Evening star., 1937-01-22
DC. CAR RETAILERS
HURT BY WALKOUT
|LAY|NG0FFFORCES
Reductions Being Made in
Sales, Service Units
of Agencies.
MEETINGS BEING HELD
TO HANDLE SITUATION
Stocks of New Automobiles Are
at Rock Bottom, With No New
Deliveries Made.

Seriously affected by the strike Of
automobile workers in General Motors
Corp. plants, some of the large retail
dealers in Washington. it was learned
today, already are beginning to make
reductions in their sales and servic-
ing forces.
Unless there is an early settlement
OF the strike, it was generally con-
ceded, temporary lay-offs in nearly
all General Motors agencies here will
be in order next month, due to stop
page of neW-car deliveries.
We are sitting tight in the hope
that the strike will be settled very
soon," one of the larger Chevrolet
dealers said today. But if the strike
is not ended in the near future and
deliveries resumed, the situation will
be acute for all General Motors
agencies in Washington"
10 Per Cent Of Force Laid Of.
The Barry-Pate Motor Co., one of
the largest Chevrolet dealers, said it
had found it necessary to lay off
oHS0O AZ pei SCAlL VI IIle salts dIlu
servicing forces, about seven men. AS
result of the stoppage of car de-
liveries, it was explained, it was
necessary to begin curtailment in the
sales department and other depart
mentS handling new cars and serv-
icing them before and after delivery.
The strike appears to have affected
the dealers in lower-priced cars, which
have larger forces, more than any
others.
Despite the strike situation" the
Barry-Pate Co. said, 1--WE will deliver
mere cars this month than in January
year ago, strange as it may seem"
That is cue to the generally i'm
proved business conditions in Wash
| ineton, it was said
All agencies reported that sales
we're considerably curtailed and meet
/ ings have been held by various of the
/ General Motors agencies during the
week to discuss ways and means Of
coping with the situation. There was
a general feeling of optimism, how
ever, should the strike be settled soon.
With no new deliveries being re.
ceived from the plants, the stocks Of
new cars on hand are being grad
ually depleted, especially with re.
spect to the more popular models.
Many persons who had ordered
deliveries for next month, it was
said, are demanding their cars now.
This has further depleted stocks of
new cars and has cut into immediate
sales, due to lack of available models.
! Pohanka Adds Four Men.
The Pohanka Co. was one dealer
found to have put on four new men
recently. instead of curtailing its
sales and servicing force. But We
are down to rock bottom on new
cars" it was said.
The strike situation also has af-
fected to a degree the used car de.
partments of some agencies, although
January is an of" month, anyway.
in the automobile business. Some
dealers are finding it necessary to re-
fuse certain used car models in trade,
due to inability to move satisfactorily
the same models Of new cars.
While the situation is admittedly
grievous and steadily growing worse,
few if any of the retail dealers in
Washington feel alarmed over it I'M
less there are indications that the
strike of workers at the plants con-
tinues indefinitely.
eve can hold out for a while, all
right said one of the dealers" but
if We can't get new deliveries dur
ing February the situation will be
bad all around. 1t will be necessary,
of course, to make sizable reductions
in our forces until the strike is settled
and business returns to normal"