NATIONAL RECOVERY

Otago Daily Times, Issue 22052, 7 September 1933, Page 9

NATIONAL RECOVERY

THE AMERICAN DRIVE MR FORD HOLDS OUT (United Press Association.) (By Electric Telegraph—Copyright.) WASHINGTON, September 6. Public opinion apparently has been fcbosen as the jury by President Roosevelt's Recovery Administration in deciding the case of Mr Henry Ford's absence from National Recovery Administration membership. As the rest of the United Btatcs automobile industry began its first official work day under the Blue Eagle, the N.R.A. leaders have given evidence of every intention, for the present at least, of “ letting Nature take its course ” with Mr Ford. It is the industrial campaign’s first major hold-out. THE GOVERNMENT’S ATTITUDE. CHICAGO, September 5. (Received Sept. 6, at 5.5 p.m.) The Government will take no action to bring Mr Ford into the N.R.A. unless he violates the rules of the automobile manufacturers’ code, according to an announcement made by General Hugh Johnson to-day. General Johnson remarked : “ It is Mr Ford’s move.” Mr Ford’s minimum pay is high enough to top the minimum set up by the general code and the N.R.A. dictator indicated that the only avenue by which Mr Ford might come into conflict with the recovery programme would be his dealings with employees. If the Ford employees should organise and send representatives to negotiate with him, General Johnson stated, and Mr Ford refused to meet them he would of course be violating the automobile code. “ Probably he will not violate the code, but if he does I will have to do something.” From Detroit it was stated that a readjustment of wages was under way in the Ford plant. It was understood that many employees heretofore receiving four dollars a day, the minimum wage, were nov; receiving 4.80 dollars per day. How many of the 40,000 employees are affected by the upward revision has not been determined. Two months ago the Ford Motor Company adopted a five-day week and previously it adopted four dollars a day as the minimum wage. ATTEMPT TO BOMB FORD PLANT. EDGEWATER (New Jersey), September 5. (Received Sept. 6, at 5.5 p.m. A second attempt in a week was made to bomb the huge Ford assembly plant here, and a small army of special guards now patrols the works. Marksmen with rifles have been posted on massive piers jutting into the Hudson River, awaiting the possible return of a mysterious rowboat which was driven back after reaching the network of piling on two occasions.