Document YDg1rzeJLd8yyV5OopQvrag7y

ecember 15, 1954 (279) MINUTES of the forty-fourth meeting of the Directors of the Manufacturing Chemists' Association, Inc,, held at The Union Club, Park Avenue aJtd 69th Street, New York, New York, on December 14, 1954, at 11:00 a, m. (EST). There were present: Messrs. Howard S. Bunn F. J. Emmerich John Fennebresque William C. Foster John L. Gillis R. K. Gottshall J. R. Hoover J. J. Kerrigan R. C. McCurdy Charles S. Munson Ernest W. Reid" John A. Sargent Hans Stauffer George M. Walker Rothe Weigel Charles E. Wilson M. F. Crass, Jr. Alternates: W. D. Barry (for Joseph Fistere) W. I. Burt (for J. R, Hoover) D. S. Carmichael (for John A. Sargent) E. W. Clark (for F. J. Emmerich) Walter Dannenbaum (for W. H. Ward) Sydney T. Ellis (for J. A. Woods) William Engs (for Hans Stauffer) W. P. Gage (for Charles E. Wilson) Carl A. Gerstacker (for Leland I. Doan) J. A. Hill (for Charles S. Munson) J. C. Leppart (for Thomas S. Nichols) Harry B. McClure (for H. S. Bunn) D. R. Means (for E. T. Asplundh) R. G. Ruark (for E. W. Reid) M. Y. Seaton (for Paul L. Davies) Present by Invitation: I. GUESTS Bromwell Ault - Interchemical Corp. George B. Beitzel - Pennsylvania Salt Mfg. Co. A. H. Eustis - Virginia Smelting Company Marx Leva - Fowler, Leva, Hawes & Symington George W. Merck - Merck & Co. , Inc. John E. McKeen - Chas. Pfizer & Co. , Inc. On behalf of those present, Chairman Emmerich extended a cordial welcome to the guests who were present by invitation. CMA 067217 (280) II. MINUTES OF MEETING The minutes of the November 9, 1954 meeting were duly approved as sent to the members. III. TREASURER'S REPORT (a) Financial Summary. The financial summary for the period November 1 - 30, 1954, was reviewed, and ON MOTION duly made and seconded, it was VOTED: That the report be accepted and placed on file. (b) Financial Report - 4th Semi-Annual Meeting. The Treasurer reported a final settlement as follows: Receipts (including billings not yet received) Expenses $ 17,206.00 10,941.76 Balance to Treasury $ 6,264.24 A substantial number of favorable comments have reached the Association's staff concerning the excellence of program and general conduct of the meeting. Because of the New York Statler's adequate facilities and excellent cooperation, a commitment has been made with that Hotel for the 1955 meeting to be held on November 22 of that year. It was the consensus that the general format of the meeting be continued for next year and that junior and staff executives be urged to attend -i. e. , with no restriction placed on the number of persons in attendance from any one company. (c) Appointment of Assistant to the Treasurer. The appointment of Miss Edith V. Tabor as Assistant to the Treasurer was approved. IV. PRESIDENT'S REPORT. (a) International Labor Organization. Mr. Foster reported that the Fourth meeting of the ILO Chemicals Committee would be held in Geneva, Switzerland during the period February 7 - 19, 1955. Recommended as official delegates for Board consideration were; Messrs. H. W. Johnstone, Merck & Company, Inc., and E. Watt Dwyer, Monsanto Chemical Company. Recommended as advisor and alternate was the Association's Secretary, M. F. Crass, Jr. On motion duly made and seconded, it was VOTED: That these recommendations be approved and formally submitted as U. S. chemical industry employer representatives. CMA 067218 (281) (b) Organization of Technical Employees. A presentation of ^r- B. M. Taylor before recent meetings of the Industrial Relations and public Relations Advisory Committees was discussed. It was agreed that an invitation should be extended to Mr. Taylor to be present at the January jl Directors' meeting and to discuss the matter, probably during the luncheon seSsim (c) Toxicological Study Committee. In Mr. Ward's absence, the president reported that a meeting of this group had been held November 22 and a plan for study agreed upon. A further report will be made at the next nfeeting. (d) 1955 Chemical Progress Week. Those present were handed c0pies of a plan for the second Chemical Progress Week to be held during the period May 16 - 21, 1955, as approved by the Public Relations Advisory Committee and the Chairman of the Public-Relations Policy Committee. A national organization js now being set up based upon last year's pattern and emphasis will again be slanted to the local plant communities. Mr. Foster invited Board members to submit comments concerning the plan to him after they have studied the written outline. (e) Chemicals in Foods. The President has been invited to address the Food, Drug and Cosmetic Section of the New York State Bar Association during the month of January and to discuss the chemical industry's position on the subject I of chemical additives. Mr. Foster reported that the appearance had already been discussed with members of the Chemicals in Foods Committee, counsel, and others, and that there was a unanimous consensus in favor of accepting this invitation. Following discussion, it was also the consensus of Board members ! that the invitation to speak should be accepted. (f) Welch Foundation. A brief resum was made on funds recently granted by the Foundation to three Texas institutions. (g) Business Conditions Forecast. The President has been invited to represent the chemical industry in a series of panel discussions which will be presented by the U. S. Chamber of Commerce on December 16 in Washington to an audience selected from the press and government. Copies of Mr. Foster's statement will be mailed to members of the Board promptly. (h) Resignation of Mr. Gosnell. Mr. John A. Gosnell who has served the Association for almost three years, first as Assistant to the Secretary and later as Staff Counsel, has resigned effective January 31, 1955. Mr. Gosnell plans to set up a consulting practice in Washington, D. C. (i) De-classified Material. Several of our member firms have attempted to obtain de-classified technical material from the Government for 4 use in the construction of facilities important to both industry and the national defense. Although such information has been officially de-classified, difficulties have been encountered in releasing the material for public use. The matter has been taken up with high officials of the defense establishment and it is hoped that official action will be taken soon to permit dissemination of this material in a proper manner. CMA 067219 1 (282) V. BOARD OF DIRECTORS (a) Report on Alternates. The Chairman advised that the following Board members had requested the appointment of the following alternates: Board Member Alternate and Company Leland I. Doan Carl A. Gerstacker, Treasurer, The Dow Chemical Company Joseph Fistere William D. Barry, Vice-President, Mallinckrodt Chemical Works John L. Gillis Felix N. Williams, Vice President, Monsanto Chemical Company Charles E. Wilson W. P, Gage, President, . Grace Chemical Company ON MOTION duly made and seconded, it was VOTED: That the appointments be approved. The Chairman made it clear that, to provide continuity, Directors who have not alreaty designated alternates, are free to do so. The status of alternate does not carry voting privileges under the By-Laws. (b) Appointment of Pension Trust Committee. The appointment of a Committee in accordance with the Pension Trust Agreement, consisting of Messrs. Charles S. Munson, Chairman; Howard S. Bunn; William H. Ward; and F. J. Emmerich (ex officio) was approved. (c) Resignation of Mr. Crossland. A letter of resignation has been received from Mr. Stanley Crossland effective December 1 due to the severance of his connection with Ethyl Corporation. On motion duly made and seconded, it was VOTED: That the resignation be accepted with regret. (d) Membership Committee. Mr. Kerrigan reported that eighteen firms are now being considered by his Committee as active prospects and that approaches have been made in each case. A progress report will be made at the next meeting. VI. COMMITTEES (a) Chemicals in Foods. The appointment of Mr, J. M. Gillet as Chairman of the Committee, was approved by the Board, 1 CMA 067220 (283) (b) International Trade and Tariff. The Secretary reported that, accordance with action taken by the Board of Directors at its previous meeting, ^customs classification study subcommittee had been appointed, consisting of j^ggsrs. John J. Horan, Chairman; Richard F. Hansen; A1 Leggin; and F. X. Regan. addition, Dr. John L. Coulter has been retained as an Association consultant in accordance with terms approved by the Board. Six meetings of the Subcommittee jjave been held to date and a systematic breakdown and regrouping of the chemical paragraphs of the Tariff Act of 1930 has been completed. Each grouping has been jgsignated as a task operation and appropriate chairmen from member companies have been appointed to each group. The matter is progressing actively and a further report will be made at the next meeting of the Board. (c) Washington Advisory. The Board approved the appointment of the following as members of the Washington Advisory Committee: G. P. Vincent, Olin Mathieson Chemical Corporation Donald MacArthur, Koppers Company, Inc. George Flanagan, B. F. Goodrich Chemical Company VII. MISCELLANEOUS (a) Research Project on Physical Properties. The Secretary reported that the research project was under way at Carnegie Institute of Technology as of December 1, and that Dr. Rossini was proceeding with appointment of his staff. The Research Advisory Committee and Subcommittee will visit Pittsburgh during January to inspect Dr. Rossini's facilities and to confer with him concerning the project. With reference to financing, 75 members out of a total of 137 have agreed to participate in the financing program, and 5 have definitely refused. The Secretary will conduct a follow-up program immediately after the first of the year in order to obtain a participating or non-participating status on the part of the remaining members. (b) 83rd Annual Meeting. MCA will again meet with SOCMA on the occasion of our 83rd Annual Meeting at White Sulphur Springs June 9 - 11, 1955. SOCMA has definitely advised us that they will meet apart from MCA in 1956 but that they would like to meet jointly with us again in 1957. (c) Government Questionnaires and Reports. The Hoover Commission's task group on paperwork will hold its final meeting in Washington on December 16. Following that meeting, the group's final report will be prepared by the Chairman and the Association's Secretary in order that it may be submitted prior to the deadline date of January 3, 1955. (d) Water Pollution Abatement Workshop. A report was made on the workshop conference of plant personnel sponsored by the Water Pollution Abatement Committee and held in Boston November 17. This workshop meeting was most successful and will be duplicated for the New York-Pennsylvania-New Jersey region with a session in New York City some time during February, 1955. CMA 067221 (284) (e) Industry-Government Conference. Mr, Foster reported that all arrangements have been concluded for the MCA-sponsored reception to be held at the Mayflower Hotel, Washington, D. C. on February 8, 1955, Meetings of the Executive Committee and Board of Directors will be held at the Mayflower during the early part of the day and the Board luncheon will follow. Invited to the late afternoon reception will be key personnel from the executive branch of the Govern ment, as well as the chairmen and one or more members of appropriate Congressional committees together with staff chiefs. It is hoped that a substantial number of top executives from the chemical industry will attend the reception. (f) ODM Pilot Program for Executive Manpower. In Mr. Ward's absence, a brief report was made by the President on the meeting which was held in Washington December 1. Out of the total attendance of approximately 50, three representatives were present from the chemical industry. (g) BDSA, Chemical and Rubber Division. It was announced that Mr, Herbert W. Bertine, Allied Chemical & Dye Corporation, would succeed Mr. Carl G. Morrison as Director of the Chemical and Rubber Division, Business & Defense Services Administration, effective January 3, 1955. Mr. Bertine, on leave from his Company, will serve for a period of six months on a WOC basis. It was suggested that the Association, either by means of a letter or the General Bulletin, again impress upon chemical industry executives the importance of maintaining a continual flow of qualified industry executives to government positions on the fore going basis. (h) Proposed Chemical Pump Standardization Project. Following a suggestion made to the Association several months ago by a member firm, MCA approached the Chemical Industry Advisory Board -- a section of the American Standards Association -- concerning feasability of the establishment of a chemical pump standardization project. A special subcommittee was appointed by the Board to conduct such study and a report has now been filed. Briefly, the report indicates that a definite need exists for the development of pump standards, that the proposed program could yield an estimated savings of $6. 8 million annually to the chemical industry alone, and that steps be taken to initiate a project within ASA to accomplish the foregoing. Both the Subcommittee and the Board urgently requested MCA to consider sponsorship of the project within ASA framework. Subsequent contacts with ASA disclosed that MCA would not be under other than normal financial obligation in acting as sponsor, but that, in order to reduce expense, MCA could handle all arrangements for meetings, secretarial duties, etc. Following consideration, it was moved, seconded and voted that the Association staff be authorized to accept sponsorship and to recommend the prompt setting up of a standardization group under the auspices of ASA. CMA 067222 (285) (i) Rubber Plant Sale Program. Mr. Hoover presented a detailed resum of the Government's rubber plant disposal program which was of interest to all present. It was agreed that an invitation be extended to Mr. Holman D. Pettibone, Chairman of the Rubber Producing Facilities Disposal Commission, to attend the Board of Directors luncheon in Washington on February 8, 1955. There being no further business to come before the meeting, it was unanimously resolved to adjourn. Approved: F. J. Emmerich Chairman M. F. Crass, Jr. Secretary CMA 067223