Evening star., 1938-07-31
RKERACCUSES
REPUBLIC POLICE
Says Petition Denouncing
c. !. 0. Originated in Office
of Official.
Ey the Associated Press.

Ey the Associated Press.
Carl Grimm, lanky, red-headed and
painfully self conscious steel worker,
told the Senate Civil Liberties Com
mittee yesterday that a workers Pc
tition denouncing the c. I. o. orig
mated in the office of Republic Steel
Corp. police ofiicial, with some as
sistance from the plant superin-
tendent.
James S. Torbic, personnel super
visor and chief of company police at
Republics plant in Monroe, Mich,
gave copies to Grimm and several
other workers for circulation through
out the plant. the witness said, and
subsequently took this group to Cleve-
land to present the petition to Charles
M. White, operating vice president OF
the corporation.
"Mr. White seemed pleased" Grimm
observed
Expense Account Presented.
Il was" sternly interjected White,
who was sitting nearby.
All the groups expenses on the
Cleveland trip were paid by Torbic, 1t
developed, and none of the workers
was docked for time lost in the mill
Chairman La Toilette OF the investi-
eating committee introduced Torbic's
expense account for the trip. showing
expenditures for mileage. meals, a
baseball game and "setups."
Grimm testified after James Max
we'll, a cocky. self-assured former re-
porter, told Of receiving contributions
of $4,000 on one occasion and $500 on
another from Republic for his 'in-
dustrial news syndicate" Between
the two payments he took a leading
part in the back work" move
ment at Cleveland during the steel
strike a year ago.
Would Teach "Dodo Birds"
Maxwell said he conducted a cam
paign last year to teach some OF the
people in the United States who might
be characterized as "dodo birds the
error of their ways. Explaining that
the dodo flies backward, he said he
wanted to make such "dodo birds" as
Chairman La Toilette, Supreme Court
Justice Black and Secretary OF Labor
Perkins turn around and fly for
ward"
His detectives were to eliminate
sit-doWn strikes. stiffen law enforce
ment and "rededicate the Government
fN fhA ort.ire 4f ha mr. ~
Maxwell said. He took chief credit
for the pigeon-holing of a proposed
Senatorial investigation OF the Gen.
eral Motors Corp. during the last Con-
gressional session.
Maxwell said he began writing let
ters to industrialists after organization
OF the c. I. O., with the hope Of writ
ing syndicated column on labor de-
velopments. In addition to the two
payments from Republic. he said he
received sl47.50 expense account
from that concern and s2.500 contri-
button from National Steel, paid by
Ernest Weir.
When Senator LaF'ollette asked what
the industrial news syndicate was"
Maxwell replied:
That was me"
Other testimony dealt with the un-
availing efforts Of the Steel Workers
Organizing Committee, arm of the
c. I. O.. to negotiate a contract with
Republic. prior to the calling Of last
years strike. Virtual agreement was
reached at that time on all points
except that of putting the terms Of the
agreement in writing and afnxins
signatures to it.
Influenced by Workers.
White said the company was In
fiuenced in its decision against sign
ing by very bitter opposition to such
course among Republic employees.
Many OF them were asking. he said.
"if Republic was going to sell out "
and wondering if we were going to
make bargain with some one else
when We had established employe
representative relations with our own
men,"
Grimm's testimony was that on two
occasions he was sent to Torbic's Of
fice by the plant superintendent. On
the second, he said, Torbic had the
petition" in his hands. The other
members of the committee" were
present. he added.
There wasn't anything much said. u
he continued, punctuating each phrase
with q long and embarrassed pause
The petition was given to us to cir
culate through the mill to get sigma
tures."
The petition was signed by about
90 per cent OF the employees. he added.
From this beginning. the Senate
committee worked slowly into the de-
veloping labor situations at Monroe
and the events Of a year after the time
referred to by Grimm, when vigilantes,
armed by the city. dispersed strike
pickets after = bloody pitched battle.