Document X7yN8eGL245VXjdK3awoB9prR

33 - the developing of new markets for asbestos and/or asbestos containing products because of economic factors technical factors a combination of both. Jl is rather obvious that the markets for products which contain asbestos in some form have grown extraordinarily since 1945, thus causing a similar increase in asbestos usage. Good examples of these are the building and the automotive markets, besides this, what might perhaps be called parallel growth has also occurred, in that there has been an increased demand for asbestos as a result of ever increasing wage costs, which, for instance, in the building industry could be kept d v/. by a relatively cheep and easily prefabricated asbestos composite like asbestos cement. Improver! technology ir. several fields as, for instance, engineering, has made higher demands on the strength and heat resistance of materJals, which could be met by suitably designed and com pounded asbestos products. It should also be pointed out that the safety rules in various fields have been given closer attention over the years which hove resulted for instance in many governments issuing stringent regulations re garding the fire protection of buildings and ocean going vessels. Asbestos pjoducts were eminently suited to fulfil the requirements mode by those regu lations . It is difficult to precisely assess the influence of economic and tech nological developments on Uu; usag-.- of asbestos. That, this influence has been and still is important and conccrris widely different fields of application ranging from rockets to simple household appliances may safely be stated. 1>0J D7?6 PRODUCED BY FORD