Evening star., 1937-07-03
FORD ANSWERS
BOARDS CHARGES
Denies All Allegations Of
Blame in Rioting at
Gates.
b. the Associated Press.


DETROIT, July 3.-The Ford Mo-
tor Co.. in formal answer to charges
Of the National Labor Relations Board
that it had violated the Wagner act,
challenged the boards authority to-
day. The complaint, the company
said, should be dismissed because the
N. L. r. B. has no authority to regu-
late relations between employer and
employees engaged in local production"
The answer, signed by Harry Ben
nett, personnel directed of the Ford
company denied all allegations con-
tained in the complaint issued by the
board last Saturday following charges
by the United Automobile Workers
Union. hearing before a trial
examiner is scheduled for next Tues
day.
In the answer today the Ford Co.
charged the u A. W. entered into a
conspiracy - to cause riot" on the
property of the company at River
Rouge.
1t asserted that employees of the
company who engaged in the fighting
at the gates of the Rouge plant or
May 26, had at all times acted in
self-defense and within their legal and
constitutional rights
Brutal Assaults" Cited.
The boards complaint charged the
Ford Co. with responsibility for ma
licious and brutal assaults" on U. A.
w. organizers attempting to distribute
handbills at the plant gates
The Ford statement asserted "a
group OF persons entered into an un-
lawful conspiracy TO trespass on the
private property Of the comoanv and
unlawfully agreed with each other to
cause riot
1t charged that these persons
caused a riot and committed violent
and unlawful acts upon the property
and against Ford employees. The fights
were unlawfully provoked by the
rioters"
In challenging the boards jurisdic-
ton the Ford answer cited IL reasons
why it claims the charges should be
dismissed. These included the con-
tentions that none of the alleged un-
fair labor practices complained of
affected manufacture, sale or distri-
button and that none of the former
employees named in said complaint
were engaged In interstate commerce,
nor were any of the Ford employees
involved in the fights on Ford private
property on May 26 1887, engaged at
any time in interstate commerce"
Answering the complaint that it
distributed statements "disparaging
and crlticizing labor organizations.
the Ford company stated that every
person has an undoubted right to lay
| what sentiments he pleases before the
public, and to forbid this is to destroy
| freedom of speech and freedom of the
press
| Freedom of Speech.
OF the vote of confidence" paper
which the board charged was circu-
lated among Ford employees for sig
nature under circumstances calcu-
lated to intimidate and coerce" the
I workers into signing, the answer said
The Ford employees who circulated
said paper and the employees
who signed had merely exer-
cised their rights Of freedom of speech
and freedom of the press and other
constitutional rights"
| The answer described as "immaterisl
and irrelevant" another charge that
solicitation Of membership in labor
organization named the Ford Broth
erhood Of America. Inc" occurred
during working hours with the COM
pany's knowledge and consent.
Sources close to the company have
intimated that if the board rules
against it, the case will be carried to
the Federal Courts
The U. A. w. A. late yesterday dsci-
plined three organizers because Of
unauthorized strikes" in General Mo-
tors plants at Flint. Homer Martin,
union president, added that he has
sent John l., Lewis, head of the Com
mittee for Industrial Organization a
report on recent power strikes in
Michigans Saginaw Valley.