Document oMvL8a0aR16LbEx0waK6oE8LX

Excerpts from the Opening Address et Industrial Hygiene Foun dation, by Andrew Fletcher, Vice President, St. Joseph Lead Co., and Chairman of Foundation's Board of Trustees, presented at eighth annual meeting of Industrial Hygiene Foundation held et Mellon Institute, Pittsburgh, Hov. 10, 1943. 'by v;as the Foundation founded and why should it continue. About ten years ago cur country was in the depths of a great depression, and due to the resultant unemployment, various claims for occupational diseases, such as silicosis, were widespread - companies quickly realized that it v j difficult to obtain any competent information as to whether the claims were justified or not; they also awakened to the realization that they had little, if any, data upon which to fight unjust claims, and more important still - if it was found that an occupational hazard did exist, there was no one central place where suggestions could be obtained to lessen the hazard. In the ten years which have passed great strides have been made, due to the knowledge acquired through adversity - the most important development, however, in my opinion, is the acceptance by industry of the fact that improved working and. living conditions result in lower costs, and that the dollars so spent in the improvements pay enormous dividends. In the eight years since the Foundation was founded it has progressed from a struggling rna poorly financed group to one of the strongest organizations of its kind in the United States - and one which represents the interests of em ployee ns well as that of the employer by helping to prevent illness and occu pational diseases through research in the plant as well as in the laboratory, and by the practical collection end dissemination of industrial hygiene data. -uat as I can foresee the greatest era of industrial activity that this coun try has over enjoyed when the war has been von - as there is now no doubt that '-z -HI be - I see the necessity of an organization such as the Foundation, ~ber unbiased information end help can bo readily and inexpensively obtained. The Foundation can be most helpful'in the post-war period, when the protection of k t*'-e health of employees, and possibly even of the consuming public will be even cre important than in the past, as with the enormous advances made in chemistry .ent Maintain Manpower