Document pByx8kmDwR517ooaYK5qVaY0E

SMITH. / EIL Co i i b i m; PLEASE REFER 70 FILE NO- May 5th, 1943 JJH P, Colored laborer Birmingham Plant -- Dr. Robert A. Kehoe, College of Medicine, University of Cincinnati, Sden Avenue, Cincinnati, Ohio. Dear Dr. Kehoe: On receipt of your letter of May 4th, 1943, regarding the above, I discussed the matter further with our General Counsel, Mr. Chas. G.Middleton,and in view of the opinion expressed by you, it is his idea that we await further developments. However, if the occasion should arise, and we conclude to have an examination made, we will communicate further with you. thanking you for your attention to this, I am Yours very truly, JJH: CM J". Jos. Hettinger KS 0016311 MSy 4, 1945 Hr. J. Joseph Hettinger, Standard Oil Company, Inq., Louisville, Kentucky. Lear Mr. Hettinger! I have your letter of April 29, concerning Mr. James A. Williams. I have looked over the information which you supplied me with your letter, and there is nothing in it Which in my point of view would justify any anxiety con cerning the likelihood that this man is suffering from lead poisoning. The certification of Lr. H. P. Hart is so vague as to "be without any real significance. The doctor says, "There is some lead line present." Just what he means by this is quite uncertain. No doubt he is referring to some sort of a blue line on the gums, but the fact that he says "some lead line" makes it very dubious that there is any such sign of lead absorption. He should know whether it is a lead line or not, and his vague manner of expres sion indicates rather strongly that he is not sure that it is a lead line or that there is any line there at all. Moreover, he concludes the sentence by the statement that the blood is negative; for stippled cells, & statement which would generally be accepted as a contradiction of the first portion of the sentence. There is no evidence in the infor mation given of any exposure to lead in the course of Williams1 occupation over a period of years. In addition to this fact, no previous examiner referred to any occupa tional illness. For all of these reasons it seems to me there is very little point in our disturbing ourselves over the question of lead poisoning. Despite this fact, we should be quite willing to be of assistance to you in dealing with this case if you consider it necessary. There is no suggestion of any lead exposure on the part of this man to any product related to the business of the Ethyl Corporation, and therefore, I can see no reason for being concerned, with it in my capacity as medical director of the Ethyl Corporation. On the other hand, as you doubtless know, we in this Labora tory have been concerned with the general problem of Industrial lead exposure and wp have engaged in the rather extensive study of cases of lead poisoning. Consequently, if we can be of any service to you, we would not hesitate to make the effort. Two courses of action suggest themselves as possibilities. If "Williams is able to come to Cincinnati, I should be glad to KE" 0016312 Mr. J. Joseph Hettinger - (2) - M&y 19^3 - see that he is examined and to see that yon are provided vith a report of our findings. This would he the simplest vay of handling the matter, and any arrangement you may wish to make to that end will he entirely sati^fsuvtojry. The other possi bility is that we might assist present physician by writing to him and by offering our services for the examina tion of his blood and the analysis of samples of blood and urine. I am perfectly willing to do this and will await your ad vice * I see no present reason for your coming to Cincinnati to dis cuss the case, although if you should wish to come for any reason, I should be glad to see you and give you any advice or inrcreation that would seem to be pertinent. T Very truly yours. EAK ef Hooert A. iishoe, "M. Dl KE 0016313 APRIL 29th, 1943 JJE -- Re: ,j Colored Laborer Birmingham, Ala. Plant -- Br .Robert A. Kehoe, College of Medicine, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, Ohio. Lear Sir: Lor your information, I attach hereto a copy of my complete file regarding the above. Our employment records indicate that James A. williams is 49 years old - the date of his birth being February 29th, 1894. In view of^tb^^act that Dr. Hart stated in his report of April 15th, 1943 that flUHHfe- has some evidence of lead poisoning, we thought it advisable to refer the matter to you, thinking that possible you would care to have a thorough examination of Williams made, and at the same time,we should like to be prepared in the event Williams should die in the near future and claim made against our Company on the groundsj^ppm^ suffered lead poisoning and that condition caused his death. As you will observe from the letteroj^ouj^Difftr^t Manager, Mr. L. S. Williams, under date April 8th, &t that time was living at 105 Tremount Street, a^T^iassilon, Ohio, and we assume he is still located there. It was the writer's intention to personally call and discuss the matter with you with a view of either having Williams come to Cin cinnati or possibly you could arrange to have one cf your assistants examine him at Kassilon, or possibly arrange to have some other member of your medical staff, near Massilon, make such examination. At any rate, we should like to have a copy of the doctor's report covering his examination so that we will have definite information as to the cause of Williams' trouble and be prepared in the event claim is made in the future on the grounds that lead poisoning either caused his condition, or, if death ensues, that lead poisoning was the cause thereof. KE" 0016314 N19264.02 2 - Dr. Robert A. Eehoe, etc* April 29, 1943 If you desire that the writer call on you, I shall be glad to do so and wecaj^hen make such arrangements as you deem proper toward having^jflPBB|thoroughly examined. To that end, I would appreciat it if yoi would be kind enough to advise if you desire to have me call or^vouor if you. deem that unnecessary, if you mil arrange to havethoroughly examined and furnish me with a copy of the doctor's report. I can arrange to come to see you at any time it is convenient for you. Very truly yours, 0016315 St a n d a r d Oi l Co mp a n y INCORPORATED IN KENTUCKY y Mil isms, B. II. Birmingham, Ala. April 26, 1943 LOCATION E. Smith, Pres., Louisville, Ky LOCATION SUBJECT MB,Colored Laborer rmingHara Plant This "will acknowledge yours of April 22, file JJH. The title of "laborer" does not describe the duties regularly performed by this employee for many years past. He is one of two negroes who have been used for years, prior to the writer*s incumbency, to unload all tank cars received on our'Birmingham, siding, and since the transfer of kerosene and gasoline has been switched from tank car to tank truck, Williams' duties have called for his operation of the pumps used in unloading those trucks, al though the hose connection from the trucks to the suction stub is made by the drivers. Also, the lengthening of our -work week made necessary the addition of a man as unloader, and we put a white man on this job, staggering his time, with that of the negroes, with the idea that sooner or later the risk of resting the responsibility of unloading tank cars on negroes would be switched to white persons to give us more security. As far as any one can recall, the only exposure^M^^ has bad with a storage tank which had contained leaded gasoline was some eight or more years ago while Hr. S.C .Anderson was in Alabama. I am told by Hr. Hurley that when we were cleaning a storage tank here a workman by the name of Johnson very indiscreetly got into the tank and very promptly was overcome. Williams looked into the tank thru the side manhole and saw Johnson lying down. He undertook to go in after him but Williams is a big man, and he got wedged in the manhole ring from which other employees removed, him; then, of course, took care of Johnson. This vd 11 give you an understanding of HHH^xposure to leaded products, both in performance of xrusregular duty, .and in the one case of emergency. It might be stated that the receipt of gasoline by tank truck which has been true since about the middle of last summer exposes him less than when he was handling the entire hook-up and discharge of similar products received in tank cars. C 0 0016316 V N19264.03 Smith., Pres., Home Office April 22nd,1943 BIHI.: THGHA3W} a XABAHA LSW JJH JJH _____ colored laborer, Birmingham Plant -- Referring to recent correspondence which you have had with hr. Cocks regarding the above. 'Chile I note that.flfeV was most recently employed as a laborer, I wish yoirwouTcTadvise me in detail the extent of his exposure to .leaded gasoline; also whether he at %iy time, par ticularly a short time before his recent ailment, was engaged in cleaning the inside of any storage tanks which contained gasoline and if so, whether he at all"times was provided with the required gas mask end other facilities to be used when so engaged. I wish you would let me have this information as promptly as possible because it is my purpose to contact Dr.Kehoe , the Ethyl Gasoline physician at Cincinnati, Ohio, and possibly williams himself at I'assilon, Ohio, v.ith a view of having him thoroughly examined by Dr.Kehoe. KE 0016317 C 0 p Y N19264.04 Inter Office Correspondence St a n d a r d Oil Co mp a n y 0 INCORPORATED IN KENTUCKY ^ Y DICTATED BY .nil iams. D Birmingham, Ala, April 19, 194-3 LOCATION DATE 1?. F. Cocks, Secretary and. Treasurer, Louisville, Ky. LOCATION FILE NO. _______. LS 'i'i FILE NO, DEPT. SUBJECT LSW Colored Laborer, Birmingham. Plant In further reference to the above your file C-62, Williams' recent disability started on Konday, January 25, am his ninety cay waiting period for annuity will expire April 25, arn we will make no more deductions for annuity from his disability checks after that date. I .am attaching copy of a letter received from Dr.E.P. Bart who I mentioned previously was attending Kassil on, Ohio.. Please note the reference to the presenc^or lead lime in the blood test. Unquestionably this has come about by the doctor interrogating "illiams as to the nature of his duties, and the doctor's attempts to get some history which might justify his findings, it does not seem reasonable to us that neither our Birmingham doctor.nor the Veterans' Hospital at Tuskegee would fail to discover this condition, if it existed, and had any significance. We also have another letter fromin which, he only says he is unable to work. I am dropping him a short hote telling him that we wall continue his pay in accordance with the disability plan and also will continue his free, and con tributory insurance in effect and that his annuity vail be held in suspense until he returns to work. emcl!. 0016318 0 p N19264.05 51 \l ` i .. X - Dr. H. P. Hart 5OX Ohio Merchants Bldg Massildn, Ohio. c 1 April 15, 1943 To Whom It Hay Concern: This is to certify that ______ is under my care. He is suffering from gastritis and has some evidence of lead poisoning. There is some lead line present but the blood is negative for stippled cells. He is unable to perform the duties of his occupation. copy H.I Ilarl B.TwT C 0 p Y K*' 0016319 N19264.06 C 0 P Y Hr. D.P.Cocks, Secy. & Treas. Home Office April 9, 1943 C-62 IL kr.L2 . williams ,B . A., Birmingham, Ala. LSW .colored laborer Birmingham Plant I have your letter of April Sth with additional information concerning the conditionof this employee. There appears to be no question that Williams is sericusly ill, and under the circumstances is entitled to the application of the Disability & Relief Plan and his case should be handled strictly in accordance therewith. His length of service with the company entitled him to receive twelve months payment at full salary, should he be away from work that long. Please keep us advised of any general information you may obtain regarding him, and furbish us with doctor's reports from time to time whenever they can he obtained. You may inform this employe that his free group insurance will be kept in full force and effect, and.you should deduct as usual for his contributory group insurance premium. If he is absent from work as long as ninety days, his annuity will be placed in suspense at the end of that period. 0016 3-2 0 C 0 p Y N19264.07 Inter Office Correspondence DICTATED BY LSW , Colored. Laborer, B3.rmingb.an Plant Since the receipt of your letter of March 29th, file DFC, regarding the above, I have received two letters from this employee under address 105 Tremou^t Street,S.h. Massilon, Ohio, in the first one of '-Mch^dBBBP stated that he has had a very bad nervous attach and isunderthe care of Dr. H,P. Hart. The aorto^supplies a statement to the effect that he is attending HHB and that he is unaole to perform the duties of his occupatj^x^rnis morning I received a second letter from Williams tc- the effect that he is not doing so well and is continuing under the doctor's care but will let us know how he gets along. A few minutes after receiving that communication, Dr. Charles Wattterson, v.rhom I mentioned in letter of March 26th, telephoned ire to sav that he has a report from the Veterans' Hospital, Tuskegee and tilat altllouel1 he is fiot supposed, to communicate its icrxtenrsto any but the patient, he read the report to me on the 'phone, volunteered the statement that Williams isnot right either mentally or physically, and that he will not be a fit applicant for any work in future. The report as I copied it down gives the following as Williams' affliction: #1 - Hypertensive coronary arteriosclerotic heart disease with valvular damage y2 - Arthritis hypertrophic multiple #3 - Osteoarthritis lumber spine From the above it would appear that vie have rather a serious case on hand. How Wjjliams got to Massilon, Ohio, I do not know;. When talking with 'Williams, he expressed a desire tto go to the Veterans' Hospital in Detroit which several of our negroes have visited in times past but contended that he had no money to get there and the hext we hear is his letter from Massilon, 0hio._ I see nothing to do at the moment except to await developments. This willbe cone and you will be advised of anything of interest. C 0 P Y KE 00163-21 N19264.08 Mi s t a n d a r d Oi l Co mp a n y INCORPORATED IN KENTUCKY n-F. Cocks. Sectv-Treas.____Home Office, March 29. 1943 LOCATION DATE f?S . Williams,P.M----,. Birmi n gham,A1 ab ama : LSW DFC SUBJECT DICTATED BY DFC: v hiham Plahi Colored Laborer I have read with interest your letter of March 26. If this employe returns to work and is able to work, and then decides to resign and get a job, I see nothing that you can do but let him go. I would suggest that you have your Plant Superintendent tell him that if he isn't satisfied to take off a day or tvro and see if he can find a better job. I don't believe that you are going to run into any trouble if because of conditions you have to, and did, employ a white man to supervise the work and assign him to a night shift. On the other hand, it may be that if you re-assign him to a day shift he may be satisfied, but frankljT-, I see no reason why we should run into any trouble if he decides to quit and leave us. We had a good many very aggravating cases under the old Insurance Disability Clause which was discontinued some years ago, but that situation shouldn't occur now. C 0 p K 0016322 N19264.09 St a n d a r d Did Co mp a n y 0^ Inter Office Correspondence INCORPORATED IN KENTUCKY FROM L. S . Williams, D. M,., Birmingham,Ala. LOCATION f?. F. Cocks, Secretary, Louisville, Ky. LOCATION March 26, 1943 DATE FILE NO. Y FILE NO. DEPT. SUBJECT d ic t at ed by LSVi ____ ________ Colored Laborer, Birmingham,AM. 'Plant The above was employed January 17th,1919 and has been on the payroll continuously since that time, which gives him 2A full- years of service. A few weeks ago Williams was taken ill and being a, veteran cf the last war, he went to the hospital at Tuskegee for examination. They kept him there some 12 days/made various tests, took X-ray pictures, gave him no medicine or treatment, end would not tell him what was the mat ter, so he got disgusted and returned to Birmingham. He is under the care of Br / Qha rlesBa^grson, a white physician. Dr. Watterson is the one ^ho sent"M^JBpto Tuskegee but even he^^unacie to get any report from the, Tuskegeeauthorities regerding case . However, Dr*. Watterson tells us that he is not a well man. Be seems to be nervous, cannot sleep and has hallucinations but on certain days, feels very well and normal. Sometime ago in the interest of better operation, we put a white man in charge of unloading tank cars. You probably will reeallf or years this duty has been delegated to negroes exclusively at this plant, and when our tank cars began slipping awray and. the receipt of stock vas ty'truck at all hours of the day and night and we began to handlemcre specialized commodities, we made an addition to our unloading organi zation by adding this, white man. Of course, somebody had to take tin night shifts.'ijfflHHHB.gotone of those and he has the impression, (erroneously I^^m'sure^ that some one in our organization is gunning for him. Having done nothing in the last five -weeks, undoubtedly he has brooded over his own condition and also what he thinks is injus tice at the plant, so he now wants to resign, saying that he feels his work has not been satisfactory but he can get a job in a.war plant and make more than the $105 we are paying him and which he needs because of a large family. All of this doesn't make sense but I am writing it to you for the reason I was informed that some years ago an employee here resigned and subsequently proved he was in ill health when he did so, and the reaction was unfavorable and costly. I got it that the insurance company was obliged to pay a claim, possibly when we still had the total disability clause in our group contract. I have talked to fHHI myself this morning and endeavored to show him that he is not being treated unjustly, that the conditions of which he complains are the result of the war, that he would make a mistake to resign and give up all the service he has had with the company to chase a war ioj^^^^^irther, that as Dr. net ter son says, he is not a well man, he could hardly be expected to render better service in a warpTantror somebody else than he oould render for us. I have told him we do not care to accept his resignation until he can get a statement from the Veterans' Hospital or his doctor or both, stating he is in good physical condition and here is where the matter rests. Dr. Watterson is writing Veterans' Hospital H *0016 3 Z 3 N19264.1 again today and has promised to tell us what he learns yet we have not pushed him for his detailed opinion of condition, thinking it would he better to approach that subject after he receives the hosnital report, if indeed he is able to secure it. te are treading on dangerous ground by forthwith releasing _____ ;ven on his written request, and am undertaking to get tKe"T:'acts and conditions in some safe shape before any actual decision is made. If you have any comment regarding this report or suggestion for our guidance, it will be. appreciated. C 0 P xr j. KE 0016324