Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1944-04-29
Business as Usual
Reported al Wards
Pending Court Ruling
By the Associated Press.

PendIng L0un RulIng
By the Associated Press.
CHICAGO, April 29-Com-
parative calm prevailed today in
the stormy battle between the
Government and Montgomery
Ward g. Co. as principals pre-
pared for further court Skin
mishes in the fight over the
Governments seizure of the big
mail order house.
While the Chicago plants re-
manned under supervision of Gov
eminent officials and Federal troops
continued their detail at the plant,
the companys board chairman,
Sewell l.. Avery, held vote of full
confidence" from shareholders.
But Mr.. Avery was restrained by
court order from taking over his
500, 000-a-year Office, despite the
approval of shareholders of his
policies and his reelection yester-
day as chief executive officer.
Mr.. Avery was forcibly elected
from his Office Thursday after his
steadfast refusal to comply with
orders from the War Labor Board
and President Roosevelt to extend
an expired contract with a CLIO
union and his adamant stand
against Government seizure.
Gasrx,~o unyJ VV~~zI
As the stockholders, overlooking
Blackstone Hotel ballroom, adopted
a resolution concurring in Mr..
Avery's position, company counsel
in Federal court attacked the Gov
eminent seizure of the plant and
opened a countersuit to obtain dis
solution Of the temporary injunction
granted the Government Thursday
night.
The hearing, before Federal Judge
William H. Holly, was continued to
Monday and the 74-year -old jurist,
who is to retire July /, indicated a
decision would be given Tuesday.
Ward counsel asked dismissal of the
temporary injunction, which re-
strains company officers from inter-
fering with Government operation
OF the properties, contending seizure
Of the plant was unconstitutional.
They maintained the firm was
not engaged in war activity and
the War Labor Disputes Act per-
mits confiscation only of plants en-
gagged in war work.
BiddIe Cites Resistance.
Attorney General Biddle, who
obtained the injunction, argued that
the resistance of officials of this
company to the lawful possession"
by the Government should be pro-
hibited until the reaching issue
was decided by the court. It is
expected the case will be carried to
the Supreme Court for final dis
position.
Business at the big mail order
house, Federal spokesman said, was
going on as usual" under direc-
ton of Undersecretary of Com
merce Wayne @. Taylor, who is Fed
eral operating manager. Mr.. Taylor
said he had met with union leaders.
headed by Sam Wolchok, interna-
tional president of the United Mail
Order, Warehouse and Retail EN-
ployes' Union, and had agreed to
establish and continue the labor |
relations and working conditions"
provided for by the unions expired
contract and as ordered by the
WLB.
Mr.. Avery told the shareholders
meeting the firm was "prolabor and
prounion but we are not closed shop
and added: 1--WE say with pride
and will fight for it as an essence
of hberty-that you do not have to
join union to work at Wards"
Frank McCulloch suggested mo-
ton calling on the firm to cease ere
sistance to the United States" but
1t failed to reach a vote. Then.
amid boos and cries of "sit down"
he charged that "ridicule and con-
tempt had been heaped on the COM
pany as a result of yesterdays per-
Torrance when Mr.. Avery resisted
duly constituted authority and had
to be pitched out"
He demanded that Ward sign a
new contract with the union.
ut was not a contract" Mr.. Avery
rejoined, but Labor Board i'm
pertinence.
Union membership we fully and
wholly accept" he stated. 1--WE
have, suppose, almost perfect
reputation for being antilabor. How
does that come? We are prolabor
and prounion but we are not closed
shop.
Assails Federal Coercion"
I'VE will guarantee that an en-
ploye's advance at Wards will be
as rapid as a member of the union,
as If he were not a member of a |
union. But not the closed shop.
When the American people
awaken to the degree that the ad-
has coerced great cor
porationS into the acceptance of
union conditions that they believe
and wrong, and awaken
to its coercion in dragging employees
into unions they do not wish to
join, we are going to have a change
in our labor relations which will be
happier, healthier and more
profitable.
In winning reelection Mr.. Avery
compiled 3,786,972 votes, compared
with votes for other re-chosen di-
rectors that ranged from 3,78e,1O1
to 3,786,209.