Toledo union journal. [volume] (Toledo, Ohio) 1942-current, 1950-06-16
% Charges


i) The records of Local IL
and of the Automotive Workers
Building Corporation contain
itemiZed invoices covering pur-
chases from Colonial Hardware
and Sporting Goods Company
running into many thousands of
dollars. An audit of these in
voices in relation to prevailing
prices at time of billing will dis
close that Local IL and the Au-
tomotive Workers Building Cor
poration have been overcharged
many thousands of dollars in
these purchases. The individual
transaction are too numerous to
mention in this statement. They
are available for proper audit.
10. Brother Gosser has caused
the purchase of three CD farms
in the vicinity of the Sand Lake
Summer Camp totalling 3O6
acres for a reported total price
of S51, 100000. One farm Of SO
acres cost S2O,000.00; another
farm of 130 acres cost S25,OOO.-
100 and an abandoned orchard OF
80 acres cost $6,000.00. The rev.
enue stamps on the recorded
deeds in these transactions re-
fleet a purchase price consider
ably lower than these amounts.
A thorough audit and investiga-
tion of the actual money paid
for these farms ought to be
made.
IL. Investigations by our
members disclose that farm land
situated in the section in which
these farms are located is OF in
ferior sand gravel type and not
worth more than $500 to $1OO
per acre in a rising market. The
Automotive Workers Building
Corporation paid 167.0O per
acre for the land it purchased
Brother G sser has recently
proposed the pure h ase of q
fourth farm, consisting of 15O
acres, for $22,000.00. He has
said that the 800 acres already
owned will not raise enough
grain or feed to care for the
small amount of livestock ano
poultry now owned by our un-
ion - for what reason no one
knows. Brother Gosser has "sug-
gested" that the funds to finance
; the purchase of this fourth farm
be borrowed from the Willys
. Overland Unit of Local IL.
IL. The cost of operating
these farms has resulted in g
staggering drain on the assets ot
, Local IL. 1t is reported that the
. present d eficit approximates
$50, 100000. Since no possible
benefit has accrued to the mem
bers of Local IL from their EN-
forced position as large lane
owners, it is clear that Brother
Gosser's dissipation of funds fol
these foolish and il-advised prof
ects has served only to haster
the bankruptcy of Local IL.
13. Large sums of union fund:
have been expended in equip
: ping, stocking and operating
these farms. Much of the equip
ment and most of the supplies
required i'm their operation have
been purch ased from, ol
through, the Colonial Hardware
and Sporting Goods Company
at the customary prices charged
our union by that company.
Ia. The financial secretary o.
Local IL has testified under oatf
that more than $300,000.00 o
Local IL and Automotive Work
ers Building Corporation Fund
have been spent in the purchase!
and operation of the Summer
Camp and the farms.
Is. Our investigation causes
us to believe that all of the units
of Local IL should have on de
, post with Local IL, In the sep
, arate unit funds, approximate,
| $780, 100000. Our investigation
further causes us to believe tina
all of these unit funds have beer
expended in carrying out Bro
ther Gosser's foolish projectl
and that no unit could today
withdraw its funds, as is permit
ted by the international Consti
tuition and bylaws of Local IL
16. Our investigation con
vinces us that the large anc
wholly unnecessary expenses re-
sulting from the attempted op
Grafton of the lavish Summer
Camp and farm establishment
have been paid in large par
from the unit funds on deposi
with Local IL.
IL. 1t is true beyond doub
that Local IL is substantial,
bankrupt today and the reasor
for its bankruptcy results from
these excessive and unnecessary
non-union, or extra union, func
tons, most of the benefit o.
which has accrued only to tn,
Colonial Hardware and Sport
ing Goods Company.
4, ID. We point out to the In
ternational Executive Boarc
that this state of affairs results