Ford Works Closes Down

Manawatu Times, Volume LVI, Issue 7068, 30 January 1933, Page 7

Ford Works Closes Down

150,000 Men Out STRIKE OF BODY-BUILDERS COMPETITORS BLAMED BY HENRY FORD United Press Association—By Electric Telegraph—Copyright Received Sunday, 9.30 p.m. DETROIT, Jan. 27. The Ford Motor Company plants throughout the United States were shut down to-day throwing 150,000 men out of work because of a strike of employees in the Briggs Manufacturing Company, which manufactures bodies for tho now Ford automobiles. While tho Briggs officials negotiated with tho,employees in an attempt to reopen tho body works Mr. Henry Ford himself laid a charge in tho cou 'sc of a trans-Atlantic interview with the London Evening Standard that “certain of my competitors aro operating against me supported by certain bankers with tine object of preventing another Ford automobile from leaving the factory. They have succeeded for a fow hours, but I will fight them and prove that production cannot be stopped. ’’ Mr. Ford’s associates here admitted that tho Standard interview was substantially correct, but refused to amplify it. Mr. Ford later visited tho Briggs plant where he conferred with the officials. Subsequently notices were posted announcing pay increases which it is believed will prove satisfactory to the strikers. It is estimated that tho Ford shutdown is causing losses of approximately a million dollars a day. None of the foreign Ford plants ano affected however. Wall Street’s reaction to Mr. Ford’s charge was that the big banking interests had “too many other things on hand’’ to be interesting themselves in Ford’s affairs. Going Full Tilt in Very Short Time Received Sunday, 9.50 p.m. DETROIT, Jan. 28. Henry Ford stated on Saturday that the difficulties in his local body-build-ing plants that had resulted in the suspension of work in his factories “are not a strike. It is an attack on tho Ford industries. One way or another our plants will be going again full tilt in a very short time.’’ Previously officials of the Ford Company declared to be substantially correct the statement credited to Mr. Ford that “certain of my competitors who arc operating against me’’ were responsible for the suspension of work, rendering 100,000 men idle. When tho Ford Company announced suspension on Friday it was stated that it no longer could continue production without bodies furnished by the Briggs Manufacturing Company whose plants closed down early in tho week following a walk-out of 6000 empolyees. Officials of the Ford Company said on Saturday that they expected the Briggs strike to find on Monday, declaring that within six hours after the strike ended tho Ford plants throughout the United States would resume.