Montana labor news., 1937-02-04
{. l. 0. TO ASK CONGRESS TO
INVESTIGATE GENERAL MOTORS
Lewis Announces Plan to Reveal
Financial Set-up, Arsenals,
Salaries.

Financial Set-up, ArSenalS,
Salaries.
WASHINGTON. (UNS) = The
Committee for Industrial Organiza-
ton is ssking Congress to investigate
the fin organization and con-
troll, Il sessive salaries and the
indusf s arfare policy of General
Motol { poration.
TIL e was announced here by
Johr evils, chairman of the G.
l. o a conference with Homer
MAJ :, general president of the
I'm utomobile Workers, Sidney
Hi president of the Amalga-
mi lothing Workers, and others.
evils declared that the public
is led to information through
such an investigation, on the follow
ing points:
l. "The financial organization and
set-up of General Motors as a hold
ing company which has been organ
lied through the acquisition of in
dependent motor companies through
the years, each time initiating values
and watering stock"
2. The payment of excessive sal
aries and bonuses to executives, re-
sulting in "the mulcting of consum-
ers and stockholders"
3. The maintenance of arsenals Gin
the plants of General Motors-guns,
ammunition, gas, armed guards,
strike breakers-a policy of indus
trial warfare as against a policy of
collective bargaining recognized by
the law and thoughtful citizens"
4. Whether the policy of this
corporation is determined by men in
charge of the responsibilities of oper-
ating the corporation or whether
they are determined by remote con-
troll"
Ooc VI LdbuI opicS
In addition, Mr.. Lewis stated, the
LaFollette Committee has already
revealed 'that General Motors main
tains a comprehensive espionage sys-
tenn. One item of $167,000 plus
drawn by the Pinkerton Agency is
unexplained and the common gossip
in Washington is that the LaFollette
Committee was unable to find any
papers in the files of General Motors
dealing with this item"
The c. I. o. is asking for investi-
cation into the placing in respon-
sible position as chief of police of
Flint of a mar who was formerly
a hired thug for the copper COM
panies in the Upper Peninsula of
Michigan"
Mr.. Lewis stated that I'VE will
ask an investigation Of Judge Black,
who issued the injunction against
the United Automobile Workers and
its officers and who holds $500
shares Of General Motors stock. We
will also ask Congress to determine
if possible, how many other judges
in Michigan hold General Motors
stock.
I'VE are prepared to prove that
General Motors has prepared itself
for this struggle by hiring thugs and
killers and suborning public officials
and judges on the bench"
Salaries Excessive
Mr.. Lewis, in discussing finances,
pointed out that General Motors
has 10 executives who receive an
nually in excess of 5000, 900 each, an
other in excess of 100000 and one
nearly $500, 000-the latter being Mr..
Sloan who received $375,000 in 1885
and probably more in 1886. Thus IL
men are receiving from General Mo-
tors substantially 100000 annual
ly, an amount equivalent to the earn
ings of 5000 employees on the as
sembly lines"
"The Du Pont family" declared
Mr.. Lewis, who made one billion
dollars out of the World War, in
vested part of their loot in General
Motors"
Congress will be asked to con
slider whether or not Mr.. Sloan and
Mr.. Knudsen receive these munifi-
cent salaries for being mere mes
senger boys and to what extent the
policies of the corporation are de-
termined by foreign holdings of that
corporation in England, France and
other countries; whether Congress
believes it necessary to continue a
policy of permitting financiers in
Europe to join the Du Points in
America and dictate the conditions
under which American citizens will
work and the speed at which the
assembly lines of General Motors
will run"