FORD HITS HARD

North Otago Times, Volume CVII, Issue 17748, 19 March 1927, Page 5

FORD HITS HARD

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V \ IN REBUTTING SAPIR(>J \

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NEW YORKo March 17. Ford's counsel, Senator Reed made. sensatonal charges against Sapiro in his opening statement for the defence. Mr Reed began with a reference to the racial question, He said: "This is not a case of the Hebrew race against Henry Ford. Sapiro has no right to collect damages for the Hebrew race and piit the money in his own pocket. This is the same kind of case as it would be if Sapiro belorfted! to some other race than the Jewish." Mr Reed then declared that the statements printed regarding Sapiro were essentially true. He pictured plaintiff as a man who had dreams of wealth and power which extended not only to the control of all the farming industry of America, but the wheat of the entire world. Mr Reed alleged that the Southiern . tobacc.o growers had been exploited for millions of dollars. They paid two million dollars more for the warehouses their association bought than they were worth, while their tohacco was sold at 30 per cent. lower than growers outside the associations obtained. He declared that Sapiro chose the association managers, who made vast profits n buying and selling through firms wherein the managers themselves werfe partners. Reed alleged! that farmers were bound by contracts penalising them if they rebelled, saddling them with heavy court | costs, making business for Sapiro's i law firm and requiring a farmer | to pay higH interest on money the j association borrowed with fhe far- j tner's own crop security. ;