Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1955-12-08
'Curtice Fears :
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BY Bureaucrat
By J. A. OLEARY

By ]. A. OTEARY
President Harlow H. Curtice
Of General Motors Corp. ap-
pealed to the Senate Anti
Trust and Monopoly Subcom-
mittee today not to place
control of the industry under a
Government bureaucrat.
You may be leading directly
to that end" replied Acting
Chairman OMahoney, Democrat
of Wyoming.
Mr.. Curtice was prompted to
speak out against bureaucratic
control of business after Senator
OMahoney had recalled that
when he first came to Congress
Ia bureaucrat in Washington
could dictate to homesteaders
lin Wyoming.
II could not be more in agree
ment with you, Senator, on that
subject and believe that our
business should be in our hands
and not those of a bureaucrat. y
Trend to Central Control
Senator O'Mahoney had been
Icontending that some of the
conditions automobile manu-
Ifacturers lay down for local
dealers is only one example oil
a trend toward central rather
tina nlocal control both in Gov
Iernment and business.
The exchange came while
General Motors was answering
specific complaints made to the
subcommittee earlier in the
hearings by five former and two
present General Motors auto
mobile dealers. The general
theme of the GIN answer was
that the dealers who followed
GINS advice to prepare for the
expanding postwar market are
among the most successful small
businessmen in the country.
Some Lose Ground
But William F. Hufstader, a
GIN vice president, said a few
dealers have lost ground because
they were not ready for the day
when customers stopped walk
ing into their stores clamoring
to have their names put on an
order blank.
Mr.. Hufstader replied first to
M. H. wager an Albany IN. "
Pontiac dealer. who sat across
the committee table from top
GIN officials last Friday and
aired his complaints about GIN
dealer relationships.
Mr.. Hufstader testified today
that Mr.. wager became a Pom
tiac dealer in 1941 with a total
investment Of $4,000.
las of October 81, 1855, Mr..
wager had made a total gain in
excess of 81 million on his mi
tial investment of $4,000" said
Mr. Hufstader.
The GIN official said that
although Mr.. Wager secured the
only Pontiac franchise in Albany,
an area he said would support
two dealers. mr.. Wager has
been content to receive a hand
some profit. without assuming
the obligation Of providing Pom
ltiac with a fair share OF the
new-car sales in this market"
Arkansas Dealer Complains
The other present dealer who
filed complaints last week was
j. B. Silaz. jr. an Oldsmobile
dealer in Conway. Ark.
Mr.. Hufstader gave figures
which he said refuted this deal
er's complaint that he was able
to obtai nfrom Oldsmobile only
about half of the cars he sold
in his zone and that he had
obtained from other dealers who
were overloaded as many Olds-
mobiles as he got from the fac
tory.
Mr.. Hufstader asserted that
Mr.. wager is generally ex-
tremely busy with other activities
and by his own admission devotes
only about so per cent of his
time to the automobile business.
Because of this. the GIN vice
president said. Mr.. wager was
asked to devote more time to the
business.
Mr.. Hufstader also declared
that last year. and again this
year, Mr.. wager displayed an in
terest in securing Pontiac deal
erships he heard might be avail
able in other parts of New York
Under questioning by subcom-
mittee Counsel Donald MeHugh,
Mr.. Hufstader yesterday outlined
the causes for which a GIN deal
er's contract may be Cancelled.
GIN officials promised to furn-
ish before the hearings end.
probably tomorrow. the num-
Der of cancellations In the past
two years.