Document DvJNXJveoX0j5Gg2O6o9prqe5

FILE NAME: Asbestos Mining (ASMI) DATE: 1949 DOC#: ASMI013 DOCUMENT DESCRIPTION: Book Excerpt - Asbestosis r V. I The asbestos deposits in the eastern town ships of Quebec are the most extensive in North l America, and since along about 1890 have ! enabled Canada to maintain world leadership in the production of this valuable mineral. De mand tor asbestos fibre has steadily and im l mensely increased during these last 25 years; ninny new uses arc now being found for it; and all signs point to a further expansion of faci lities for its production in Quebec, known nnd f still uncxploited reserves there being very large. I It would therefore seem imperative* to examine the conditions under which the people of this region work and live. In so far as the past is concerned, invcstiga-l tion reveals that the exploitation of these mincj ral deposits has brought about an incalculable!, amount of unnecessary misery, chronic invalid-/ ism, and premature death to the district. 1 Today, approximately 30,DQ.O_liCPPlc live in the asbestos region of "Quebec. About one quarter of these are almost continuously e x posed to heavy and dangerous concentrations of the dust produced by the mining and pro cessing of asbestos, and therefore liable to con tract the fatal disease called asbestosis. The remaining three quarters of the population is unduly exposed lo pulmonary tuberculosis. I I Health conditions in these asbestos towns are appallingly bad. and the whole region has be come a charnel house almost beyond compare. There is no valid excuse for such n condition. And unless radical steps are taken immediately to eliminate it, fatal disease will be visited upon these people on a scale very Dutch greater titan in the past. Conditions in the asbestos towns vary. Pend ing u complete survey of the whole region, a description will be given here of the conditions which have prevailed, and which do now prev ail. at East Broughton, a village of approximately 3,000 persons, all French Canadians excepting for 20 to 25. This village is the site of an asbestos mine and plant operated by the Quebec Asbes- 3 -- ^ n s : tos Corporation, Ltd.,-- a subsidiary of / i n/ Philip Carey Mfg. Co. of Lockland (ncar/Cinr- cinuati), Ohio. U.S.A. / i THIS CASE PRESENTS A PARALLEL TO THAT OF ST. REMt D'AMHERST. HERE, AS THERE, WE ARE DEALINC FUNDAMENTALLY WITH THE STUPIDITY i MANIFESTED MUCH TOO OFTEN BY MEN IN THEIR RELATIONS WITH ONE ANOTHER. OVER AND ABOVE THAT, WE ARE DEALING WITH CRIMINAL NECLICENCE, RESPONSIBILITY FOR WHICH IS ' SHARED EQUALLY BY THE QUEBEC ASBESTOS COR PORATION, LTD. AND THE PROVINCIAL COVERN- , MENT OF QUEBEC. The social problem presented by East Broiifiliton is simple. But first, it is necessary to know the nature of the disease, or rather of the diseases, prmlueed in the individuals who assist in Ihe mining and processing of asbestos, if precautions are not taken to protect them from the hazards of the industry. I I ASBESTOS "Asbestos" is a commercial term implied to fibrous varieties of several minerals. Those minerals vary widely in composition. Generally, the asbestos found in Quebec consists of 40 to 44% silica and an approximately equal amount of magnesium, the remaining parts being iron, aluminum and water. The chief qualities of asbestos fibre arc strength, flexibility and noninflammabilily. It can be spun into thread and then woven into a very large variety of textiles. It is used in very large quantity for brake l in ings by the automobile industry; and it enters importantly into the manufacturing of building materials. This fibre lias in fact become indis pensable to modern industry; to detail the hundreds of ways in which it is employed would require book-length space. About 90J2 of the asbestos used in the United States, the w o r l d 's largest consumer, is imported from Quebec. Great Britain also imports asbestos from Quebec in large quantity. Therefore, the province oc cupies a very strong position in the produc tion of this mineral; American industry espe cially must go to it to obtain the asbestos it needs. Asbesfosis Each of the many handlings or manipulations of asbestos from the time it is extracted from the earth up to the time it is ready for use by the public (produces considerable asbestos dust. This dust consists of exceedingly fine threads of asbestos, some of which are miscroscopic in size and therefore invisible to the naked eye. To inhale this dust over a certain period of time means death. For this is a dust that destroys tissue essential to life wherever it comes to rest in the lungs. Asbestos is a pulmonary affliction due to the Inhalation of asbestos dust. Its onset is insi- dious; Is course irregular; and its mode of lenuhiaticui variable. It resembles silicosis in some respects, and differs from it in others. In simple silicosis, the lungs become spotted by separate mil fairly large lumps of fibrous tis sue which have been formed following upon tne destruction of normal" lung tissue by silica particles. The principal characteristic of nsbestosis, loo, is a progressive replacement of essential lung (issue by useless fibrous tissue,, which however tends to form a network. This process may be compared lo tbal by w h i c h Hie spider spreads its web. Asbestos dust that lias entered the lungs in ouuntity acts as though it w er e directed by a spider: it falls into place to produce long and vaguely connected filaments of fibrous tissue, which come lo form an indefinite and irregular pattern. All along belli sides of these filaments, air sacs collapse. Ami as more and more of the dust invades the lungs, more and more lines of destruction are laid down in them. Conse quently, the virlim of the disease becomes less and less able to gel enough oxygen to supply the needs of his body; lie thus becomes ever tud ever weaker; very s lowl y and under the most distressing cicumstnnces, bis lungs arc pro gressively destroyed; and lie himself finally suffocates lo dealt). Asbestosis and its complications Asbestosis is :i disease that progresses very slowly; and its victim becomes extraordinarily susceptible lo infections, since his natural re sistance to disease is gradually being worn doavn. Thus usually, death oerurs hy way of an acute pulmonary infection with which his weakened body lias been unable to cope successfully, or by way of serious impairments of bodily mec hanisms. The basic cause of dentil in these rases is asbestosis, aijit not (lie pneumoni a, pul monary tuberculosis, heart disease, etc. Hint are much ioo often certified as the cause of deal)). To give but one example of the above: the person who lias a partially developed asbestosis lias io.sl the services of a certain proportion of the respiratory area of his lungs. Therefore, his blood is insufficiently aerated. And in order lo serve tlic tissues of bis whole body, his in sufficiently aerated blood must circulate faster and in greater volume Hum in a normal person. This puls ail aihicd strain nil his heart, whi c h must do more work and gels less rest-~n condilion that leads lo heart difficulties, especially enlargement of the heart. Finally, Hie strain of maintaining circulation through lungs i>;ti tia! 1v destroyed by asbestos dust becomes iu.siippoi talilc, and dentil results from heart dise ase -- a heart disease brought about directly by asbes tos is. Sign?, symptoms and conclusions Tbo principal si fins of n developed or of a developing asbcslo.sis arc: irritation of Hie nose, throat, and upper respiratory tract: in creasing shortness of breath; cough, sometimes v e t sometimes dry: loss of appetite and of wei ght; weakness and loss of rapacity Tor work; and chest pains. An early case will show only a few of these symptoms; mi advanced case wilt usually sho w all. Apparently, increasing short ness of breath and cough in ttie asbestos worker arc signs that the deadly disease is establishing itself in him. lie should get out of the dust immediately and at all costs. However, this is an incurable disease. And if fibrosis of his lungs has progressed lip to a certain point, removal from the dust will not save him from fatal consequences, although it will probably prolong bis life. The individual w ho has inhaled an amount of asbestos dust sufficient to produce extensive fibrosis will sooner or later die of the disease n m l /o r its 'complications, unless that person's life is cut short by an accident nr by some oilier unconnected disease. It has been estab- lishrd that work in dense concentrations of asbestos dust over a comparatively short period of lime-- two or three years --can eventually lead to a profound fibrosis of the lungs. Ordinarily, it takes s ome whe re within five years for the disease to develop in the individual exposed to the dust, somcfiines it may lake up to ten years, and sometimes up to 15, to 20 and 25 years. The rate of progress seems to depend upon the amount of dust inhaled, and upon the constitu tion oT the individual himself. It mnv tie noted that this is a disease that takes root in the younger workers more ouicklv Ilian it docs ip- the middle-aged: but no one is immune to it. Not as much is known about nsbestosis as is about * silicosis. Nevertheless, all the facts essential i to the welfare of Hie people exposed to (lie I hazards of asbestos dust have been well-known in North American mining and medical circles for at least tlie.se last 15 years. - Very little, work and research in Hie field of asbcslo.sis have been accomplished by Hie C.arta- 7 -- 1 i i i i > dian medical profession, the mitlioritntivc lilcralnrr on the .subject, having hern produced mainly in Great Britain and the United States. Significantly enough, this literature seems to rlcal with situations where asbestos workers were exposed to much lesser concentrations of the hint than arc Quebec workers. Asbestosis and pulmonary tuberculosis English medical authorities generally agree that asbestosis and pulmonary tuberculosis arc closely connected, that one disease helps to produce, or has an important adverse effect, upon the other. American medical authorities arc inclined to reicct such an opinion. The evidence in Quebec overwhelmingly favors Hie pre-eminent work of English research workers in tin's field, pulmonary tuberculosis being ram pant throughout the Quebec asbestos region to an almost incredible degree. For example: the very large majority of workers at Thclford Mines is almost coiQinuously exposed to extraordinarily heavy concentrations of asbestos dust, and most of the gcncr.%1 popula tion itself is exposed in some degree to the dust, since much of it is at large in and about the village. On the other hand, the people and xvorkers of Sorel and of Granby arc not exposed to asbestos dust at nil. Let us then compare death rates officially attributed to pulmonary tuber culosis in those three towns, which lead them selves well to comparison. Official 1942 1943 1914 death rates attributed to pulmonary tuberculosis (FOR 100.000) , Sorel Granbu Thclford Mines G4.2 89.5 301.4 39.3 40.2 391.7 61.8 65.4 23G.1 Similar evidence may be obtained by compar ing Hie tuberculosis mortality rates at Thetiord Mines with those of any t own in Quebec, al ways excepting (1) ttiosc town in whi ch Ihc people arc exposed to asbestos dust, and (2) places like St. Remi d 'Amherst, where special conditions explain beyond doubt the extraor- dinarily high incidence of this contagious disease. Confronted by the abnormally Til fill tubercu losis mortality rales at Tlictford Mines, neither the medical profession nor the provincial gov ernment can evade the issue, and both arc under obligation to make a choice between two alternatives: either inhalation of asbestos dust pre disposes to and aggravates pulmonary tubercu losis, or many deaths certified at Tlictford Mines as having been due to tuberculosis were inac curately diagnosed, and in reality were due to asbestosis. There arc no other reasonable ex planations for the ghastly phenomenon in pul monary tuberculosis presented by Tlictford Mines. The people of this town cannot afford to wait until it is convenient for the medical profession and the provincial government to make a choice: control and elimination of the dust is the obvious and obligatory procedure at this time. K is not possible for the private investigator to obtain official dcatli rates for p u l m m a r y tuberculosis at East Broughton. But certainly, these are as high as those of Tlictford Mines, and perhaps higher. By means of detailed ease records, whi ch may lie taken as typical rather than as exceptions, we shall show that wor ki ng conditions in the mine and plant operated b y the Ouebec Asbestos Corporation arc sueli as to produce asbestosis, and to favor pulmonary tuberculosis, singly or together. THEBE IS NO CURE FOR ASBESTOSIS. BUT IT IS PREVENTABLE. -- II -- EAST BROUGHTON The village The sight of East Broughton in the twilight from the train approaching the village produces a feeling of horror in the visitor who is more or less informed regarding lhe nature of nsbestosis. Some three quarters of the way up the side of the hill at one end of the village there stands a large ugly building. From the roof and from about the sides of this building, there is pouring wind seems to bo a dense, dirly-looking smoke, so heavy and so abundant that is partially obs cures the building and tIre whole western end of the village. The light coming through the windows from inside the building changes tile "smoke" in tile immediate vicinity to a sort of roseate color, and the first impression is that a tremendous fire is raging inside the building. It requires considerable effort on the part of the visitor to dismiss this thought of " fire", anti then to accept the fact ihat Ibis "s mo ke " is in reality deadly asbestos dust. On alighling from the train am! entering the village, one found the air literally filled wilh the dust. Short, tiny threads of asbestos dust were pouring down as woidd a heavy rain upon the streets and houses. So thick was this dust that the street lights turned on in the early evening w e re dim med by it, while houses only a short distance away seemed to be enveloped by fog. Eater, it is Jenrncd that at various points of the roof of tlie large building on the hillside, there arc fifteen chimneys, each about a foot wide, which, excepting for Sundays, belch forth every moment of the night and day a thick and heavy volume of asbestos dust into the air. Aside from these, there is still another much wider chimney adjoining the building, and it too is conlimiously adding its share to 10 the enormous cloud of dust constantly over mid about the building. This ever-renewed mass of dust is picked up by lhe wi nd, and carried wherever tins last wills. For the largest part of the year, the wind and air currents over the building flow from the west, pick up this per petual mass of dust, and c a n y it over and down into the village immediately below. Fortunately, these air currents and the contour of the land are such that only alumt half of the village is enveloped by Ibis flow of dust. Tlud part of the dust w hi c h is not deposited upon the streets and houses of the western end of the village drifts down into and upon the fanning lauds of the valley across w hi c h tlie long main street of the village lies. One hundred anil fifty families comprising some 880 persons live in the part of the village exposed to prolonged falls of dust. So thick does the dust lie upon the sidewalks and streets of this part of the village for most of the time that pedestrians mul automobiles leave visible tracks after they have passed along. The dust lies heavily upon the porches of these homes, especially in the summertime when children can play out of doors. And as they play, they inevitably kick up. little clouds of asbestos dust into the air they are inhaling. ^ Many of these families have a small garden lok the rear of their homes. So much asbestos dust lias fallen upon the ground that it lias become impoverished. The farmers in the valley have complained bitterly about the damage done to their land by the dust. One of them who wanted I to set lip n milk plant on his property was for bidden to do so by the provincial government's Agricultural Bureau; too much asbestos dust would get into the milk. The Bureau might have added that Ibis dust lias an adverse effect upon cattle loo, whether they inhale it or eat it, or both. To open the windows of homes in this part of the village means to let In the storm of asbestos dust raging outside for the largest part of the time. Sometimes, when the wind is blowing the dust away from the village, these people go to bed nt night, opening their w in do w s a little. During the night, the wind may change in direction, and bring the dust down upon the village. And when the villagers wake up, their fares, bedclotliing, and homes are literally covered by dust. As a general rule, all wi ndows of the houses are kepi lightly closed, sometimes for days and nighls on end, and somethimes for -- 11 -- every moment of an entire working week; i.d. from 12.30 of a Monday morning to 12 o 'clock the next Saturday night. Nevertheless, asbestos dust seeps into these houses in quantity, despite all efforts to prevent it. On a morning after as bestos dust had streamed over a house ail night long, I have rubbed a finger along window sill inside, and collected a sizable and visible amount of dust upon it, although I had carefully cleaned that wi ndow sill of all dust the previous evening, and all wi ndows of the house had been Jeept tightly closed alt night long. To have entered the house, this dust must have been microscopic in size, which is to say the size most dangerous to health. Evidently, it had entered in such quantity as to become visible h.v force of accu mulation. A sclioolhou.se ntlcndcd by 170 children rang ing in age from 0 to 10 lies in the path of lire dust coming down upon the village. The brick outside of this building is stained a dirty grey by the dust. Windows must be kept closed most of the time. Microscopic dust nevertheless seeps into the class room, and circulates in the air being inhaled by the children. The mine This asbestos mine is now an enormous hole in the earth. Dislodging the crude asbestos from tFie walls- and floor of this pit requires first drilling and then the use of dynamite, both of which give rise to considerable dust, as does the loading of the broken pieces of the material, ami the hauling of it to (lie processing plant. l-'or reasons that remain obscure to this investigator, the literature dealing with asbestos mining gives the impression that the amount of asbestos dust produced in such pits is relatively small, and generally insufficient to lie a menace to.the health of the miners. Faced with such an at titude, one must remain skeptical white awaiting an accurate count of the visible and invisible asbestos dust at large in any pit under considcr.nl ion. Tills pit at East Broughton is several hundred feet dee]), and surely the air at its bottom must be more or less stagnant. A number of men work there for many hours at a stretch, and when observed were not wearing masks as protection against the dust unquestionably at large in it. Drilling methods used in this pit arc `'dry". Drilling is arduous work, and the drillers have to bend over close to the uoiqt where the dust is being produced. Consequently, they arc t^aaeamecszaaG! f breathing deeply In n clout! of asbestos dust for , i \ hours at a time. It should be noted that ''dry" * ( drilling methods are less costly to the operators { ' of the mine than are other methods of drilling. Neither water, nor oil, nor dust traps arc used ( ' 'a n y w h e r e in this pit to help keep the dust out 1 of the air being inhaled by Ihr workers. The / demand for asbestos fibre is so great lhal this pit is operated in all sorts of weather, night \ and day. Whenever possible, the men take shelter against the rain, snow or cold in a I \ small cabin near the place they arc working. ( j Tills hut also serves as their eating place, and ' I is so poorly ventilated that it constitutes a sort of dust trap in itself. No precaution whatsoever is taken to protect the men in this pit against asbestos dust. Condi tions in it arc such as to produce asbestosis, and to fnvor pulmonary tuberculosis. As a rule, only strong young men are employed in such pits; the rigorous work combined to excessive exposure to dampness, wetness and cold is such that others cannot hold down the job for any length of time. The plant Approximately 125 men and 2 women work in or immediately about the plant operated by the. Quebec Asbestos Corporation. It is not necess ary to give a detailed description of the pro cedures by which asbestos fibre is separated . from the crude material in which it occurs. Sufficient to say here that the raw material is fed into a scries of powerful machines tlinl n u s h it into ever smaller pieees. the wanted fibres meanwhile being progressively detached from it. AH these various procedures give rise to enor mous amounts of asbestos dust, both of the vis ible and invisible. No part of Ibis Hast llrotigliton plant is free of heavy concentrations of the dust. In most parts of this large plant. Hie air assumes an indefinite greyish color because of {be dust at large in it; in other parts, the air is so thickly filled wilh dust that workmen and machi nery a short distance away appear as indistinct shadows. The ventilation system is utterly inadequate to cover the needs of ttic situation, despite the fnel that it is almost continuously belching forth into the outside air an unbelievably large amount of the dust. Aside from this ineffective ventilation system, no at tempt whatsoever is made to suppress or to control the* dust continuously produced in the -- 13 -- plant when in operation. The workers are not provided with masks of any kind by the Com pany. As may he expected, asbestos dust lies thickly upon the machinery, floors and stair ways of this plant. All the workers in the East Broughton plant cough much during their working hours, and for some time afterwards, in an inslinelive and uncontrollable effort to expel the dust they have inhaled. This coughing is followed by profuse spitting, tlie masses of moist material spit out being discolored by asbestos dust. In the course of lime, all this brings about deep and chronic irritation and inflammation of the upper respira tory tract. This allows the microscopic and more dangerous particles of the dust to pene trate into the lungs more cosily than formerly, and renders the individual concerned highly susceptible to infections, especially to pulmonary Inberculosis, present in Hast Broughton people to an extraordinary degree. Whenever it is warm outside, the workmen generally keep open the many windows on each of the five floors of this iaVge plant. But at other times of the year, and whenever the wi nd is blowing hard, all the wi ndows are kept closed. This building is not heated. Thus the temperature inside for the largest part of the year is damp, cold or frigid, as anyone living in Quebec will readily understand. On each floor there is a sold of booth about five feet suuaro, in which the men can find some measure of protection against inclement temperatures, since il contains a small sieve. Naturally, they niie into Ibis booth whenever possible, which for''some of the workmen is fairly often, the nature of their work permitting it. 'Phis cabin is poorly built, asheslos dust of at sizes seeps into it. and comes in whenever the door is opened to let a man in or out. There is a small open hole in its roof. Whenever the room becomes unbearably filled with the dust, the men open Ihe small w i nd ow in it, thus creating a draft that clears the air of the largest part of the dust, not all by any means, as any engineer would testify. Excepting for the summer months, the work men eat their mid-working day meal here and there wherever convenient Inside the plant. A special hootIi such as that described above is used by many of the men as ending place. This " dining" room (about 20 x 10 f e d) is .sometimes so crowded at meal times that some of the men have to cat standing up. This room is extra- ordinarily dirly, its wsills not having been painted for many years. Ils floor is encrusted thickly by the slinking accumulation of spit, dust, and filth of ns many years. Several years ago, the men asked the management to have the place cleaned and painted. This rcaucst was refused. Thereupon, the men asked that they be sup plied with paint, adding (hat they would paint the room themselves. This reipiest ton was refused. Here then is this " dining room" in which the men regularly gather-- strong healthy young men who have worked in the plant for only a few months; men predisposed to pulmonary tuberculosis and the whole category of pul monary infection; men who have worked in the plant for a year or so and whose health is lining undermined hy inhalation of asbestos dust; mcn who have developed asbestosis and who exhibit llm signs and symptoms to a moderate or to ail advanced degree; and men alflieted at one singe or another by contagious pulmonary disease all coughing and spilling in profusion all over the place, either from the dust at large in the room, or from sore throat, bronchitis, or pulmonary tuberculosis, or from a developing or an established asbestosis. And this has gone on continuously in n room that has not been properly cleaned and painted for many years. Dozens oT men, some now dead and gone, sonic presently fatally ill with as bestosis and/or its complications, have lingered in this room of perstilencc, and the time lias long since passed when it should have been wiped off the face of the earth hy the Company and (lie government responsible for its exist ence. Some of the men working in and about the plant use the tinsmith's simp as an eating place. But dust conditions in it arc not much belter than anywhere else in the plant. The toilet places in Hie plant are foul and abominable, and like all oilier parts of the plant, ususally saturated hy asbestos dust. After years of neglect, these places have very recently been repainted. Two young wo me n (each about 18 years of age) work in n small rooip easily penetrated hy the dust produced in the plant. Their work is to repair and to prepare the hags in which asbestos fibre is shipped lo its destination. Theirs is a dusty lob in its own right, and the literature on asbestosis rails attention to its danger. 15 -- Hic cIolLin H,c w orkm en w e ar Js encrusted von J ty R'-yish-SJ-ecn asbestos dust. Dust m, S ?,"ly. overlays their i,:imls and faces a d : . o s / s f r ...... t e . Conclusions re plant M.i,loiC1'c ist 1101 il sil,K,c P'ace in this niant to as Inch workmen can retire from the dust for won ,% ovci-Vf or 1most'1n f 'n ! lhcil' W0V,tin p$ ; sieppinK hours. More' J)nr}f .of Nie "dant l l s e i c ' After onlv^lE Vninulcs V ' Z W a l n * spitCal,'inK * * . n i rial government to protect the hoit ! V r h i >;cn. Perhaps the best w a v to e h lorn c hh' -- 16 -- j , -- Ill -- CASH HISTORIES l Dossier No. 53 J o fiy 011 Cin* uantctrols dlcd ln 1M0 at tlio ago of ,1C ''v.aa about fifteen years of age, ho fti.noin,. <^Sio,rfaWrOarscc"an1b,lce ?lelalcrbncecd,Ahsebedstiods nCoot rwpoorrak, na.de the plant itself. He was stationed in rii C;;CLcd Passageway which led from the in- nwnv fvn, ,h<i . bu-n "1R to a ,,oint SOl,,c distance vovoyr r Hof u I h !s. Pnsaa?cway housed a conacyor, that is, macJimcry that carried waste as- S V K P1"1'3ria oulr oi {he plant and dumped it on j1UR,e F r.c^lsc always prominent out side asbestos plants in Quebec. Tlicrc is a large amount of dust continually at large throughout X i `,S, P,assaewi,y. I l ' i c h is unvenatcd an5 un healed. Consequently, the temperature inside is lways damp, and most of the year cold or frigid. kI m J 1 Passageway that Lon labored for V F dray' oflcn for sixteen hours a day, over a period of years -- this without any pro- sucJl worki ng conditions beyond tbat which Ins own body afforded *}, b y .aid y u g Pian, Lon's health was fi.c ,1 i n re, ls n record of tuberculosis cither in his mothci s family or in his father's. He mar- l i e d at the age of nineteen. As do all these work- TM n> w:!l,cth,cr thcy. be in good health or not, he too couched occasionally, but no attention was I ' paid since it is the usual state of affairs m to c"noRu, ;gmh0Umt 011?c r' his wife noticed that frequently, sometimes he began a tlcy cough, sometimes wet. As the months we nt on this cough progressively increased in frequency and in intensity. . Lon then noticed that he nc d easily, especially when walking lIp he hill to Ins work and that lie would arrive there out of b. call;. He began to lose weight; and exertion of any laud produced nu out-of-breath feeling Inevitably, AND AS COULD HAVE BEEN EOBESEEN YEARS PREVIOUSLY, Lon fell into serious illness, so serions he hud to give up work. Whereupon, Jic entered an hospital in Quebec City where, according to his wife, the doctors did not tell him much of anything about Ins illness. Not feeling any better aller staying in the hos pital five months, he became discouraged, and returned home. On his departure, hospital anthorilics did not volunteer any information that might have helped him in respect to his malady. Leon's home was so situated as to receive a good deal of the dust bclelicd out by the plant, especially in the summertime, 'Nevertheless, he rested there for some three months. At Die ciul of that time, lie had been eight months without i n come, and since he had a wife and seven children to support, feed and clothe, lie was compelled to disregard his malady. He returned to work at the Quebec Asbestos Corporation. This time he was set to work at small and " easy" jobs in the yard and in small sheds immediately outside the plant. But, and as previously recorded here, the atmosphere there is heavily tilled with dust most of the time, as heavily saturated by it as is the atmosphere of some parts ol the plant itself. Liven a normal person in full health cannot stay in this yard for as long as fifteen minutes without expe riencing some difficulty in breathing. IIow Lon managed to disregard his distress and to work in (his yard for the next three years must ever remain an imperishable tribute to his fortitude and lo his sense of devotion to his fam ' ily. One early morning after lie had completed his tasks during the night-shift, lie started down the hill for home, coughing, spitting, arid this time bringing up blood in guantilv. Blindly and . .instinctively, lie staggered toward bis home and finally readied it, having left a long trail of his blood upon the snow. It is wife met him at the door. Ity this time his face had become chalkisli in color and flecked with blood. Ilis wife des patched some of the children to the doctor and lo the priest, and led him lo a sink in the kitchen, had him sit down, and held out a basin under bis lips to receive the life-blood that was now pouring out of him profusely. In a few minutes, lie fell over into her arms, and died. To this day, this family does not know the cause of Lon's death. The doctor w ho attended, him after death, and who supposedly filed the death certificate, did not volunteer any information on this subject. The family has never applied for compensation either from the Company or from -- 18 luiMitiijai.jwaggwttguw; the government. Leon's wi f e suspected llint sonicIiow her husband's dentil was tied up with as bestos dust, and she had heard n vague rumor about "compensation" -- a long word. The idea of compensation in connection with her hus band's dentil seemed fantastic to her, since she was aware that no one in similar c imi ns t anc es in Hast Broughton w as collecting it. Nevertheless she inquired here and there, hut no one knew anything about it until she .struck a notary. it so happened that early in life Lon had de cided to save mone y and to protect his family by investing in life insurance. Accordingly, lie had insured his life for $7,000. Considering the low rale of pay prevailing at the Quebec Asbcslos Corporation before the war. it remains a mystery as to ho w he managed to support his family and to pay his insurance premiums too. But he did. News that his w id ow was collecting $7,000 insur ance money travelled fast in the small village. The notary whom she consulted told her she could not obtain compensation, since she had collected on her husband's life insurance policy -- a lamentable piece of misinformation that in fluenced her to give up all thought of claiming compensation. In connection with this insur ance money, it is wort hwhi l e noting that an agent of ``Les Mres Ncessiteuses" did not appear nt her door. No help was forthcoming from any quarter. The family tightened its belt, and has so far managed its resources-well. The two eldest girls, now twenty -one and twenty respectively, nre teaching school. 'Another girl, aged sixteen, is attending Normal School nt Tlictford Mines. Three of the children arc under sixteen, and slill at school in the village. But Lion's eldest son is in a sanatorium, seriously ill, shadows on Ills lungs. Dossier No. 14 Maurice Qualorze died in 10IG at the age of 5(5.' lie had worked for the Quebec Asbestos (Cor poration approximately 25 years, most of the time in parts of the plant where the dust is not so thick as in some oilier parts. But bis wife reports that he had also worked for various indefinite periods of time "in the dust", which i is to say in the language of the people, in heavy concentrations of the dust. She savs that on !ii arrival home from work his clothing would } he covered with the dirty whitish dust, and I that sometimes lie would remark, "Today, the dust was so thick where I worked that it could I -- 19 -- t li ............................................. . ..I. - -T--------- r^.-. have been cut with n knife." Some five to six years previous to his death, Maurice began to feel weak, incapable of work, and generally ill nl case physically and mentally, all this ac companied by much coughing. He consulted a doctor and was told lie had asthma, and that lie would recover from this illness. He continued at his work. Maurice lived in a small poorly built cottage situated in close and direct line to receive a full share of the avalanche of dust coming down upon the village for most of the time. All w i n dows in such a house are kept tightly closed in an effort to keen the dust out. His wi f e reports that he had great difficulty in breathing, that lie choked easily, and that he coughed a good deal. She snvs he would wake up in the night gasning for breath, and that lie would cry out in desper ation that Ihc wi ndo w s be opened. This was a man in cruel and ominous distress, and not to be denied. The wi ndo w s were opened. Where upon. a veritable storm of dust would blow into his room and all through the house. Having obeyed an imperative instinct to take action -- no matter bow blind-- lo relieve his agony. Maurice would calm down a bit, go oTf into a fitful sleep, meanwhile inhaling more and more of the death-dealing dust that now saturated the house. And in a room near him lay his son. whose subsequent stomach ailments and operations arc usually closely associated with an anxiety and fear complex. Maurice became more and more ill, and lie finally had to give up work* altogether some three months prior to bis dentil. Such was bis suffering and misery that lie was removed to an hospital in Quebec City. There, according to his wife, lie was told he bad "enlargement of the heart", and that be woul d never get well, lie was also told that bis clinical picture was somewhat confused, and that the doctors could not say positively that he had cither silicosis or nsbesfosis. Shortly afterwards, Maurice died. As in the ease of hundreds of mop in Quebec, who have been or who arc now afflicted either by silicosis or by ashestosis, Maurice knew for a while Previous to his death that he was about to die, that he had born in fact condemned lo death, n u t nl this point in his case, there rulers an important factor, whi ch, so far as I know, has never been present in the eases of East Broiigldon men in similar position. Refo'-e he died, Maurice strongly advised his family to claim compensation from Ihc Company and the -- 20 -- Xfjatyttasr ax sa zzssz provincial government. How lie learned that his family had the right to make such n claim, and why he himself did not exercise his own right to make a claim while he was ill and alive, I cannot tell. The brutal fact is that, aside from Maurice, these Hast Broughton workmen and families have not known Jliat they p os sessed such rights in statute law ANI) in c o m mon law. Neither doctors or lawyers, nor muni I cipal and provincial authorities, nor politicians in or out of office, nor newspapers and maga zines, have told these people the facts regarding this matter. After having talked with very many workmen and their families in the village, f have yet to find a single person among them who had even an elementary knowledge as to the rights possessed bv all cilizcns in this respect. At any rate, Maurice's w i d o w applied for com- pcnsnlion, addressing her claim to "La Commis sion des Acci dent s". Her claim was summarily rejected on grounds that it had not been estab lished that Maurice had contracted any occupa tional disease compensable under the "Work men's Compensation Act of Quebec". The lcllcr received from "La Commission dcs Accidents" informed her that the ease was consequently considered closed. Maurice's wi dow is not eli gible to receive aid from the Bureau of " Lcs Mimes Ni ccssi t cuscs", since her children arc above the age of 1G. Her daughter is now 18, and has been unable to find work in the village. One son in practically an invalid as result of stomach ailments and operations cited above. The other son, a strong healthy young man lias on several occasions applied for work at the Quebec Asbestos Corporalion (praclicallv Iho only employment available in East Broughton), and for obscure reasons lias been refused e m ployment, although other men were being hired at Ihc time. This family of four is therefore living in ex ceedingly straightened circumstances. Dossier No. 105 Alphonse Centcinq died in 1942 at the age or forty-five. Beginning at the age of eighteen, he worked in the Quebe Asbestos Corporation plant for an indefinite number of years. He then transfered to another mine and plant then being opcralccl in the neighborhood, where lie worked again for an indefiiiilie number of years. Dust ennrii lions in this mine and plant too are reported to have been bad. Alphonse returned to work in the -- 21 -- '.dice Asbestos Corporation plant where, on this occasion, lie remained uninterruptedly for twelve jears. and up to a few months prior to his death. At the Quebec Asbestos Corporation plant, Al phonse was a "loader", his work consisting prin cipally of handling bags filled with asbestos fibre -- a very dusty job. This occupation is not child's play, requiring as it docs considerable exertion. Consequently, a "loader" is breathing deeply and heavily while performing his work. Each handling of a hag of asbestos fibre releases into the air a good deal of dust, especially the very fine invisible dust that is invariably fatal to the person who inhales it over a period of lime. Alphonse's w i d o w reports that her husband's clothing was abundantly covered by dust when lie arrived home from work, and that for hours afterwards, lie would cough vigorously and spit out dlrty-looking moist masses. It is worthy of note that much dust from his clothing was re leased daily into a house whose windows were kept lightly closed against the dust nt large in the village, and in which there lived his wife and eleven children. Eventually and inevitably, Alphonse fell into illness. Ills wife reports that his coughing progresivcly increased, and that he turned to various home-made remedies for relief. lie also consulted local doctors from time to lime, always paying for such consultations, and for various syrups and tonics supplied him. He also visited the cli nic at Thetford Mines, where x-rays of ills chest were taken. According to his wife, the doctors at the clinic told hi m nothing. Finally, the local doctors told Alphonse that lie should give up work altogether, that lie was very ill, and that lie had heart trouble. In oilier words, his heart could no longer do the work normally expected of it. hollowing his w i f e 's advice, and hoping for betterment, Alphonse ent ered an hospital in Quebec City. There, lie was told by the doctors that he had heart trouble, and by 111e nurses that the "enlargement of Ills heart" must he due to a "surprise" lie had recei ved. This story of a "surprise" lias since helped lo quiel the vague and healthy fear Alphonse's family had in connection with asbestos dust. Al phonse remained in the hospital for a month and a half, and then returned home to die ten days later at the age,of forty-five, f Iis widow was left with eleven children, the eldest 'being seventeen years of age and the youngest three. She has never applied for com pensation. She knows nothing whatsoever re garding her rights, and those of lier family, in -- 22 this respect. One fine clay .after Alphonse's death, there appeared mysteriously at leer door an agent of "I.cs Meres Neccssiteuses", a provin cial government relief organization. Some months after this visit -- and this is a long, long lime whe n there arc twelve persons to feed and clothe-- the family was officially placed on the relief roll of the Province: rate of relief about $50.00 per month. This beggarly allowance was for a whol e year the sole income of the family, licrc then was a family condemned to extreme poverty, lilach year since: Ihen. one of the chil dren has reached and passed the age of sixteen. Consequently, the monthly check received from "La Commission dcs Accicfenls" has each year be come smaller and smaller, while the cost of liv ing has scored progressively to everyone knows where. .. The condition of this family has ini moved very slightly during these last two years. The eldest daughter died at the age of twenty-one in 11)15 of a pulmonary disease in w hi c h malnutrition pays a prominent part. Two of the girls have left home, and are working in hotel m nearby towns. (Three less to feed and to -clothe at home). The eldest son lias now been working for some months at the Quebec Asbestos Corporation plant; same kind of work, same dust conditions, encountered by his father. Two or three of the younger children occasionally find odd jobs in Hie village that bring in a few precious dollars. Dossier No. 79 Louis Soixantedixncuf is now forty years old. There is no record of pulmonary tuberculosis either in his mother's family or in his fatlvcr's. As a young man in excellent health, lie worked in various asbestos mines and plants for about four and a half years. Afterwards, lie worked for the Quebec Asbestos Corporation for about eleven years, Louis was first employed by this Com pany in its open pit, where lie assisted in drilling operations, always performed by dry methods, lie reports that on many occasions lie helped in boring into the side of the mine wall, and then in hollowing out a long tunnel in w hi c h he and his companions worked for hours at a time. The dust in the air inside these tunnels was so thick the men could hardly see each other. The Com pany did not provide them with masks of any description, and no one ever told Louis that the dust was dangerous. After working for about a year in the open pit, Louis was transfered to the job of "cleaner" in- -- 23 -- mNivmUguL .KrviAux: wrr 1 i t } i. i ' \ * I ' side ilic plant. Two or three times during his working hours, lie would gather into piles the dust that had settled and accumulated on the stairways and floor assigned to him, using for this purpose a dry brush and shovel. At these , times, lie moved and breathed in nn extraordina rily heavy concentration of dust. And when he was not busy, the only '`refuge" available to him was the little cabin on his floor, w h i c h as we have recorded was a dust-trap in itself. Among Louis' duties, there was one that nssumes great importance in the scheme of things that has prevailed in this East Broughton plant. The "dust chamber" in w h i ch a certain amount of dust is deposited by the venti ntion system fills up rapidly. Thus twice a week, Louis would enter this room to clean it out. On these occasions, he would wade knee-high, and some times waist-high, in the dust of the centre of the loom, open, a small trap door in the floor, and the dust would fall to another place on the floor belosv. To get the bulk of the dust out of the room, it was necessary to shovel it down through the trap-door. After this had been done, Louis would use a sort of rake or dry brush to clean the walls and floor of the dust, some of which is sticky. He reports that the dust was so thick in the atmosphere that the light from the electric bulb at the ceiling was totally blotted out whi l e he was in the room. The Company did not pro vide him with any protection whatsoever against the dust. No man can withstand such conditions success fully for long. Inevitably, Louis became ill, -- excessive cough, out-of-breath spells, weakness, incapacity for work and general malaise, all pro gressively increasing as time went on. Final ly, he had to give up work about six years ago. lie rested at home for about six months, and re turned to his work. At the end of another year, he had to give up again. He rested for a short time, and then found n smalt job that required little exertion in another village. He had to give up this work too in a little while, and lias since remained at home incapacitated for work of any kind -- a very side man . When Louis became seriously ill, lie repaired to the clinic at Thclford Mines, where x-rays were taken of his lungs, lie was told he had shadows or spots on his lungs, probably tuberculosis. Louis says the doctors fell into some sort of dispute over the nature of his illness, hut that after wards it was decided lie had "simple silicosis". Under their direction, lie applied to "La Gommis- -- 2d -- sion des Accidents" for compensation. Ile re ports that "La Commission des Accidents'' inform ed him that it allowed compensation in eases of "double silicosis", not in cases of "simple silicos is", and that his claim was therefore rejected. but that he was advised to go to a certain hospital in Montreal for further examination. Louis fol lowed the advice given by " La Commission des Accidents". About three months later, the hos pital doctors reported that the nature of his malady was unknown. Since then, he has from time to time consulted local doctors who tell him that his lungs arc diseased, prescribe certain medicines, and suggest a sanatorium. Louis knows he is close to death; lie docs not want to die away from his family; and lie rejects the idea of a sanatorium. His home is in direct line to receivc a full share of the dust belched out by the plant. Asbestos dust seeps in, dcsoite tightly closed wi ndo ws, and the untiring efforts of his wife to keep it out. In 1944, Louis and his wife and their one child now eight years old were placed on the public relief roll -of the province, and as usual by way of "Les Mires Ncessiteuses". Thereafter, this family received from this .source a monthly check of $20.00 up to October 1017, . when the amount was raised to $30.00. The mothey lias found half time work in the village, and brings in a few-dollars. The family is very poor; Louis' consultations with doctors and the medirincs they have prescribed have been expensive; in addition -- and w ho can blame him -- lie has bought one expensive patent medicine after another in desperate hope of betterment. Municipal taxes on the humble dwelling owned bv the fam ily arc nearly three years overdue; there is no money to pay them. Therefore, the family is faced with the prospect of soon losing its home, since the Municipal Council usually forecloses when taxes are more than three years overdue. Dossier No. 87 Adlard Quntrevingtsept is n completely broken down man, very ill and d o s e to tire point of death at the age of fifty-three. Adlard was in excellent health when lie first went to work at the Quebec Asbestos Corporation plant. There is no record of pulmonary tuber culosis in his mother's family, or in hi.s father's. He was first employed in the plant as a "bagger". Tlic work of such a man will lie described in the next dossier. Snffirient to say here that t!m ! j j ; j I 1 j | i j j | ; ; ; . [ ,>r nl1 Jl)s i'1 the mine and plant.. ' iofir- n tliy six days a week, Adlard Ja \.("c/iimtisly and breathed deeply in an at`sdIicic con land nnlixl by> an infinite number of visil>^c end invisible particles of asbestos dust. c says Hint Ilie dust was so thick in the air that ,,//cut unes in- could not clearly see objects ten feet away. His home was situated so as to re ceive a full share of the dust belched out by the plant. Thus for eight years, never a breath of clean air while at work; and for most of the lime not a breath of clean fresh air while at home. Adlard, tired of his job after eight years, gave it ni), and went to work on a farm. About ten years later, he returned to work again at the Que bec Asbestos Corporation plant. This time, lie was set to work outside the plant, on what is called "le calvaire" by French Canadian work men. Tin's word ``calvaire" is a corruption or the English word "culvert", and never has the ge nius of the French Canadian ordinary people for Frenchifying English words been employed more aptly (language professors, take note) . To work "sur le calvaire" means to work along ' and at the cud of a sort of road atop the gigantic pile of rejected asbestos ore seen outside Quebec asbestos processing plants. Along the ridge of such piles there is a conveyor that carries reject ed material from the plant, and dumps it at the far end of the pile, whi ch in time becomes mount ainous in size. At the very end of ``le calvaire", sonic two hundred and fifty feet up in the air, Adlard met his final doom. The continuous dumping of Hie rejected material-onto this pile, and the act of spreading it out or shovelling it down inlo space, produced a dense cloud of dust which was blown hack sharply into Adclord's face by the high winds generally prevailing at the high end of "le calvaire". Al no time did the Com pany provide him with protection of any kind against the dust. He bought a pair of goggles to protect his eves. Ho did not know that it was dangerous to inhale the dust, hut since breathing in it was not too pleasant, lie would periodically buy a mouth and nose mask at the village store, lie had to discard these masks, since he could not do his work whilc.wearing one. After some six months "sur le calvaire", Ad lard began to feel ill effects . He noticed a marked out-of-breath feeling after exertion; he felt vague distress; lie tired easily and he began to cough frequently -- a dry cough. He consulted a local doctor and was told he had heart trouble, lie was advised to go to the Thetford Mines clinic -- 26 -- Mwiiimn ujianwmi for x-ray examination. After a while, he repaired to the clinic, whose report was forwarded to his local doctor. Adlard was then told that lie had a "veil" over his lungs, and that his malady was not contagious. (A.sbcstosis alone is not coning- ; ions.) ! Although markedly ill, Adlard had all through this phase continued at his work; the man had n : wife and a houseful of children, some of them ill, I to support. But the time came, some two or three ; years taler, when he had to give up work alto- j gctlicr. l i e could no longer walk (he long painful i road of "le calvaire" without becoming so out-of- 1 breath that he could not work for the remainder I of tiic day. He again repaired to the Thetford Mines clinic. This time lie was told that he had ' heart trouble and tuberculosis, and that his mala dy was contagious. According to Adlard, none of the doctors whom lie consulted ever mentioned the word "asbestosis" to him. His cough had | long ago become wet, and there he sits and lies to day, coughing and spit ting profusely, dreadfully ill, in a ranishackel bouse that is as lightly closed as possible against the avalanche o f dust descend ing upon the village. ~ No doctor, municipal or provincial govern ment official, or Company official lias ever breathed the word "compensation" to Adlard. He knows nothing whatsoever about "La Com mission des Accidents", and has never applied for compensation either to it or to the Company. About a year ago, the name of his family was ins cribed on the roll of "Les Mres Ncessiteuses". Let us then see how the family has fared. The eldest daughter keeps home for the family, the mother having died of pulmonary disease ' about six years ago. A son aged nineteen has now been in a sanatorium these last three months; lie coughs a good deal, and according to report, is suffering from "pleurisy", and inflam mation of the -lungs. Another son, suffering , from pulmonary disease of sonic sort, entered a sanatorium when he was twenty one, tired of the confinement after three years, and returned homo, where he has been these last three years. , When I visited him early last September, he was ! shockingly ill but still on his feet. (Two or i three weeks later, he died, supposedly of pulmo- : nary disease), i Two of the older sons are now w orki ng "in the w oo ds ", state of health unknown to me. A son aged sixteen remains at home; not working. Three other small children arc still at primary school in the village. 27 -- ^6SS$aaaaBdsM e niHwim Tlic last time I visited tills family was in Sept ember of 1018. It was on a Thursday afternoon of a cold day, and the w in d was blowing a thick storm of dust upon the house. All the wi ndo ws were tightly closed, and had been continuously for nearly four nights and days. Nevertheless, as bestos dust lxad sccp.ed into the house: it lay in visible degree on window sills and here and there on the floor, although the home was clean otherwise. The air inside the kitchen-living room in which we assembled was warm and opprcssivc. The poor father, Adlard, sat by.the stove, and despite all efforts le the contrary, coughed and spat. The son, w ho was to die of highly contagious disease a few weeks later, stood and swayed in front of the stove, coughing and spitting. The three small children had come in from school and had brought along some of their little friends; and in a corner of this room of pestilence, the group of seven or eight had settled down to the busy occupations of children. 1 Conclusion re dossiers detailed here. Asbestosis nearly always leads to pulmonary tuberculosis or to heart disease, and frequently . to both. According to medical and government records, these workmen arc ill or have died of pulmon ary tuberculosis or of heart disease. I3ut if proper consideration is given to the dusty con ditions in whi c h they worked for five, 1U and up to 25 years, one may say in all certainty that these men are or we re victims of asbestosis and its complications. Il is asbestos dust that short ened their lives. These workmen, ill or dead of an occupational disease, have never received compensation, al though they were fully entitled to it by way of both common law and of the Workmen's Comp ensation Act of Quebec. They never received compensation by way of ! common Jaw because they never brought suit for damage against the Company; and they never brought suit against the Company because no one lias ever informed them regarding the nature of asbestosis. None of the numerous persons inter viewed, workmen presently ill, widows, and children of dead workmen, seemed to know any thing at all regarding this disease. At this point, the doctors in the asbestos region of Quebec must face their responsibility in this wtl'hn'o*le-IMsituati.o..rn,.,... HI'>ow can the.y. erxpla. in1 . .t.ha, t of working in tliis mine and plant ? How can these doctors explain that they did not tell these workmen they were suffering from asbcslosis, and that, consequently, they had right to comp ensation ? We do not know the answers to f these questions. IJut what we do know is [ that not long ago one of these doctors said, "if we told IIIc workmen of Hast Broughton that they l were affected by asbestosis, it would cost the( \ Company too much money". ^ The workmen of East Broughton, or their widows, have never brought suit for damage against the Company. And if they had taken such action, perhaps it would have given rise only to other "Procs des Veuves etc St-ilemi .1 d'Amherst", Uic lesson of whi ch should not he it forgotten. t The workmen of East Broughton, or t h e i r i families have never received compensation from I " La Commission des Accidents de Qubec''. The very few claims they addressed to the "Commis sion" were side-tracked. The refusal of the "Commission" to award compensation was based upon inacceptable pre text. For example: one of these workmen, fatally ill of an occupational disease, was told by a res ponsible official of "La Commission des Acci dents" : "The government awards compensation in eases of `double silicosis', but not in cases of `simple silicosis' " This term "double silicosis" docs not exist in medical literature. There is no disease recognized as such by the medical pro fession. In outline, these eases arc like very many of those at St. Itemi d 'Amherst: a Company abuses i an employee by maintaining conditions of work that must eventually and inevitably bring about | bis premature death; Hie Company escapes Its I responsibility altogether: the provincial govern ment sits by idly, knowing of these conditions; the provincial government rejects the employee's claim to compensation, giving one frivolous rea son or another to justify its action, and then c on demns his family to hopeless poverty by sanc timoniously inscribing its name on the relief roll of the province. There arc literally hundreds of such eases in Quebec. Responsibility for their existence rests upon the Companies that take advantage of the ignorance of the population in medical matters; upon certain doctors who arc not fulfilling their V * mk-Ii ;tbuses; nml upon society, whi ch does not raise its voice in effective protest. Therefore, the main objectives in this situation at Mast Broughton may lie simply outlined. Society as a whole must force the Company and llic government (1) to repair as far ns is possible tin* wrong perpetrated upon'these families, and (2) to eliminate asbestos dust from the air being inhaled by these people. If the second objective is not attained, tragedies such as those detailed here wit! multiply in number Lu the very near lul lire. r , i 1 > t; i i i t / i ;; i i f i IV -- THE BAGGERS Twenty-four men who work in the plant operated by the Quebec Asbestos Corporation, but who ore not employees of the company. The dustiest, and therefore the most dangerous, tasks in this plant arc accomplished try men who are not employees of tiie Quebec Asbestos Corporation. Since the work these men do is an all-important and integral part of the work Hint must be done in the plant, w h y are they not em ployees of the Company? Surely, flicrc must be an answer. What then are the facts in this extra ordinary situation? These 21 men arc known in the plant as "bag gers" and "pilers". Their story will be told here by way of the story of a "hawser" whom, for tlie sake of convenience, wc shall call Joseph. Joseph is a sironfi. well-built and vigorous young man aged about 25. a capable worker in excellent health. He has worked in a large room on the first floor of the Quebec Asbestos Corpo ration plant for these last four years. Into this room there enters many shales from which as bestos fibre ready for "bagging" falls continu ously when the plant is in operation. At various places along a wall of this room, the fibre accum ulates in great piles, at the edge of whi ch Joseph stands, a shovel in his hands. He bends clown close to the pile, scoops lip a great shovelfull of the fibre, turns and dumps it into a bur lap bag held out wide-open to him by a fellowworker. The falling of the fibre onto the floor nnd Joseph's shovelling combine to release inlo the air a very large amount of dust, in which Joscpii is working with lowered head and breath ing deeply. For this is a strenuous job, and more over, lie is working at top speed, since he is -- 31 -- mm paid according In tlic number of., bags he fills. After lie lias filled fifty bags or so, Jic changes places with his companion, who takes a turn at shovelling, while Joseph holds the hags open to receive the fibre. As a hag is ficifig filled and the fibre shaken down compactly into it, considerable dust is shot directly up into Joseph's face, since he is standing over the bag and looking down into It. When a bag has been filled to its proper limit, Joseph, who has been holding n needle in hand, sews it up in a few (left movements. . T h e hag is then picked up by a "pilcr", who slacks it on others at a far end of tlic room. Fifty or so bags later, Joseph returns to shovelling, and so on through his working hours. It has been mentioned previously that the as bestos dust on the .stairways and floors of the plant is periodically colleclcil by "cleaners". This particular dust is eventually deposited in n large chamber, about 80 x GO feet in size. Twice a week, (be "baggers" and " pilers" must' enter this room to bag the dust it contains. For this dust is sold for good money. All of Ihc dead ly dust at large in the plant or belched down upon the village is valuable and salable. And since devices to capture practically all of it at its point of origin have long cxisled, it must be concluded that failure to install them is due to a malevolence or to a stupidity beyond compre hension. After all, purchase and installation of such devices could he paid for by sale of tlic dust they capture. At any rate, Joseph and his companions work at top-speed in the "dust chamber" for hours at a time, twice a week. When they first enter Ihc chamber, the dust parked down upon the floor is piorc than knee-high, and into it they wade and work actively. livery movement they make stirs tm tlic dust, and tlic air they breathe is filled with visible and invisible particles of the mineral to a point Hint defies description. Finally, the men stagger out of the chamber, choking, coughing and spitting, their clothing, hands and faces, encrusted heavily by dust. They shake off as much of it as they can, and return lo their usual place of work, not much less dtisly than the "dust chamber" itself. Joseph and his 23 companions arc lint pro vided with protection of any kind against the dust. There is no nlncc in or immediately out side Hie olant !o whi ch Ihov can retire for even one brealli of dean fresh air. The only lime Ihrv ssssassaasassra y*wr srs gel tnvuy from incredibly heavy concentrations of dusl during working hours is wjicn they cat their midworking day meal in Die foul and dis ease-producing "dining-room" previously de scribed, or when llicy retire to the abominable place called n toilet room. After bis work, Joseph walks down the hill to his home. Some of the dusl lie Ins inhaled during his working liours has mixed with the moist Secretions inside his nostrils. This mi xt ure lias hardened, and caked the inside of his nose so thickly that lie "can hardly breathe through it. Whereupon, lie must slick a finger up his nostrills. and dig out the cakes of harden ed dust -- a process that frequently injures the lining of his nose, starts noseldeediiig, and opens . the way wi del y, or rattier, invites infection. On arrival home in his dust-laden clothing, Joseph usually finds the house lightly closed against the storm of dust outside. Much dust lias never theless seeped into it, and lie therefore inhales more of it. Presently, Joseph is in excellent health. lie coughs very much more frcmiucntly Ilian does an healthy man, but llii.s does not bother , him loo much, since lie is unaware of its significance. About a year ago, lie caught a touch of the "grip pe" and becoming alarmed repaired to Die clinic at Thclford Mines for x-ray examination. He was told that e v e n thing was in good order. Joseph is married; he supports a wife, iiis father, and his brother's child. Joseph's brother, whom we shall call Arthur, is no w 2(3 years old. He lmd worked "in Die dust" at the Quebec Asbestos Corporation plant for about a year and a hair when an acute attack of " pleurisy" knocked him out. After resting at home for some lime, lie returned to his work. Four more months "in Die dusl" was sufficient lo knock him out permanently, and he was sent to a sanatorium where tie is today: diagnosis, " pleurisy", pulmonary disease. Arthur coughs a good deal, and according to reports, is still bring ing up out of his respiratory system "le coton". The men call asbestos fibre "le coton", and have learned lo recognize its presence in the glutinous masses they spit out. After Ailhur's tragedy had taken definite form, pulmonary tu berculosis manifested [.self in his wife; there upon, slui joined him as inmate of the sanato rium. Joseph received his brother's child into Ids home, w h i c h though somewhat dusty, pro vided a roof over its head. ! < i t i i -uoa Aq iiajuo.vo.iU oq uua juqj osuostp o st jt ijoti s.ioqio ima jui(iun:j o.iu qotq.vv jo ouios" ` suuoj Amnu soqi' i j; ticjuj puu .qqujiioui si osuosip iiuiqnsru oqj nuu.ijoj aiqucluosau; oqj siuu 3Joi|| ojuju.ioiq bim jnoqiiiio.iqj, qi o] opiiqui.m Ansilo tiooq suq .io ` s.tuaA joj juouiijoaoH qj jo noi -ssassod oi|) in naati sui] jsap sojsoqsu jo uoijujuq ( -ur jo jojlqus oqj uo o.in)ujaj!| t#ur.i,aoutu puu \ iuoipout OAiitiiuoqjnu pili; o iilu iv ' 'siq'j s'.wouq .) juouuuoao oqj puc `oiqqic.u; o.ic .io`.uoq Jtaqi pc ut s p u j oqj osuostp j.iuoq stsoiaojaqiq '` sqs ujsaqst? Aq pojppi.t 3.1u uujqiiuo.qi' jsuvj jo oploa'd 0 i| ,1, ` qj.iuj oqj' JO sjinou juujsqp "suouu.v oj soiJttAo.v oxtqop jo 11 'uoijois ojuipaiuuii spuutuop puu 'ajnau st iio)i]" tio.iq jsuqq j luajqb.ul oqj, o[clooil osaqj Aq p3 ]uqiii 3 u;oq slip oqj ;ojjuoo o) .to o ju u u uip oj jou o.vrjaojj ojHuis 0110 js.vou jnq ` Un] jj'jti puc d u j o'jojoq o.uqiiS pio possaci sosmto.ij 'Aus joii poon o.v\ `oqquci oqj Aq .ioj ptuil u `a.iai|AvA.iaAO puu 'ojoq)' ` a.iaq 01 soi.nmoijunj juautu.iOAOii Aq joqjouu .10jju d u j OAisuodba ouo jo juoutoouiiouuy 'SjuaA ju o j uci|i o.ioiu joj uo]i|Piio.iq jsirq jo oplood oqj jo suo|]ujsjoj(1 aq) jaut sui] juaiu.ioAOfl oqj qoiq.w qiiAV qiinq ]qo omr.s oqj s; stqj, popqiaqos a.i.vv sosuasip [uuoipuUioob o soaua.iajuoa o.iaqAv `s u iq i puu uopiioq oj Aojduia juotuu.iaAofi li; jo jo o p juati uio.nl u puas 01 su.vv uoissuutuo;) siqj jo oaoui poiurmiuu js.uj oqj, stsiijsqst: jo Aiquumsa.iU pini ''sisooiqs jb ui]'qoj( oqj Apnjs oj dii jos uaoq suq' uoissutuuoa iuauiuJo.\o3 a\ou V 'sasuosip luuoijudn'aa jo majqo.ul aqi i|);av p;op oj j ubiti tua.ubi siq] jo oatiaiacluioau; (u.ioubs oqj oiu.ijMqi; oj sa.i.tas maqj jo aito jq o.iaq po|n:jop oq joimuo <SI'GE `,,suoip qojj,, lK1 -qsqqtul) .p s o o t p s U'f,, opipiu Aiti oj juautu.tOAOiJ ui.iia o j j oq] ' j o suoijouoj poxutt j o q j u j o q x stsobqis oj oiquoqddu qmiDo s; s'tsojsoqsu jiioqu qdu.iiJujcd o.voqu oqj Ut pius tiooq sut; juq,\^ sonbtuqaoj Au.t-x jo Auav Aq .loqjo oqj uiojj ouo opiudos oj .10 oziu3oooj oj -- oiqrss'odun uojjo -- jjnoijjip 0.11: suijoj [lojnoqdiuoo osoqAv. 'asuasq) stqj jo.iiuoo mi ]|iA\ oq piu: -- ouo]) oq uua sii]] 'uni -- juaui -UOJIAUO su; uiojj isti]) oq] oiuuntupq ,,snp oqj u;,, .vq oj puu q.io.sv 0} soiui;)iio'd o q 'j; p; A|p:p;j oiuoooq ]];av qdasor srsojsoqsi: jo" liiojqo.id oqj oj qooJddu jtiaHiipjur ouo jnq si ojoqj, qujuj puu ojqujiiou; ouiooq sui] Apuquiu su] ouqi juqj Aq lp o o 3 Aiu unq op oj ` opq 00) qau'ui o]i:j oo) si jt [unppvipui uu u; osuost]) oqj jo anno -jsqxo o i n 'u i j u o o bp 'sAu.i-x uaq.vv ` Aijuuj.iociiut jsoiu puu Ma.voa.iopi oidqs paouuApu uu ju oouo . --K " -JSJX3 S)l U0A3 JO SSOJSOJtl S|| IDOAOa JOU op AOt|) A'l)U3llU3.lJ pilli :OSUOSTp. Ol|) JO |OSUO Ol[| [CDAOJ ioti op Aoq) :jsnp sojsoqsc jo iioi)joclo.ul A a r o ([ ir Stiiiinipioo aiu ounj jo po p o li u .i o a o soiuqiu oipvi p;ii|)jAjpu| oi|| oj suodduq pitpu. jo o.nipiU u.ij o a j ) sACApti |ou op sAiu-x m o .u j snouos in o.u: oouosojcl sjt m.njuoo sAo.j-x nini) pmpiAiput uc 1 sisojsoqsu ozniPoooj 0) osnjo.i oqAv. s\i|jO(j o>p:|s p i si A ip m ij s iq j o piiu u n ut iio o o u tii tic j o o jq oq) :p o p j c 3o.istp oq iq n o q s ` stsouo.icl A m i ui jsiuii su ` j[ tu sjs|xo ju q i jq n o p j o p q A n i ) o q ) p iq j A u s i q B u u o a \ ` o a o q i i o a t # s i s o u S o .k p o p p i m i ) -u n S |q i' q|TA\ (O.i.nmlj ppi A\ o i p i uos.iod q j o j, so.it' o q o n s j o i p i j s i o . u i p u o q i i c o i p o p ) o a i t .iH o q j .io j A |s n o q d io o .ia p p u o q aspi M o i||o .iq siq su in i A q u i q j o q o . t o j a q A | . i o a o (1 p o p p i p u u ' A . i o s i u i `oscostp pop.iouuiti qijAv pojjij' si iplosop .ioj p c o q u p u o a o q i ' s j u o A J i i o j j o o o .u | ) ' ` o a \) j o q i o u u j o j ` ,, ) s n p o q i u ; (, q .i o .w o j o n m p i o o o q p p i o q ^ uom .ioq)o g5 oq| jo osco oq) soijq d u io xo p o p p ` qdnsop jo osco oijioods o q j o| 'u jn p .i sn jo' j qpiop o.iiqctuo.icl 1 P C 3 I I H j c q j s i s o i s o q s i ; m ; p u t p i u p i o o p i o - q jp v . s.icoA u o j o | o a j j ji> p o p o d i: j o j s u r q p p - m i o q o u s .i o p i m q.io.Vw u n o n o n i A\o.q ' s p ili q A l i e n i jo suoiioojiq oi opuploosiis A(uuiup.toi:.i|xo m oqi l j o j p f q j o o . i p o p e o ) p o i t u m u 'p A p u o i s A i p l o.io.ss n o n i o s o i) ) p i q | o u u i s s i : o j o i q c i i o s u o . i ' A ' i o j | i t i o s'J )[ qsiip oqj jiuuis .loiiiuq m i iq n o o A o q i ' ostico -o q jjo [ iio q | O A t:q p iu : ' d a i ) jo .u m A c s q iu o u i x i s s u p o u o d il i . i o q s si: . i o j ] i i i q d s i q ) iti <ts . i o ( | d ,, se p u u ((V . ! o P i : q ,, su p o q .n i A V O A i : q ' n o n i A il itjv. UDjd 4 U0 iu]|D)su; oq| uo qjDOQ (ojpioo oopuii ]doq si .loiiuc p:q) j| -- OAipiuisuoo Apupos oji: }uq) 'siuoutqsqUumoou o ) ' pco[ eco jcqi' pai! *ojq jo iioip:A.ioso.icl oq) o j | c i | a iio;)oui3 uu -- JoStic ii.ioqfpiis pm: iloop e jo tfuuiujpoq oq) si clno.i? oqj pioqPuo.iqi hook utfis " ii|'s|U0Jd )sotil oq) p u v o.ioq) pm: o.ioq A | -pjiucqdiiq p joAoostp oj ijiiuiinHoq si p pip *p uodn iiAiop ifu j.iu o tj snoippiioo oq) jc qin.ii oq| A\oin{ )ou soop dnojiJ o q j / 'ipioAi ni siioiituduioo E?; stq jo ptus oq A n n i o i u s oq) puu' incili P u u o A piouiliopi! ouij u si qdosof siqj, 'o.ioos siqi uo sPOiiii pii inoiidoqs o.iu siaq.iOAV . l o P m i o A oqi pu)) piq 'snootfinip | ou si jsnp oq) icqi isisui piu jet oqi ui sjoipiOAV .topjo oq) jo otuos p:i)l sAus Off 'iipuoq siq o) sno.ioPuup si so)soq -s u jo iioipipiqiu icq) qdosof iqo) .ioao seq ootj -onif) ni Aq.ioipmt jo uoipsod puipioq otio W>il > I- )) I'i} V. J 1 ' i. trolling or by eliminating the dust in the.work ers' environment; means so to do exist, and can be applied. These few facts indicate the ne cessary and immediate steps to take to solve the problem at hand. Any knowledge acquired regarding the refinements of the disease at these London and Laris conferences is an embellish ment that might well wait until after the obvious steps have been taken. Tor meanwhile, Joseph is trudging up the hill to the plant, where the fig ire of Death meets him daily to make a payment of a few dollars upon his life, which it contracted for -- somewhat along the lines of an installment plan -- when he first went to work there. This young man Is even now running short of the commodity he is exchanging; very soon he wilt run out of it altogether. Why are not Joseph, the "baggers" and the "pilers" employees of the Quebec Asbestos Corporation ? I shall not attempt to answer the above ques tion. But I can tell the precise effects this extra ordinary arrangement has upon the fortunes of Joseph and of his 23 companions, upon the Que bec Asbestos Corporation, and upon the provin cial government. Joseph, and that is to say here the "bag gers" and "pilers", are employees of Lucien Na deau. , Lucien Nadeau is a former employee of the Quebec Asbestos Corporation. He worked in the plant for some 20 years, and then became in capacitated for work. It is generally understood r among the villagers that Mr. Nadeau is afflicted f by "silicosis''. (Throughout the asbestos region illic word "nsbc.slosis" seems taboo. The illness the men contract in the mines and plants is in discriminately called Inherenlosis or heart trou ble or silicosis; mention of any word tying up the illness to asbestos being generally avoided. Such evasion serves to keep the workmen and their families in line, since it nllavs whatever fear they may have regarding the danger of in halation of asbestos dust.) After lie had been r , r .. Quebec Asbestos Corporation. And there an ar rangement was concluded whereby the Company set him up in business as a "contractor". In his capacity as "contractor", Mr. Nadeau agreed to bag all the asbestos fibre produced in the plant, and to set the bags aside for shipment. The Company agreed to pay him a small commission for each bag of fibre prepared for shipment -- an arrangement that permitted him to collect a good tiny's pay for himself. Hut Mr. Nadeau had no money to nay the men necessary to get the work done. Whereupon, tlac Company agreed to give Mr, Nadeau a check at the end of each two weeks during the time in which the contract was in force -- the size of the check to depend unon the amount he would need to pav the "baggers" and "oilers" at rurrent rates, plus his own commission. Thus at llip end of each two week period since Mr. Nadeau has become a "contractor", lie lias received a check from the Company. l i e turns this check into money, and pays Iiis men in cash, the amount left over being his own remuneration. Mr. Nadeau therefore is not actually an independent business man, since he is financed throughout his career as `.`con tractor" by the Company. In other words, this set-up from whi ch I.ucicn Nadeau emerges ns a "contractor" is a fake. But the men who work for him are legally his employees. The profit Mr. Nadeau collects ns " contractor" is sufficient to support himself and family, and no more. Therefore, he is unable to provide his employees with the protection he must, if tic wishes to avoid serious charges of criminal neg ligence. Moreover, he knows relatively nothing about tbc dangers of inhalation of asbestos dust: he knows relatively nothing about the devices which could eliminate or control this deadly dust being inhaled by bis employees: and if he did have such knowledge, he does not have a nickel to pay for their cost of purchase and in stallation. Enter Mr. E. E. Spafford who was up to a few months ego genera! manager of the One-"- * ' V I II ' porji'o"* Mr. 0 Donnell, son - in - /,,w to the Prime Minister of Cana da, Mr. Louis St. Laurent, acted as legal counsel to the " T i m m i n s group" implicated in the "silicosis affaire". The so- called "rectifica tion" of my article " La Silicosc, de St. Reml d 'Amiicrst a rUngava" by "R e lations" , and tho subsequent refusal of "Relations" to print any reply by mo to declarations made either publi cly or privately by the " T i m m i n s g ro up ' wero M. Hugh O'DONNELL, K.C. brought about per haps chiefly by Mr. O'Donnell, whoso brilliance and abi lity havo been well-known to tho Canadian legal pro fession for some years. \ On occasions in Hie past, Joseph nrul his fellow-workers have complained about work in conditions to Mr._ Spafford. Joseph tells me that on these occasions, Mr. Spaffonl has replied "Yon do not work for llic Quebec Asbestos C.or- poranon", or "I don't know you", or " I have nothing to do with yon". Mr. Spafford's legal position is unimpeachable. Ihit one day some time ago, Joseph, having finished his day's work, walked to another part of llie plant, meanwhile 1 pulling a cigarette out of his pocket and lighting it. H is forbidden to smoke in this plant. Mr. Spnfford, coming along at the moment, saw Joseph smoking-- an incident that led promptly to Joseph being fired from his job. After Joseph had repaired to the Company offices three or four times, Mr. SpafforJ finally told him he could go back to work. And so apparently, Mr. Spaf- ford has the power to bring about the summary dismissal of these men, or to hire them, al though they arc not legally his employees. Naturally, the men do not press their com plaints upon their legal employer, Lueien Na deau. lie is as helpless as they arc. - 38-- i Mmntui Occupational diseases in the United States. The next factor of importance re the status of these men should be introduced by way of a paragraph on the history of occupational dis use in the United Stales. 'The subject of danger ous trades lias occupied the close attention of the American people for more than 4U years. And while working conditions here and there in 1lie U.S. are far from ideal, very great progtexs has been made in solving tile problem. This de sirable result lias been achieved in very large part Ijecause workmen have exercised their rights to bring damage suits against an employer who maintained unhealthy working conditions in his place of business. Such an employer found himself being sued in Com l lay one or two or as many as 10, 15, 25 or more of his em ployees -and their families, each of them claim ing anywhere from $15,000 to $25,000 and more. In innumerable eases, such suits were decided in favor of the employees, society meanwhile standing by and encouraging such action by the employees, since it was recognized by practically everyone that here was action that benefited society as a whole, as well as the interested parties. The employer got out of lire mess lie had created as best he could -- a very expensive ex perience in many eases. lie also made an at tempt toward elimination of the working con ditions that had brought disaster upon lux em ployees, so a.s to avoid more suits in the future. And if lie did not have sense enough to take this step of his own accord, the insurance company that handled his business prodded him into it in no uncertain manner. News of such develop ments spread rapidly among industrialists anil insurance company officials, many of whom voluntarily took steps to eliminate in Uieir own places of business conditions that might bring damage suits down upon them. As result, work ing conditions immensely improved throughout the country, and an incalculable amount of dis ease and consequent tragedy averted. It is entire ly safe to say that all American employers and insurance companies of any consequence have been for now many years completely informed about these matters. Nullification of common low in Quebec. ^ The nrrnngment between the Quebec Asbestos Corporation and Lucian Nadeau despoils the v "baggers" and "pilcrs" of the rigid w hi c h Amcr- -- 39 -- J1 ,,.igcrutis occupations have exercised ,c.'i salutary effects. In other words, the .,icc Asbestos Corporation has been, and is, almost completely protected by wa y of this ar rangement ti'om the possibility of duniagc suits by Hie men who have prepared, or w ho arc now preparing, asbestos fibre for shipment out of its plant. And let us remember that these are the men who perform the dustiest and most danger ous work in the plant. I There arc many men in this category at East Broughton who have legitimate claims in com mon law for irreparable damage committed upon them, and conditions in the plant are such that their number will be substantially augmented . in the not distant future. Some of these men have already died, thc-ir rights to bring suit for dam age having devolved upon their families, hut, even if any of these practically penniless people had the money to pay for legal services, it is doubtful that any lawyer would undertake to bring damage suit on their behalf. To illustrate the above: let ns use the case of Joseph again. bet us assume that sometime in t (lie next five years, or for good measure, the next ten years, Joseph becomes incapacitated for " work and fatally ill, as he surely will if he con tinues to inhale asbestos dust in the riumitily ' lie 1ms been inhaling these last four years. Should Joseph decide to bring damage suit in Court, when lie becomes ill, he must sue his legal em ployer, Lucien Nadeau. But if he should wi n his case against Mr. Nadeau, lie cannot collect the $15,000 to $25,000 and more usually awarded by thc~Courts in such cases in the U.S., since Mr. Nadeau docs not have the money to pay even a small part of such sums, little enough in ex change for life or health. One might say that Joseph could then institute suit for damage | against the Quebec Asbestos Corporation, seek ing thereby to establish ioint responsibility of Die Company. But Joseph's legal problem will be infinitely more complicated than that. Lucien Nadcnti has been an "employer" for only a short time. As a "bagger" at the Quebec Asbestos Corporation plant, Joseph has already worked for three such "employers", and before he becomes ill he will proliablv work for two or three more such. Therefore, legal responsi bility for any damne incurred by Joseph w i l l " rest upon Lucien Nadeau and four, five or six . other such "employers". To present his claim for damage to a Court, Joseph will need to sue -40- i each and all of Ills "employers", that is Id say. a number of practically penniless men. Further more, the men set-up as "employers" by Ihc Que bec Asbestos Corporation arc usually much older limn tiie "buggers" and "piler.s" ; very often they are men who, like Jmeien Nadeau, have become incapacitated for work. One such "employer'' is even now seriously ill at Hast Hroughlon. Thus one or more of Joseph's "employers" may anile probably be dead by the time Joseph becomes ill enough to sue for damage. 7'o say the least, it is very difficult to make good a claim for damage against a dead man, since the Court must hear the other side of the story before it can pronounce judgment. One might say that Joseph could, on becoming ill. sue the Quebec Asbestos Corporation and the whole lot of his "employers", all at one and the same time. This is a prospect that would make almost any lawyer faint outright, liesponsibility for anv damage that may come to Joseph from inhalation of asbestos dust has been so dispersed that he would have practically no chance at all of collecting even a penny by way of Courts of i.nw designed to protect basic human rights. Conclusions To sum uj). The Arrangements between lire Quebec Asbestos Corporation and such " contract ors" ns Lucicn Nadeau bring about the following results: 1) The Company saves money by throwing the burden of protecting the "baggers" and "pilers" from inhalation of asbestos dust upon a number of dummy "employers", none of whom can assume that burden. 2) The Company is almost completely protect ed from damage suits which these men might institute in Court against it, this aspect of the issue having become entangled in legalities which, if not insurmountable, would reunir many years of cosily litigation to disentangle. 3) The inalienable rigid to protection which each of these "buggers" and "pilers" possesses in common law is grossly violated and nullified at every step in the game. 4) These men are completely helpless, and liiis through no fault of their own. 5) Worthy, respectable and meritorious men such as Lucicn Nadegu are used as unwitting tools to visit abuse upon their fellow-workers. -- 41 -- mmiMiwiniituawwaji msMsvBBsaiawumiiusm iihImii--'i'iVimi iiinmimnilThnmf sm asaatatei, Another group of men who work in the plant operated by the Quebec Asbestos Corporation, ' but who are not employed by the company. .This group of eight men known ns "loaders" . work for a special dummy employer set up by tlic Company. Their job is to handle the bags filled with asbestos fibre from the time they leave Hic bagging room up to the time they have been loaded on freight cars. This is strenuous work, and must he classified as among llic most dangermis in the plant. These men are not provided with masks or other protection against the dust, and -- Iml there is no point in telling the dismal ..lory again. What lias been written here about "baggers" and "pilcrs" applies crpinlly to the "loaders". /n _ -- V EAST BROUGHTON, A SEMNOLOSED TOWN The pattern of rule that hats prevailed at East Broughton was set some twenty five years ago by the general manager of the Quebec Asbestos Corporation, Mr. E. E. Spafford. At that time, none of the villagers find the slightest inkling that the dense clouds of asbestos dust that rolled down upon the village were dangerous to their health. But this dust was an enervating nuisance, and it dirtied their homes, inside and outside. A worthy citizen of the village, a Mr. Elcuthcrc (Irolcau, had built upon his property a small building in which he prepared maple syrup and maple sugar for market. He and his family de pended in part on this small business for liveli hood. But no matter how tightly closed he kept the windows and doors, asbestos dust sifted into the building, got into bis syrup and spoiled large batches of it. After this nuisance bail gone on for some time, Mr. (irolrau announced that if it were not slopped, be would bring damage suit against llu* Company, liis declaralion spread throughout the village, and became known In the manage ment of Hie Company. 'Whereupon, mine and plant ceased operations abruptly. And through out Ilic ranks of llie villagers there spread myster iously, or otherwise, the rumor that mine and plant would not he reopened until Mr. (imleau had renounced his intention to bring suit. The situation held the re Tor a few days, and until a large number of the workers thrown out of their jobs gol together and appeared as a groim before Mr. Grolcati's door, demanding that be withdraw bis complaint. Under this kind of pressure, Mr. Grolcau acceded to their demand. Thereupon, mine and plant reopened, the men went back to work, and Mr. Grolcau continued to pocket bis losses ns best he could. 43 -- This experience has had an important and last ing effect upon the psychology of the workers and their families. They have since lived in pa ralyzing fear of losing their work. So swift and so "decisive was Jhc Company's action that it lias never found it necessary actually to close mine and plant again in order to impose ils will upon Hie people of East Broughton. Reports that the Company would close its mine and plant have heen sufficient to smother at birth any idea con templated by the workers to heller tlicir condi tions. Through fear inspired by such reports, the Company lias been able to rule the town abso lutely insofar as its own interests have been con cerned. ITtic most amazing feature of this situation is that no political leader of any description has ever told the people of East Broughton the follow ing indisputable fads: This Quebec Asbestos Cor poration is owne d by the Philip Carey Mfg. Co. which, to carry on its vast business in the U. S. /and Canada, is absolutely dependent upon the as bestos produced in East Broughton. Without that asbestos, this Philip Carey Mfg. Co. -- assets now 27 millions dollars-- could not have continued to' pile up the very large yearly profits it has in the past; it could not even have bought the asbestos it needed from other producers in Quebec or any where else, and at the same lime have held its position against competitors to its products. There I has never existed the slightest possibility during the time under review that the Quebec Asbestos Corporation would close its mine and plant for more than a very short lime indeed. 'I'liis situation prevails today. Asbestos fibre is the life blood of the Philip Carey Co. Any threat to close ils mine and plant is a bluff, pure and simple. For the carrying out of that threat, and holding to it for more than a short time means the collapse of the Philip Carey Co. The neighborhood of East Broughton is extremely rich in still unexploited reserves of this valuable, mineral in immense demand. And there is not (lie .slightest possibility that exploitation of this soyreo of tremendous wealth will be halted by the Company itself for more than a month or two at mos,,l. There may lie a tendency on the part of a few readers to blame the people of East Broughton, since it is clear that simple determined action on tlicir part could in a very short time have brought this Quebec Asbcstos-Philip Carey com bine under control. But, no one has told these people the facts necessary for them to know be- dd -- fore they c;in I:ilee inleltfent action. Newspapers, books and libraries in which they could learn Ihc facts have not been available to them. These men have large families to support, and the one reality they know well is the spectre of near-fam ine that has appeared on the threshold of so many Quebec homes during the last generations. The parnphenalia of democracy -- elections, re presentation in the Quebec Legislature and in the Canadian Parliament -- has utterly failed them, and this through no fault of their own or of dem ocracy. Under these circumstances, they alone could not 1)0 expected to solve the social problem created at Mast Broughton by the Quebec Asbes tos-Phi lip-Carcy combine. Harbinger of revolt (?) The anatomy of revolution since the beginning of time has been Hie object of many scientific studies, and one of the primary conclusions that has emerged is that women are usually at the bot tom of revolution. Since revolutions arc almost invariably the result of abuse that threatens or destroys the lives of the abused, it must be export ed that women will play by far the most promi nent role.in inspiring them. For it is the pecu liar function of women to carry new life and to protect existing life. Their principal drives arc centered upon that function. The women of Mast Broughton run true to form. None of these people of Hast Broughton arc completely inform ed regarding the damage caused directly and indirectly by asbestos dust. But they suspect that grave damage to liTe is being brought about by the dust, and the women have been much more outspoken about this than have the men. The sus picions of the women were sufficient to bring about what must be termed radical action indeed, considering the customs am! mores of Quebec. There was great excitement in Fast Broughton on the day of May 7th, 1915. The Municipal Council was scheduled to hold its monthly meet ing that evening. These meetings arc open to the public, but so far no woman or women in a group had been known to attend them at East Broughton. Early ,on the morning of that day, three or four women circulated separately in' their immediate neighborhood, knocked at doors,' and urged the woman of the house to attend the Municipal Council meeting, and demand that ac- j tion be taken to put an end to the menace of ns- i hestos dust at East Broughton. I -^gw t*lllillillillll lllll HrllTTI'^TftiaftVrtMaTOMIMl.trtWKriliaTni'.rii".................... I In an hour or two, dozens of women were likcwise circulating throughout Ihc village, each bcnl on gathering recruilsi and the movement assumed t Ilie .spontaneity always present in revolution. Word of tlie movement reached the cars of the j Mayor, who, according to report, was displeased and set up a counter-movement. A very few , women were persuaded to circulate the village, . and urge other women not to attend the meeting. I And all through the day movement battled against ' counter-movement, while the town was as filled by rumors ami arguments as it was by asbestos dust. Tliat evening, about seventy-five women march, ed into the Municipal Council Chamber, and took ; their places in il. Most of the wives of the work ers were absent, because of fear their husbands would loose their jobs; but (be women who did , attend were secure in the knowledge that their : action met with the approval of the overwhelm ing number of workers' wives. The Council was . called to order hy the Mayor, all the Counsellors i being present. All of these men were greatly sur prised by tlie.se mass appearance of women, and .some of them resented wind they considered an intrusion. One .after another, ten or twelve w o men got up on their feet and addressed the Coun cil in no uncertain terms, and according to all accounts, they spoke well. Proceedings through out .were orderly, but debate waxed spiritedly and voices rose high, hate in tlie meeting, one of the Counsellors introduced a resolution calling upon the Quebec Asbestos Corporation to amelio rate the dust conditions caused by it. The reso lution was approved by tile majority of the Coun sellors, and copies were sent to each of the fol lowing: the Quebec Asbestos Corporation; the Philip Carey Mfg. Co., Ihe provincial Department of Health, and the County Bureau of Hygiene. After whi ch everyone went home, all agreeing that the resolution would not have been approved if the women had not been present to push it through. A day or so afterwards, the Mayor of East Broughton evidently visited the offices of Mr. Spafford. On returning from the interview, lie reported (in the hearing of n number of wit nesses) that Mr. Spafford bad said essentially the following: "Do these people forget what 'hap pened when Elcuihcrc Crolcau protested against dust conditions?" which was to say, "withdraw Hie resolution or 1 close mine and" plant''. Ecw in East Broughton had not heard Hic warning by nightfall. tfsascacfttaea? On May 21st, [lie Municipal Council received a letter from Mr, Spnfford, asking what proportion of the population was complaining about ttic dust. And on May 2-11li, llie Municipal Council receiv ed an ultimatum from Mr, Spnfford Hint was gen erally taken to mean that the mine and plant would he closed, if the resolutions were not w i t h drawn. So far as can he learned, the Municipal Council did not reply officially to Mr. Spafford's letters. At the next meeting of the Council, women again marched into the Council Chamber. They numbered about thirty, discouragement and fear having taken its toll. Dlit this time, the women were truly angry, and much more excitement re sulted. They were asked to wait; and the Mayor threatened to resign if women continued to at tend Council meetings. Everyone went home good and mad. Hut as time we nt on. fewer and fewer women attended the meetings, and the whole movement petered out, this being helped ;dong by the planted rumor to the effect that the Company could not afford to install dust elimin ating devices, since asbestos deposits were prac tically exhausted, and that the mine could only lie operated for another year or t wo at most. The resolution was eventually hurried without benefit of public ceremony . It would be a serious mistake to dismiss this action taken by the women of toast Broughton as a trivial village incident of no concern to the re mainder of the province. This is llie way violent revolution^ begins. That the spontaneous move ment initiated by these wome n petered out is almost customary in early stages of revolution. To rite but one example: the women of France bad been set hack a number of times before they inspired tlicir men to tear down Hie Bastille stone by stone, and then set into motion "les sans-cu- lottcs". s -If conditions arc allowed to go on ns they arc, these women of East Broughton will recover from their set-back, and will not bn denied. V! PROOF OF COMPANY AND PROVINCIAL GOVERNMENT RESPONSIBILITY I cannot tell exactly h o w many years the Que bec Asbcstos-Philip Carey combine and the pro vincial government have known the essential facts regarding the situation at East Broughton. If by any chance, they should claim they have not known these facts for many years, they are mere ly supplying us with evidence of incompetence so grave that the one should be deprived of its li cense to carry on business in Quebec, and the other of its office. Fortunately, I have in hand irrefutable docu mentary evidence that Company officials, and provincial government officials, whether Union Nalionale or Liberal, were fully informed regard ing conditions in East Broughton for more than these last four years. Beginning 1914 and conti nuing lo this last summer, citizens of East Broughton, individuals or groups of ten to eighty, have literally bombarded the Company and the Provincial government with complaints regard ing asbestos dust at large in village, mine and plant. These complaints were formally answered by evasions of many kinds", and by promises that lust conditions would he modified. But all dur ing this lime and up lo the writing of this article, never one concrete and practical act designed to put an end to even a part of the whol e abuse des cribed in Ibis article. On the other hand, open and outright acts of terrorization have been visi ted upon these people of East Broughton: witness Ihe section "Harbinger of Revolt ( ? ) " in this article. In 194 1, 194!j and 194G, complaints made by cit izens of East Broughton were answered formally in the name of the government chiefly by way of -- 48 -- .`/v'Hm j n f mewiTTwri uu rvjii txi r*ct.cc: igpicrw' Vv Id tors signed by Dr. F. .!. Touvangca'i. :jf tlie Division of Industrial Hygiene, Ministry <M Public Welfare and Health. Evasions and momisos of betterment piled up one upon nao'.h.-r. some ten or more Idlers filled with wh.-t ;,rc generally known in Quebec as "cbitioiseries", all though it seems a pity to associate such behaviour with the distant Chinese people about whom we know relatively little. On August lost, 1015, Dr. Jean Grugoirc, So;:sMinistre, Ministry of Public Welfare and Health, began to try his hand at placating the people ct Hast Broughton; he followed the same line pur sued b y Dr. Tmirangeau. In the meantime, gov ernment doctors, and a governmeul engineer named Sarto Plamoiulon, visited the village on n number of occasions. All through these episodes, these government authorities were in communi cation with Mr. Spafford, manager of the Quebec Asbestos Corporation, and with the Philip Carey Mfg. Co. From the correspondence in iny possession, these government officials emerge as glorified messenger boys of the Quebec Asbestos-Philin Ca rey combine. For their line was to spread about the usual medley of promises, now reinforced by propaganda supposedly justifying the Company's mi willingness to install devices that would con trol or eliminate the asbestos dust at large in vil lage, mine and plant. Eventually, the people of Fast Broughton tired of this pot-pourri of pro mises, evasions, and Company propaganda, pass ed out by government officials; protestations and demands rose in tone and in volume, all ex cuses for failure to remedy conditions being rc-` jeclcd. During the first half of 19J7, I)r. Tourangcau continued to carry (lie governement's burden of replying to demands made by East Broughton cit izens. In Ibis particular period, he was forced to send no less than twelve letters of explanation for failure to net; hut since these letters were merely a stale rehash of old promises and eva sions, they were received with considerable disluvor in the village. Apparently, the writing of these last twelve letters exhausted Dr. Tourauffoau's resources, and he Ihereafler bowed out of Hie situation. Whereupon, Dr. Jean Hregoire, Dr. Albiny Paquette, Minister of Public Health, and Maurice Duplcssis, Prime Minister, took over the burden of replying to the people of Fast Brough ton. Drs. Cregolre and Paquette followed the line/ established by Dr. Tourangcau, while Mr. Duples-i Mjpawreto :iis answered with mediocre political speeches on he merits of "L'Union Nationalc", of w hi c h he is (lie leader, upon the devotion of his Minister of Health, Dr. Alfoiny Paquette, and uRon the deme- riIs of former Liberal governments. To their credit, the people of East Broughton were not over-awed by lcllcrs from such high government officials, and several hot anil ennoble replies were sent to Mr. Duplcssis. On September 10th 1M7, Dr. Gregoire bravely wrote Cprivately) -- nothing about all this appeared in newspapers -- that he had sent an ultimatum to the Quebec Asbestos Corporation, It seems that the Compa ny was called on to specify within fifteen days what measures it proposed to take to eliminate the "nuisance" caused by the asbestos dust issu ing from its plant at East Broughton. Otherwise, Dr. Gregoire wrote, the whol e ease of the Com pany would be refered to the Attorney-General -- who happens to be no less than Mr. Duplcssis himself. On October 15th, 1517, Dr. Gregoire wrote (privately) that the ease had been placed in the hands of the Attorney-General. For some reason unknown to me, perhaps for good measure, he again announced (privately) that such action had been taken. And there the case rests todav, apparently either stuck in the hands of the At torney-General, or quite possibly in the same pi geon-hole where the now famous ' Tr oc es ties Veuves de 'St. Remi d'Amherst" has rested these last eight years. The documentary evidence considered in this scclion uncovers much more than another dreary story of betrayal of public interest by politicians in Quebec. The information mid complaints that poured into the provincial Department of Health from East Broughton citizens dealt for the larger part with asbestos dust conditions in the village, and only secondarily with dust conditions in mine and plant. In the main, these citizens were fighting to protect their property, which is dam aged in many ways by the asbestos dust belched out by the plant, and they were also concerned '.\ith the dirty nuisance brought about by the dust that seeped into their homes. However, on many occasions they did call attention in general terms In the unhealthy aspects of the whole situation. It must be remembered that none of there East Broughton ritizens is sufficiently educated in me dir] matters to talk with authority on the dan-, gers of inhalation of asbestos dust. Never1hetr> - <ui. iMiiTniwrMwr so capably did they describe asbestos (hist condi tions at Hast Broughton that any doctor should have grasped the full implication of their story at once. Idorcovcr, the doctors especially charged with the guardianship of public health in Quebec verified their story on the spot, not only once but many times. In oilier words, Dvs. B.-J. Touran geau, Jean Grgoire and Albiny Paquette, knew all the essential facts in the whole situation at hast Broughton, knew what dust conditions were in the village and in the mine and plant, and knc\v well the deadly effects brought about by in halation of asbestos dust over a period of time. Wind then did they do; what did they not do; and what should they have done? Whah Drs. Tourangeau, Grgoire and Paquette did, tn their correspondence with Bast Broughton villagers, these doctors concerned themselves only with the asbestos dust poured down into the yilhfge'by life plant. They tell these villagers that efforts will he made to eliminate the "nuisance" causcil by asbestos dust at targe in the village -- ``nuisance" being a strange word indeed to use in connection wit h this deadly dust. What Drs. Tourangeau, Grgoire, and Paquette did not do. In thc.ir correspondence with Bast Broughton citizens, these doctors not only failed to distin guish between dust conditions in the village amt in the mine and plant. They failed to tell these uninformed people the essentia! facts regarding inhalation of asbestos dust. What Drs. Tourangeau, Grcgoire, and Paquette should have done. _ These doctors should have told these people of Bast Broughton that the asbestos dust almost con tinuously at large in the western end of the vil lage was a serious danger tn the health of its i n habitants, especially the children. They should have added that this dust was hastening the deaths of the very many already afflicted by as bestoses and by oilier pulmonary disease. They should have gone into this village and condemn ed certain homes and publicas centers of tif'-'u- ' t,, long ago Invc condemned as highly unsnnilnry Ihclchoolhousc lint lies in the oath of the asbes tos dust belched out by the plant on the lull. '1 lipv should, in fact, have condemned the whole wc.U'rn end of the village ns unfit for habitation by man or beast. These doctors should have told these people of Hast Broughton that the asbestos dust saturating the atmosphere of the mine and plant is an in finitely greater peril to their welfare than ii the dust at large in the village. 'They should hase told all these people, and especially the workers, the essential facts regarding inhalation of ash-slets dust over a period of time. They should (have told these workers that conditions at the (Quebec Asbestos Corporation mine and plant arc iproductive of nsbestosis and of pulmonary tuJhcrculosis to a terribly high degree. They should /have encouraged these workers, who h.ive been ( paral y7 Cd by an understandable fear ami by n thick of accurate information, to take drastic ami /immediate action to protect their lives and those y>f their families. All this should have hern said publicly again and again in clear, simple terms which these East liroughton people cmtld under stand by men such as i)rs. Tourangeau, Cregoirc and Paquette, who enjoy the nuthonty, the prestige and the rewards of high oilier, or by equally informed .medical men whom they could have nominated. These doctors, especially and conclusively charged by law to protect the health of the pub lic, should likewise have formally and accurate ly informed the Municipal Council of Hast liroughton, and also, all officers and personnel o f "La Hderation (Je_TAnuaj1tc '', Tile ref is not the .siightest Intention here, or even inclination, to sit in judgment upon the be haviour of tlic doctors charged with the admi nistration of the Department of Public Health in Quebec. But no one can dodge the following fact: gross malpractice of medicine is one of the causes for much of the tragedy o[ East Broughton. The issue is therefore clear: either these doctors {arc themselves responsible fen- such malpractice ?of medicine, or politico-financial authority bc{ ytiml their control has prevented them from practicing their profession nernrding to its ideals. This is a matter which should engage the close, immediate anil public attention of "he Collge des Mdecins de Qubec". -- 52 -- I _ V II -- THE QUEBEC ASBESTOSPHiLIP CAREY COMBINE r The Quebec Asbestos Corporation is entirely owne d by the Philip Carey >Ifg. Co. of Locklanil (near Cincinnati) Ohio. Official reports regard, ing the exact profits derived by the Quebec Asbestos-Phiiip Carey combine from operation of the mine and plant at East Broughton are not available to the public. Nevertheless, one liny make the following statements, secure in the ktrnaodwiclteeddg.e that they cannot he successfully con 1 The Philip Carey Mfg. Co. has drawn enormous profits from the asbestos mine and plant it owns at Bast Broughton. This company started upon its career on a relatively small amount of capital. Its stockholders have been rewarded from time to time wit h very large stock or capital dividends; they have also received exceedingly generous cash dividends. In addition, the assets of this Company have steadily and largely increased in value, and no w reach the sum of 27 million dol lars. Annual net profits held at high levels dar ing the war, averaging about $775,000. (Net profit took a very big jump upwards to $2,149,411 for the year lfMG: and then took ano ther jump upwards to $2,800,092 for the year 1917. This is a very prosperous Company. Not all of the profit already disbursed to its slock and bondholders by llie Philip Carey Mfg. r Co., and not all of the capital gains now part of the assets of the Company, flow from its opera tions at East Broughton. But a large part, per haps the largest paid, of both these two categories of profit do flow directly from the asbestos fibre produced at East Broughton. It is believed here that few persons in Quebec, or for that matter in Canada and in the U.S., would oppose the idea of the Philip Carey Mfg. Co. collecting a profit -- 53 ruMiaBWUJMm-- -- " ' ..... from its oncralions it Fast Broughton. Dot that is not llic issue here; the Issue is one of propor tion. For in its search for profit, the Mniuigcment of this Company has lost all sense of decent proportion. Without in any way endangering its own existence, or even its very J.vgc annual profits, this Company could have easily afforded to have spent the money necessary to safeguard the health and lives of the men who have woihed mi its premises at Fast Broughton. Blindly ami greedily, the Management of the Company rejec ted such an idea. This is not 3 strange plienomen in human relations. Man, or groups of men, will run wild, unless they arc held under control hy law, clearly defined amt enforced. Despite grave shortcomings, the law in Quebec is clearly enough defined to have enabled the Government to have )<epl this Quebec Asbestos-l'hilip Carey combine under control. But the law has not been, and is not being enforced. Therefore, responsi bility for the hideous .situation under study here rests as much upon the Quebec provincial govern ment as it does upon the Quebec Asbcstos-Philip Carey combine Much of the literature critical of the behaviour of incorporated companies in Canada and the U. ij. is sprinkled profusely with the terms `V.ompagnic nnonyme" and "the soilless corporation''. The first term is a legalism, and the second an emotionalism, and use oT either or both are hand icaps in effort to remedy conditions under stu dy. This Quebec. Asbestos Corporation is a leg al facade, back of which a certain small and known group of men operate. These men are further entrenched behind another legal facade: llic Philip Carey .Mfg. Co. To remedy conditions at Fast Broughton, it will he necessary to dis regard these legal facacles-- and this can be done without violation of existing law -- and carry /(lie battle directly to the men managing and conI,'trolling the combined companies. In other words, these two corporations are the tools of certain known men, and ihc real business of the Quebec people is not with the tools created and used by these men; it is with the men themselves. Who then are they? The men directing the Philip C.arcy Mfg Co. constitute a group of iivdustrialisls highly respec ted in the United .Stales. They arc recognized ns capable, enlightened, and highly successful oper ators, and their activities and interests range far' beyond the Quebec Asbestos-Philip Carey c om bine. They are in fact associated with many im portant industrial ail'd educational enterprises in Ohio, nn(1 in oilier parts of Uio It. s. The asso ciation between tile Philip Carey Mfg. Co. .uid Proctor & Gamble, one of the two or three large: t soap manufacturers in the U. S,, i.s particularly el osc. 'Some of the more prominent and Influential rlirectors of tlic Philip Carey .Mfg. Co. also occu py positions of equal imporlancc'on ttie board of rlirectors of Proctor & Gamble -- a .stale of affairs that has prevailed for many years. Proctor A. Gamble is renowned throughout the l'. S. for its humanitarian treatment of its employees. My information regarding the Philip fancy Mfg. Co. is not quite so clear, insofar as its opera tions in tlic U. S. arc concerned. Hut this much may he said. Tlic plants operated by this com pany in Ohio handle a very large amount of as bestos fibre, and this without doubt represents a potential health hazard for its employees. So far as can be ascertained, operations of this compa ny in Ohio have not produced any oases of asbestosis -- ami this must mean that the Manage ment takes measures to protect its American em ployees from the disease. In sun mi ary: a certain small speci fi c group of men have maintained working conditions in Hie plants it manages in Ohio so as to avoid the p r o duction of asbcslosis in its employees. On the other hand, this same small group of men have permitted in its Quebec mine and plant condi tions which have produced asbcslosis and pul monary tuberculosis on a large scale. Why then this discrepancy in behaviour?. The answer is as simple as A-H-C. In Hie II. S. and specifically in Ohio, the American govern ment and people have enforced their will upon this group of operators, and have compelled it to maintain healthy working conditions. The si tuation is otherwise, in Quebec, where this group of men has imposed ITS will upon the govern ment. To remedv this situation, it will tie neces sary for Hie people of Quebec to rouse its govern ment out of the lethargy that has permitted the existence of a human slaughter house up on the hill at hast Hrougliton. Burton LeDoux