Business & Finance: Guns and Bread & Butter

Into court last week went Yellow Taxi Corp. of New York, complained that General Motors Corp., through various G. M. taxicab subsidiaries, was interfering with its business at railroad and shipping terminals. According to the Yellow Taxi Corp. complaint, General Motors had used its influence as great shipper (1,600,000 cars annually over the Pennsylvania and New York Central Railroads) to force termination of contracts between Yellow Taxi Corp. and the Furness Bermuda Steamship Line and the Pennsylvania, New York Central and West Shore Railroads. General Motors taxis, operated by Terminal Cab Corp., a G. M. subsidiary, would then be installed. As evidence of coercion and intimidation, Yellow Taxi Corp. quoted the president of Furness Bermuda as saying that General Motors shipments were the “bread and butter” of the Furness Bermuda line. Quoted also was Vice President George Le Boutillier of the Pennsylvania, alleged to have said: “They’ve put the guns to us [they being General Motors]. I’m afraid you’ll lose the contract.” General Motors men refused to comment on the Yellow allegations.