Evening star., 1944-12-16
Ward-WLB Dispute
Is Nearing Climax;
Seizure Threatened

ytlLuIe InIedIeneQ
The long fight between Mont
gomery Ward and the War Labo,
Board was building up to a new
climax today after the board
held out the threat of seizure o1
seven of the big mail-ordel
plants branches because of the
continued refusal of the concern
to abide by board orders, and a
picket-line clash in Detroit
scene of the latest outburst, re-
suited in injuries to three per-
sons.
Reaff1rning all of its previous
orders to the company, which woule
effect working agreements with the
CIO and the AFL the board yes
terday told the company to com.
ply by Monday night or, in effect
to take the OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES
ment seizure.
Three Employees Injured.
At the same time, Gov. Harry F
Kelley of Michigan, told State police
to take whatever steps are neces-
sary" to maintain law and order
after a clasfr at Royal Oak, in
suburban Detroit, in which Police
Chief Ray HAYWARD reported that
three employees were injured as they
sought to enter the Montgomery
Ward branch-one of four in the
area in which a strike has been
in progress for a week.
State and city police were patrol
ling the area today and no more
incidents were reported.
Concurrently, Oakland County
Circuit Judge Frank L. Doty issued
an injunction restraining interna-
tional and local officers of the CIO
Retail, Wholesale and Department
Store employees from molesting or
interfering with the company's en-
ployes in any way except through
peaceful picketing.
In addition to Detroit, points in
volved in the dispute are Chicago,
Denver, st. Paul, Portland, Greg;
San Rafael, Calf, and Jamaica,
N. Y.
May Go to Vinson.
If the company continues its re-
calcitrance, the whole file of cases
in which it has been charged with
noncompliance for the past two
years will go to Economic Stabiliza-
ton Director Vinson, which ordi-
nariy Is a prelude to Government
seizure of an industry where labor
troubles exist.
The company rejected a board
order to appear here Thursday and
yesterday and explain it's defiance
It has challenged the legality of the
boards action.
The Commerce Department was
directed by the President to take
over Wards big Chicago plant last
spring to end a strike there. The
civilian agency was backed up by
the Army in the seizure, climaxed
by the removal of Sewen L. Avery,
chairman of the board, from his
Offices by two soldiers.
This time the Chicago properties
affected are the printing depart
ment and display factory.
AssaiIs Avery.
Staring at the vacant chairs for
company attorneys in the crowded
hearing room, Samuel Wolchok,
president of the CIO Retail En-
ployes Union, assailed Mr.. Avery
yesterday as bending over back
ward" to hurt labor.
Harry Bridges Inter national
Longshoremen and Warehousemen,
rival CIO union in the Ward prop
critics, drew some fire from Mr.. VOL
chok after Douglas Hall, attorney
for the ILWU, said that group would
continue to observe the no-strike
pledge at the st. Paul plant regard
less of the provocations of the COM
pany."
The AFL teamsters, through Frank
Tobin, represented the Port
land employees, and the AFL Retail
Clerks represented those at San
Rafael.
The board ordered the company
to enforce maintenance of union
membership at all seven places, and
established minimum wages and
other conditions at some.
Picketing Continues.
Police Chief Hayward of Royal
Oak said that after the denonstra-
tion the picketing of the store con-
tinued without any further distur-
Dances. State police stood guard at
the store entrances.
A spokesman for the union said
there had been some minor rough
stuff" at the store and he attributed
1t to overzealousness of new pickets.
r. w. Rosevear, Detroit area man
ager for Montgomery Ward, said
that people were "manhandled" at
the store.
He said pickets placed barricades
In front of the doors" but Mr.. Hay
ward said he had seen no barricades.
The temporary injunction. re-
quested on behalf of the company
by George Haggarty, the firms
counsel named Mr.. Wolchok, Roy
Scoggins, Detroit area regional di-
rector, and officers of three locals.
A hearing on whether permanent
injunction should be granted was
set for December 90
In Chicago, Montgomery Ward
made public a statement in which
it said about 80 per cent of the en-
ployes of the Chicago retail store ex-
pressed opposition to forced" union