Evening star., 1937-02-10

department cOnclllaU0r, AreaQy pres
ent.
Lewis, chairman of the Committee
for Industrial Organization, which Is
supporting the auto strikes, delayed
his appearance while he talked to the
union board Of strategy. Lee Press
man. C. I. o. counsel, and Wyndham
Mortimer, union vice president, were
the union representatives on hand for
the opening of the negotiations.
A member of Lewis staff said at
noon that the militant generalissimo
Of the strikes probably would not par
ticipate In the conference then In
session.
He said Mortimer and Pressman,
who had participated in a meeting of
the union board Of strategy" during
the morning were perfectly capable
Of representing the union and that
Lewis was attempting to catch up on
some other work." He said Lewis had
suffered from cold for several days,
but that mis- physical condition did
not prevent his participation in the
conference.
He insisted there was no significance
in Lewis absence.
Sound Truck Held Seized.
Union headquarters reported that
one of its sound trucks was seized and
burned by three men who took it from
two union members at q West Side
hall here this morning.
Hopes for settlement Of the far
flung strikes rose today after the Gov
ernor announced that Ut a great
deal separates" the positions of the
opposing leaders.
Just after midnight, when the pre-
vious meeting ended after more than
three hours of discussion, a source
close to the parley said it was pro-
ceeding "along more definite lines"
and that the situation had been
clarified considerably"
Unofficial information was that the
one gap still to be closed was the
issue Of the extent to which General
Motors would recognize the U. A. w.
as the collective bargaining agency.
AS I have said from the Begin
ning," Gov. Murphy said, both sides
are doing their best to reveal an
earnestness in trying to settle the
matter"
Governor Is Hopeful.
He made the remark in answer to
an inquiry as to which side was
making concessions. The Governor
said the negotiators were "in ex-
cellent spirits
The conference, called by Gov.
Murphy at the wish" Of President
Roosevelt, opened last Wednesday.
1t was understood that during much
of the time it has been in session
the representatives Of General Motors
and the union have been in separate
rooms, but that last night they were
together with the Governor and
Dewey
President Roosevelt revealed yes
terday afternoon that he had talked
ply.
The President was represented as
having urged them to settle the dis
pute quickly. 1t was indicated Mr..
Roosevelt was maintaining his neu-
trality in the conflict and made no de-
mands on either side.
The Labor Department chiefs
Secretary Frances Perkins and As
sistant Secretary Edward F. Nc
Grady-also were keeping in close
touch with the situation by telephone
and through the departments con-
ciliator.
Personal business called Lewis away
from the meeting shortly before it
ended last midnight, and just as he
departed Frank x. Martel, president
of the Detroit and Wayne County
Federation of Labor, entered the con-
ference room.
1t was the first time that any one
had entered the quarters during a
session except the representatives Of
the two sides and Murphy and Dewey,
The local federation has supported
the strike
Robert c. Travis, director of the
striking forces at Flint, Mich. was
outside the room but did not engage
in the conversations within. He said
he had not been called to Detroit.
The midweek estimate of Automotive
Daily News showed little change from
last weeks production in the automo-
bile industry, despite the fact that
General Motors no longer is produce
ing passenger cars. The trade publ
cation estimated the current weeks
output at 67,280 units, compared with
67,232 last week.
Potential Production Lost.
with General Motors divisions
closed, as far as assembly operations
are concerned, except for commercial
cars" Automotive Daily News said,
practically 40 per cent of the indus
try's potential production is lost.
"Other producers are showing a
tendency to lift their schedules, but
from all appearances quite a few Of
them are unable to do so because If
mechanical limitations. Chrysler divi-
sions are running at top speed, but
some time ago reached capacity and
have apparently been unable to raise
their output rates. Slight increases
are indicated by some Of the independ-
ents. Ford still held top place
among the weeks producers.
The Chrysler Corp. announced a
wage increase which it said would ZAP
proximate $13,000,00 to $14.000,000 a
year." Chrysler has about 10000 en-
ployes.
Estimates based upon an increase
last June placed the average Of the
new one as 10 per cent for each en-