Show Avery Grips Ward Reins As Last Executive Quits Qu its CHICAGO April 14 UP UP- UP Aging Sewell Avery who once was Vas carried bodily from his office by bythe bythe bythe the army took over the rule of Montgomery Ward and Co almost single-handedly single Thursday after the thelast thelast thelast last of his Ws top officers quit in a huff Mass resignations among the top brass almost unparalleled in inthe inthe inthe the annals of big business left the mail order firm without without with with- o out t a president a vice president or a single executive officer The ye 75 year old old r-old Avery whose iron-fisted iron tactics invoked the thee e enmity mity of the resigning resigning officers was left in control as chairman of the board of directors Avery himself comes up for reelection reelection reelection re re- re- re election in eight days but in informed informed informed in- in formed financial observers believed believed be be- he would weather the storm The The mass exodus of officers Which began n almost a year car ago ended Wednesday y in the resignation resignation resign ati a- a ti tion n of Willard H H. H vice president and general merchandising merchandising ing manager I f was the fourth vice president to quit since Saturday and ind the top flight officer to leave eave since the wave of resignations resign a- a ions began Among the earliest to leave was Wilbur H. H Norton president who never was replaced In announcing his resignation t on spoke of the turmoil going going going go go- ing on at the Ule present time and ana said his own position was wa untenable untenable unten able The reference was guarded guard guard- ed ed but it gave a glimpse of th the strife that has seethed within th Ute the firms firm's higher offices Avery himself who seldom makes maItes a public statement maintained maintained maintained main main- his st stern rn silence e on the dis dis- dis- dis The crux of the controversy however was said to be A Avery very's alleged refusal to give his officers officer their share of oJ authority Avery long a foe of labor unions is best known to the public for hi his defiance of a war labor board order order order or or- der during the war Forced t to take over the firm the government government govern govern- ment ordered troops to carry Aver Avery out of his hi office 1 |