Document DD2kJqG1kqOJEEeaE7pLX2Yd5

(o 77) MINUTES of the ninety-ninth meeting of the Directors of the Manufacturing Chemists' Association, Inc. , held at the Union Club, New York City, on May 10, 1960, at 11:00 a.m. (EDT). There were present: Messrs. L. G. Bliss R. F. Coppedge, Jr. David H. Dawson J. Robert Fisher Kerby H. Fisk Joseph Fistere John L. Gillis John E, Hull Theodore Marvin R. C. McCurdy Charles S. Munson Thomas S. Nichols Carl F. Prutton Mark E. Putnam Hans Stauffer George R. Vila M. F. Crass, Jr. Alternates: A. E. Albright (for Hans Stauffer) Bert Cremers (for Robert B. Semple) Henry L. Ford (for James C. White) J. J, B. Fulenwider (for A. fe. Forster) Kenneth H. Klipstein (for W. G. Malcolm) William H. McLean (for John T. Connor) W. T. D. Ross (for Peter C, Allen) Willard P. Scott (for Peter Colefax) Harold E. Thayer (for Joseph Fistere) J. V. Vernon (for Carl F. Prutton) General Counsel: H. H. Fowler - Fowler, Leva, Hawes & Symington Present by Invitation: F. H. Carman, MCA T. J. Kinsella, Allied Chemical Corporation H. B. McClure (Luncheon only), Union Carbide Corporation In the absence of Mr. Connor, Mr. Dawson assumed the chair and called the meeting to order. I. MINUTES OF APRIL 12, I960, MEETING. The Minutes of this meeting were duly approved as submitted to the members. II. REPORT OF THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE, Mr. Dawson reported that a breakfast meeting of the Executive Committee had taken place that day and that a number of items had been discussed and would be taken up in their respective places on the Board agenda. CMA 067794 m. REPORT OF THE TREASURER. (o'8) (a) Financial Report, June - April I960. The financial report for the eleven months ending April 30, 1960, was summarized by the Treasurer. He noted that both the Technical & Administrative and Public Relations budgets for eleven months operations were out of balance and that expenses for the year would sub stantially exceed budgeted amounts. He stated, however, that the Association would probably finish the year with a small cash surplus. ON MOTION duly made and seconded, it was VOTED: That the report be accepted and placed on file. (b) Transfer of Account. Because of the immediate need for cash and in accordance with a prior recommendation of the Finance Committee, the Treasurer reported that during the month he had closed the Bowery Savings Bank account in New York City and transferred these funds to the Washington commercial account, IV. BOARD OF DIRECTORS. (a) Report of the Nominating Committee. In the absence of Mr. Thomas, Dr. Putnam presented the report of the Nominating Committee and stated that Mr, Thomas would be prepared to submit it to the membership at the 88th Annual Business Meeting on June 9. The report follows: Chairman of the Board -- R. C. McCurdy, Shell Chemical Company Chairman of the Executive Committee -- Howard S. Bunn, Union Carbide Corporation Pr eside1 nt-- -- John E. Hull Vice Presidents -- J. Robert Fisher, Gamma Chemical Corporation W. G. Malcolm, American Cyanamid Company Secretary-Treasurer -- M. F. Crass, Jr. Directors (Term Expires May 31, 1963) B, S. Chappie, Jr., United States Steel Corporation L. I. Doan, The Dow Chemical Company Kerby H. Fisk, Allied Chemical Corporation W. B. Graham, Waller stein Company, Division of Baxter Laboratories, Inc. John E. Hull R. W. Kixmiller, Celanese Corporation of America W. H. Moyer, Chipman Chemical Company, Inc. S. de J. Osborne, Olin Mathieson Chemical Corporation George L. Parkhurst, California Chemical Company Charles H. Sommer, Monsanto Chemical Company CMA 067795 (Term Expires May 31, 1962) Harry B. Warner, B. F. Goodrich Chemical Company (Unexpired Term of John R. Hoove r) (Term Expiring May 31, 1961) George E. Holbrook, E. I. du Pont de Nemours & Co., Inc. (Unexpired Term of Glen B. Miller) (b) Food Additives. General Hull reported that the Food Additives Com mittee had been in touch with the School of Medicine, Boston University, concerning dose-response studies, as directed by the Board at the April 12 meeting. It was found that additional funds are not needed by the University. Dr. Kensler will supply a draft of the dose-response study to MCA in approximately one month and, when this is received, the MCA Scientific Subcommittee will meet to consider it in company with representatives from the Medical Advisory and Research Advisory Committees. Mr. K. E Mulford, Chairman of the Food Additives Committee, will be present at the June 8 Directors Meeting to present an updated report. No further developments have been received with respect to the National Institutes of Health phase of the over-all program. General Hull went on to state that with respect to the immediate public relations, program this had since been approved by the Public Relations Policy Committee and that the first wide-scale mailing of material was scheduled for May 11. Following discussion, it was agreed that should additional funds for the emergency program, over and above the $20,000 already authorized, be required during the summer months the matter would be handled by the Executive Committee. (c) 88th MCA Annual Meeting. A tentative program of events, starting with an Executive Committee meeting at 5:00 p.m. and a dinner meeting of the Board of Directors, beginning at 6:00 p.m. on Wednesday, June 8, was discussed and agreed to. The Secretary briefly reviewed the registration situation. He reported that the voluntary system of hotel space allocation under which he was authorized to operate had been working quite well. Outside motel space is again being utilized for staff and overflow registrants, and it appears that a new record attendance will be set. Mr. Crass was authorized to transmit to Executive Contacts for the Annual Meeting a mailing consisting of tentative program, new budgei and method of financing, amendment to the By-Laws, and Nominations Committee selections for Officers and Directors for the new fiscal year. (d) Annual Report. Draft of the I960 Annual Report for Directors' review was mailed to Board members on May 2 with a request that comments be received not later than May 16. The draft, comprising 75 pages, will be brought up to date to reflect developments up until the time of its printing. The printed report will be mailed to Executive Contacts and Committee members on June 9 -the day of the 88th Annual Business Meeting. CMA 067796 (6 80) (e) President's Contract. Mr. Dawson stated that, subject to General Hull's re-election as President of the Association at the Annual Meeting on June 9, I960, the Executive Committee had renewed the contract of General Hull for an additional year on the current basis. V. TECHNICAL AND FUNCTIONAL COMMITTEE APPOINTMENTS. The following committee appointments were approved: (a) Air Pollution Abatement Committee. E. M. Adams, The Dow Chemical Company, as Chairman. O. C. Thompson, Union Carbide Corporation, as Vice Chairman. (b) Chemical Packaging Committee. R. F. Uncles, American Cyanamid Company, as Chairman, A. C. Clark, Rohm & Haas Company, as Vice Chairman. (c) Public Relations Advisory Committee. Walter Goerg, Jr,, Air Reduction Company, Inc. VI. TECHNICAL COMMITTEE REPORT -- PLASTICS. Mr. Dawson called on Mr. T. J. Kinsella, Chairman of the MCA Plastics Committee, for his report. Mr. Kinsella talked for approximately 15 minutes summarizing all phases of the plastics program, including fundamental research, plastics in construction, Underwriters' Laboratories program, and miscellaneous projects. A summarization of Mr. Kinsella's remarks is attached to these Minutes. VII. STAFF REPORT AND MISCELLANEOUS ITEMS. (a) Legislative. Those present were handed copies of a summarized activity report in this field. General Hull reviewed briefly the progress of specific bills of direct interest to the chemical industry. (b) Education and Public Relations. Activity reports relating to the Education and Public Relations programs were distributed. These were highlighted by General Hull with respect to the film program, the I960 College Chemistry Teacher Awards, and the long-range food additives PR program. (c) Governor's Automation Planning Conferences. The Secretary referred to recent invitations sent to companies in the chemical and other fields by the Governors of Massachusetts and New York inviting them to conferences to be held during early June with respect to automation and means for employing workers dis placed by technologic* improvements. Reference was also made to the proposed President's Tripartite "Summit" Conference in Washington whereby industry, labor, and Government representatives would study the possibility of setting up guide lines of collective bargaining policies to promote labor-management stability and peace in the U. S. Both matters were considered at a recent meeting of the Industrial Relations Advisory Committee. The Secretary was directed by that group to report to the Directors the Committee's recommendation that invitations to all such conferences CMA 067797 J T (681) be declined and attendance avoided by MCA members. In the case of the'Automation Conferences, the Industrial Relations Advisory Committee felt that the chemical industry has had consistent technologic improvement (automation) traditionally without undue dislocation of workers and that conferences of the type planned would only serve to provide labor spokesmen with opportunities for attaching evil or sinister connotations to the phrase. With respect to the proposed "Summit" Conference, the Committee felt that discussions with labor and Government leaders bearing on industry-wide practices and agree ments might impinge on or jeopardize the industry's traditional plant-by-plant bargaining procedures. No action was taken by the Board on these matters. (d) Canadian Conference. The Secretary stated that he had accepted an invitation to meet with the Executive Contacts of Canadian member firms in Montreal on April 29. Purpose of the conference was to discuss ways and means whereby our Canadian members could obtain maximum usefulness from the Association and participate actively in many of its activities. Tentative preferences for technical and functional committee assignments have been entered by ail 12 Canadian members. These will be further discussed and screened, and it is expected that nominations for appointments will be presented to the Board for consideration at an early meeting. (e) Chemical Statistics Handbook. The Secretary reported that the fifth edition of the MCA Chemical Statistics Handbook, comprising 529 pages, would be ready for distribution to members and the public in about one week's time. Under preparation for approximately one year, the Handbook brings up to date a statistical series of official figures which was begun by the Association in 1940. V (f) Smithsonian Institution. It was reported that the industry subcommittee had recently met with officials of the Smithsonian Institution to further discuss the proposed chemical industry exhibit. Decision has now been made to have this consist of a pilot plant scale synthetic ammonia facility. The Institution will supply MCA shortly with a list of needed items, and the Association, in turn, will make the list available to its membership. "V (g) New York World Fair. In connection with industry exhibits at the New York World Fair in 1964, question has been raised concerning whether or not a chemical industry exhibit should be considered under MCA sponsorship or whether exhibit representation should be provided by private firms as has been the case in the past. It was the consensus that, because of a number of factors, including the high cost of a project of this nature, suchnexhihit should be handled*, by individual companies and not by the Association. There being no further business to come before the meeting, it was unani mously resblved to adjourn. APPROVED: David H. Dawson Acting Chairman M. F. Crass, Jr. Sec retary Attachment. CMA 067798 Report of the Plastics Committee by Chairman T, J, Klnsella to the Board of Directors, May 10, i960 Attachment The Plastics Committee operates under terms of reference estab lished by the Board of Directors, and consists of 12 representatives, serving a stated period .on a rotating basis. General problems of the material manufacturers pertaining to tariffs, safety, packaging, and legislation are referred to existing technical and functional committees of the Association. Special subcommittees dealing with plastics projects and problems, such as research and technical matters, construction, and flammable hazards of plastics in appliances, were active during the year. The 50 member companies interested In plastic materials have found it appropriate to sponsor and jointly finance special projects not entered into by the balance of the MCA membership. Expenditures for these in the current year will amount to approximately $57,000, divided into three main categories -- namely, fundamental research projects, a general program on furtherance of the use of plastics in building and construction, and an extensive study of flammable hazards of plastics used in electrical appliances. In all of the plastics activities, and particularly in that of the building and construction field, Mr. Klnsella emphasized that close liaison is maintained with other industry groups such as The Society of the Plastics Industry, to guard against unnecessary expenditures and duplication of effort. He stressed that this is working very well and cited examples such as the Underwriters' Laboratories project, which is being handled entirely by the MCA, and the public relations program on the plastics film garment bags which was handled by the SPI. Plastics Research. Interested member firms, through the voluntary financial package, have underwritten fundamental research at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology since December 1945. This has been so successful that MIT has attracted support from other sources, and MCA member financing has been reduced to $7,500 per year. A similar project, at a rate of $15,000 per year, was established in De cember 1958 at Case Institute of Technology. One significant development growing out of the pioneer work of the MIT project Is the Instron testing machine, now widely used in laboratories throughout the plastics, textile and rubber industries. Safety Aspects of Plastics in Appliances. Early in 1959, the Under writers'1 laboratories 3et up rigorous requirements and test procedures for room air conditioners. This was prompted in part by the feeling that plastics as combustibles are replacing metals In domestic ap pliances, resulting in an increase in the amount of fuel available for fire, and the Laboratories questioned this trend from a viewpoint of fire hazard. The last MCA Annual Report on this subject closed with the statement: "Every effort is being taken to bring about better understanding and confidence between the staff of the Laboratories and the technical people of the plastics Industry." The material manu facturers feel that this objective has been achieved. CMA 067799 2 During the past year, six member representatives, well versed in technology of all plastic materials used in appliances, were des ignated to work with the Laboratories as a Technical Steering Com mittee to draft a research project to cover UL investigations. A project supported solely by MCA plastics producers was authorized in September, and studies by the Laboratories have been under way since that time. The original rigorous test procedures and requirements for conditioners have been modified; progress is being made in cate gorizing plastics by their physical properties and burning behavior; and UL has expressed a desire to consult with makers of appliances in formulating new designs prior to production tooling. September 30, 1961, still is the target date set by the Labora tories for all plastic parts in room air conditioners to be made of self-extinguishing material when combustibles are used internally. ! Interested Association members currently are providing samples in a ' wide variety of plastic molding materials and foams for the Laboratories I to determine whether categories can be established as to safety aspects ! The next phase in the MCA project will be development of design cri- '' teria for appliances based on enlargement of the current test program. Since designers plan as much as two years in advance and because of the well established practice of having an Underwriters' label on appliances, the attitude of the Laboratories on use of plastics is very Important and may affect future markets. Building and Construction. The plastics in building program is carried forward by the Association in close cooperation with The Society of the Plastics Industry. In support of that group's continuing building code negotiations concerning plastics building products, MCA's program has been addressed to building inspectors, fire-protection laboratories, and designers, such as architects and engineers. Along with the SPI, the staff and member building representatives are coop erating with the National Fire Protection Association, the Federal Housing Agency, and the three leading Building Officials groups in the United States concerned with model code writing. A plastics-In-bullding seminar was conducted at the Association's Semi-Annual Meeting in New York City last November. The Chairman of the American Institute of Architects' Building-Code Committee and repre sentatives of. 'i&e lumber and aluminum industries discussed problems and opportunities presented by building as an important potential market for plastics. ^ At the suggestion of the Plastics in Building Committee, an MCA Safety Guide on proper storage of foamed plastics is in preparation; this will be addressed primarily to fire marshals, building inspectors, and other safety engineers. To Inform architects and other designers as to important properties of plastics used in building, a forthcoming Issue of a leading architectural magazine will be devoted to "plastics in architecture" at the proposal of, and with important assistance by, the MCA staff. Along similar lines, presentations on the subject CMA 067800 continue to be given before architectural students and municipal JI ! ( 1 les ts. I . ; 3 building inspectors. In addition, a new chapter treating plastics and other chemicals used in shelter was added to the 1960-61 edition of the Chemical Industry Facts Book. The Southwest Research Institute study for the Plastics Group on the fire safety of plastics in building under present code regu lations is nearing completion. No experimental or other test work is involved but rather a study by fire-protection specialists to estab lish the position of plastics building products in the fire-safety and regulatory picture compared to traditional materials. The study's conclusions will be accompanied by recommendations for fur ther research on fire testing of plastics or other aspects of the problems. It is expected that this project will provide a basis for more authoritative recommendations to building code groups. It will also provide guidance for the industry in further development of plastics for building, Results will be made freely available for the use of building officials, fire marshals, and fire-protection specialists, as well as plastics Industry people, architects, and other technicians. Miscellaneous. In the materials-handling field, a workshop concerned with bulk handling procedures for pelletized or granular plastic materials was held under the general direction of a subcommittee of the Chemical Packaging Committee. It was attended by materials handling engineers concerned mainly with structural specifications for large bulk equipment, such as hopper cars. This equipment is still in the development state with a growing number of different types in use; particular attention was given to loading and unloading ion attachments. Conferences of member plastic producers were held in September 1959 and May i960. Highlights of the September meeting were reports and discussions of the Association research projects, and an address on "Science in Government in the Space Age" by a science writer of the New York Times. e- *##***#** ket In summarization of financing for the projects carried on by Interested plastic members, Mr. Klnsella stated an Increased budget would be necessary next year, to a total of $71,000 (25# over 1959-60). Practically all of this increase is due to the acceleration of the 3 , Underwriters' Laboratories project. bfl to 4' May 12, i960 CMA 067801