Document 2qp8994bKd21XR0Yd5dOoM0RR

FILE NAME: Metropolitan Life (ML) DATE: 1933 Jan 21 DOC#: ML104 DOCUMENT DESCRIPTION: Letter to Mr. Cummings of Saranac Lab from Dr. Harburgh RE Paper on Studies on Silicosis m stato z in c i x v u u d or* phodcd a a o o u n o M o h s r, Oklahoma Ja n . 21, 1933 U r. Donald X. C u m in g s , Saranac Laboratory for the study of T.fl. Sa ran ac La x , N'.Y. Dear Mr. Cummings: Yeur pa p a r o n ^ S t u d i e s on S i l i c a s is O ccurring In that Lead and Zinc k in a of Ottawa County, Okie.* has been gone over by the Counsel fo r th e A sso c ia tio n and has been subm itted to the board of D ire c to rs fo r eonlderatlon. 1 am a s k e d t o a d v is e you t h a t the Board f e e l s t h a t n o th in g could be p u b lish ed th a t la so p o te n tia lly damaging to the lead and sine in o p e r a to r s of till* d l s t r l o t , The p o s s i b i l i t i e s o f i t s v e ry damaging u se In th e hands o f onus u n a o ru p a lo u s law y sr* or o th e rs who m ight be In" te r e s tad in s t i r r i n g up damage s u i t s a g a in s t the m ining companies la xt r e e e l y g r e a t s t t h l t i n * . In many s t a t e s In the u n io n th e r e a re now pending s u i t s fa r hundreds of o la lms f a r t o t a l d i s a b i l i t y frota o c c u p a ila s s i d ia a s e a . The l i n i n g com panies now In e x is te n c e h e re would hr. ve to b e a r th e bordea of paying fa r d i s a b i l i t i e s to whloh they were very minor c o u til batam i, i f such alte are erer file d her*. I t I s tr u e t h a t a stati who h a s g iv e n h i s l i f e to an In d u s try s a d Ima b ecca th e re b y d is a b le d sh o u ld be ta k e n c a re o f . E f f o r t s a r e bn log wad* to work out eoa f a i r way to do t h i s , b u t i t la no easy m a tte r . In th e un-time, th e in d u s tr y e o u ld b e e n t i r e l y w recked I f I t went sa d d le d w ith th e care of everyone who m ight b* p e rsu a d e d to ta k e a c tio * u g a ln a t i t aa th e grounds of d i s a b i l i t y f r o *1 LIcos i a . You can see what a b r i e f your paper would be in such eases la view o f th e sbovo, the Board expresses I ts firm o b jectio n be the p u b licat io o f your paper, although I t fu lly appreciate the s e is n tlflo value of your stu d ies. With k in d e s t re g a rd s , I aa Very s in c e re ly y ours, (S ig n ed ) M. 0 . Earfcmugh. X. D. B srbuugh, S e e 'y PRODUCED S/C/M/Ms