The Chronicle-star combined with the Moss Point advertiser., 1945-03-16
Hearing
CONTINUED from Page u

impression that it made no diff
ference to the company whether
or not men joined the unions, or
members paid their dues.
Every Effort Made"
Dallas H. Smith, industrial and
public relations officer for the
company from November, l94l
until his resignation in Septem-
Der, 1914, was the first witness
for the company.
He testified that every effort
had been made by the company to
comply fully with the directive.
He was instructed by Monro B.
Lanier, president of the Com
pany, and w. r. Guest, executive
vice-president, to see that the
spirit and the letter of the agree
ment was carried out, he said.
These instructions followed the
November %, l943, meeting, be-
tween the union, company, and
NWLB officials at which the re-
ferral card for new employees
was agreed on in averting a
threatened strike vote by the
unions.
Conferences we're held with his
staff, he said, in which procedure
for administering the agreement
was carefully gone over, and, in
his opinion, the company had done
everything humanity possible"
to comply with the directive and
agreement. He added that he be-
lieved that if the unions had
done a real sales job there's no
doubt in my mind they could
have had everybody in the yard"
He told of the working of the
escort system to the union offices
for new employees.
Paul b.. Adamson, former as
sistant to Mr.. Smith and now ex-
ecutive secretary of the Gulf Ship
building Association, was the first
witness at the opening of the
Wednesday session.
His testimony bore out that of
Mr.. Smith in that in his opin-
ion the company had done every
thing possible to carry out the di-
receive and the agreement.
Individual Aqifafion"
George B. Field, industrial and
public relations director for the
company said he knew of no
previous complaint on tn part of
the unions against the referral
system.
Edward b. Rowan, labor mem
Der of the panel, asked Mr.. Field,
how he would explain the UNI
rest down here"
Il would say that Individual
agitation was responsible" Mr..
Field answered.
l.. A. Watts, employment man
ager for the company, testified
to the manner in which the refer
raj and escort systems were han
died, and said that new employees
in all instances were escorted in
groups to proper union offices.
Two affidavits were offered by
Mr.. Mitchell at this point, one in
which a negro named Joe Will
liams testified that he was told
by a union official that he would
have to join the union and pay
SIS before he could go to work.
and the other in which William
Clarence Poss said that when he
told a union official he did not
want to join the union, the off
cial answered that his rate card
was no good, tore it up and tossed
it in a waste basket.
Testimony of j. M. .Halton, as
sistant employment manager for
the company concluded the morn
ing session and the taking of tes-
timony on compliance with the
October directive.
Both the afternoon session
Wednesday and that of Thursday
was given to the taking of testi-
mony on the operation of the
grievance procedure in the CON
tract between the company and
the union.
This testimony from the union
side was generally based on the
contention hat the company was
dilatory in handling grievance
complaints, used technicalities to
interrupt procedure, and charged
in one instance that a man was
framed"
Lowry brought out testimony to
the effect that r. ID. Hudson.
who was discharged and rein
stated nine weeks later after his
case had been carried to arbitra-
ton, was paid only $500 of an
alleged $658.80 owed him in back
wages by the company.
Under questioning by Arthur
international vice-presi-
dent of the Boilermakers, Lowry
said that the incident created
dissension among the workers"
also testified that il was
common knowledge among en-
poyees that no one in the COM
pany could make a decision other
than r. I. Ingalls,, Sr.
Other testimony by union wit
nesses was along this general line.
Testimnnu Shortenad