.
Retracing General Motors initial
engagement of the Pinkerton service
early in 1884, at which time the
United Automobile Workers were be-
ginning an organization drive in plants
of the corporation. Senator La Toilette
questioned Hale closely about instruc-
tions given and arrangements made
with Ralph Dudley, vice president of
the agency.
You knew, suppose, that the spe-
eial Pinkerton Office taken in the Huff
man Building in Detroit was adjacent
to the union offices?" Senator La Fol-
lette asked. Pinkerton witnesses tes-
titled last week that such an Office had
been opened as a convenient means of
keeping U. A. w. officials and organiz-
ers under surveillance.
Il don't know as I did," Hale said
at first, but after further thought re-
called that Pinkerton officials had
discussed such an Office with him.
Had Bi-weekly Conferences.
Hale said he had bi-weekly con-
ferences with a Mr.. McMullen, head
of the special Pinkerton Office, about
information gathered, but left pro-
cedure entirely to those experienced
in running detective agency"
Did you make any investigation as
to whether this sort of information
could be obtained at less expense
than that asked by the Pinkertons?"
We'll, estimated that this method
would cost about 81 per plant per
day. This did not seem excessive"
Hale replied.
Evidence before the committee
shows that the Pinkerton service
cost General Motors considerably
more than the rate estimated by
Hale.
you knew, didn't you, that Pinker-
ton was getting much of their infor-
nation from employees In your
plants?"
"Yes, in a broad sense" Hale an
Swered.
Indirect Billing Cited.
"You didn't want it known among
your employees that you were collect
ing this kind of labor information,
did you?" La Toilette asked, referring
to the indirect reporting and billing
practices employed.
Hale said this was only partly the
explanation.
Turning to Anderson, Senator La
(See LA FOII,ETTE mage A.2l