FORD DEFIANT.

Auckland Star, Volume LXIV, Issue 205, 31 August 1933, Page 7

FORD DEFIANT.

AUTOMOBILE CODE. PUNITIVE REMEDY. Government May Boycott His Manufactures. " DIE-HARD " ATTITUDE. (United P.A.—Electric Telegraph—Copyright) (Received 0.30 a.m.) WASHINGTON, August 30. Greatly encouraged over the apparent successful negotiation of the coal industry coue, the National Recovery Administration yesterday ; continued a whirlwind campaign to formulate and implement as many: codes as possible before Labour Day, which is on September 4. With tlio exception of a few "diehard" employers, the vast soft coal industry, which for years has suffered turmoil and bloodshed, is now under the Blue Eagle clause, allowing 340,000 miners, hitherto non-union men, to j organise for collective bargaining. The i employers also have agreed to increase > wages and shorten hours in conformity with the national recovery programme. In a Press interview, General Johnson, who is in charge of the national scheme, virtually threatened that the Government would boycott Ford motor cars unless Mr. Henry Ford signs the I automobile code. He pointed out that the law specified that all products the Government purchased must be from employers signing the National Recovery Agreement, and the Government could make no exception in Mr. Ford's case. Ford Pays Higher Wages. Mr. Ford has until September 5 to sign / the code of competition if he wants a Blue Eagle for his motor cars, it was emphasised to-day by National Recovery officials. General Johnson said that Mr. Ford must sign tlio code to get the Blue Eagle, no matter if he should announce a schedule of higher wages and shorter hours. Mr. Ford said some time ago that lie would have to "live down to the code" if he adopted it, declaring that it compared unfavourably with his own scale of hours and wages. President Roosevelt has asked National Recovery Administrator, General Johnson, for a report on the failure of Mr.' Ford to enrol under the new working agreement for the automobile industry. I There still is considerable confusion' regarding possible punitive action against those who do not conform to the scheme, and many local officials admit that there is a great volume of complaints of alleged evasions of various codes. Suggestions for organised boycotts are being ignored by the officials, but some observers contend that drastic action eventually will be necessary if the scheme is to succeed.