Show I Ford V Retains His Belief I Ii I I 1 F S In fl Rugged Individualism Motor Magnate Continues IGo GoIt It Alone PolI Pol Pol- V I icy jy in Ruling Y vast st Empire By WILLIAM F. F I Copyright 1934 by the United Press Henry DETROIT Ford alone of aU the major automobile manufacturers ers holds 1 himself aloof from the Na chamber of corn com merce and refuses to sign the N R A code Even the idea of cooperative action with his fellow Industrialists ts leaves Ford cold Steadfastly through the years years he ha followed a go policy Although not a signatory to the code his company has however been beena a strict with Its provisions lions The rhe Ford empire is Henry Ford Ford- symbol of rugged Individualism lm One thing Ford holds in common with other manufacturers however He harbors no belief in labor boor unions His aversion to dictation Is well known and he does not relf relish h the thought of any suggesting the methods ho he may employ in his factorIes Ford Workers Included The Mechanics MechaniC Educational Society ot of America membership rival ot of the American Federation ot of Labor claims to have organized 75 per cent of all tool and dIe workers in the tan area There has been no denial either by Ford or by M. M E. E S. S A. A leaders lead lead- ers that this membership many Ford workers The third figure in Detroit labor circles an organization whose memo includes many outspoken communists has striven for years to draw even cven a gleam of recognItion of 01 its accusations and ha has failed Thus as ac nil an indivIdualist Ford has not been ruffled seriously by any of the preliminary labor capitalist skirmishes skir- skir which may lead the rest of the thc nations nation's automobile industry into a paralyzing strike Champion or of Worker As a champIon of the worker Ford Is s nearly able to union assault M as to wages and hours The hour 40 week was Wa In effect I at his factorIes for tor years year before the theN theN N R A and Its work week limitations was born Ford startled the industrial world in 1914 by establishing wage base basc This base was wa-s cut during the depression but w again recently Wages in Ford remain considerably above the minimums minimums mini mini- mums ot of the code dA dAThe The vulnerable ble point in the Ford armor is the code section providing for collective The Amen Ameri can Federation or of him with failure to comply with this thu prin ciple in his eastern plants but the theN N R A dismissed dismiss d the thc brief brIet 1 as lacking itt in facts to support the charge Sums Up Attitude Fords Ford's attitude on on collective bar bargaining gaining can best be summed up as asa asa a policy of treating his so sowell well that there remains no necessity I for tor bargaInIng at all A month ago Ford stole the show from his N. N A. A C. C C. C competitors by restoring the 5 minimum wage a afew few tew hours before they announced an approximately 10 per cent wage in crease When competitors more recently reo re- advanced prIc prices on their models models mod mod- els he again seized the occasion to propound his economic theories and reassure the public would not raise his prices How much or of the high wage matter mat mat- ter the refusal to raise his prices and the feud wIth Administrator Hugh S S. Johnson over refusal to sign the N R A code can be charged to publicity Is debatable Certainly all of it has been accompanIed by improved busl busi- nes nc Unquestionably a showdown with Ford in the question ot of whether unions or hc shall run the Rouge plan pian would involve a bitter r fight Union leaders are too bus busy consolidating their theft gains elsewhere in the field to storm torm the Ford bulwark now |