Evening star., 1937-07-27
FORD LAWYER HITS
MIR. B. EXAMINER
Colombo Accuses Labor
Board Judge of Treating
Me Like a Horse Thief"
By the Associated Press.

BY the Associated Press.
DETROIT, July 27.-Louis j.
Colombo. sr.. attorney for the Ford
Motor Co, today accused Trial Ex-
aminer John T Lindsay Of the Ma
tional Labor Relations Board of
treating me like a horse thief at
hearing on complaint charging the
company with unfair labor practices
Colombo, shouting loudly, asserted
Lindsay was permitting Ford COM
pany witnesses to be bull dozed and
entrapped' on cross examination.
The clash interrupted Dennis e
was giving additional testimony in
tended to support the company's con-
tention that several employees belong
ing to the United Automobile Workers
were discharged because of de
liberately planned inefdciency"-
because of union activity.
Laurence A. Knapp. N. L. R. B.
attorney, asked Mckinney:
Isn't it a fact that the pretext for
firing was gazing off into space?'
Colombo objected but was overruled
by Lindsay
Like a Horse Thief"
Il am going to talk about this here
and now" Colombo declared The
N. l.. R. B. counsel has no right to
abuse this witness"
Lindsay. flushed and tense. rose
from his chair and moved toward the
vic ~ Noie
Strike that last remark from the
record he ordered.
Rejecting Colombo's protest to the
remark being stricken, Lindsay told
the attorney: You have been given
every courtesy, Mr. Colombo, and there
is no reason for your attitude"
"Courtesy!' Colombo exclaimed "I
have been treated like horse thief
rather than an officer Of the court.
My objections have been made for the
purpose of obtaining justice"
Mckinney was being questioned
about the company's reason for dis
charging Joseph v. Bailey. a union
member named in the N L. r. B. COM
plant as dismissed for union activity.
Colombo Shakes Hands.
When Mckinney left the witness
stand, Knapp walked up to him and
they shook hands. Knapp then went
to Colombo and smilingly preferred
his hand, which Colombo shook
Mckinney testified Bailey and two
others employed in the Ford paint and
varnish plant at Highland Park were
discharged because they were part of
a group who did not have the best in
terests of the Ford Motor Co. at
heart"
Knapp spoke of the General Motors
and Chrysler strikes and told NC
Kinney:
What you really thought was the
group was in a conspiracy to assist
the unions in their strike activities"
That thought was not in my mind"
Mckinney replied.
Suspected the Group.
He said he knew there was gen
eral labor unrest in Detroit" and
thought the group might have some
thing to do with it."
Now about to enter its fourth week
the boards hearing on accusations that
Ford violated the Wagner act con-
tinued without immediate indication
when it would be ended, while Trial
Examiner John T. Lindsay sought to
hasten procedure.
Dennis Mckinney general foreman
Of the company's plant and varnish
division, testified yesterday that a
definite conspiracy to hold down
production" might have arisen from
an idea on the mems part that 4
surplus was being built against any
sit-down strike.
Resultant dismissals OF John Cwik-
lei, Fred Gulliksen and Joseph ".
Bailey-all members of the United
Automobile workers Union-were ef-
fected, Mckinney said, to increase
efficiency. He said there was def
nitely organized trouble" tn the d.
vision.
Bad Work Claimed.
The board charges the company with
firing men for union activity. Other
defense witnesses besides McKinney
including foremen and departmental
heads, have testified that the uues-
toned discharges were due to unsat-
isfactory work.
Il couldn't help but have the i'm