Document rp8yx55N0zLvym8E1obwx9gbv

FILE NAME: Crane Company (CRC) DATE: 1935 Jan 18 DOC#: CRC036 DOCUMENT DESCRIPTION: Memo RE Mellon Institute of Industrial Research Symposium on Dust Problems  + b s f'* HSiOKlSDffii BE:- MELLOH ISSHH7SE OF IKDI7SRlaL RESEARCH SIMPOSIUM OR DOST _______________ - PIT7S30BGH- JAR.15. On or about December 12, 1934 Hellon Institute of Industrial Research, addressed letters to some 85 Industries haring Industrial disease problem Inviting then to attend a seating to be held under the auspices of the Institute on the 15th day o f January One of these Invitations as received by the Asbestos Institute and, although the Asbestos Institute did not accept and as sot officially represented, Jabns-HacviUe Corporation requested and obtained pens!salon to send a -repre sentative. -The Invitations expressly stated that ^attendance a t this neeting seed entail no obligation*. . Jobrte^envllle as represented at the meeting by the writer of this memorandum. Approximately 250 people ere present repesenting over 50 Industries which had accepted the Invitation of the Mellon Institute. She Mellon Institute as greatly surprised at the remarkable response and it Is my opinion that one cannot find A better indication of the serious nature of the problems it as the purpose of the meeting to discuss* I as able to ascertain that the Mellon Institute had been prompted to call the meeting by representatives of the sand and glass and the refractories Industries. Represen-, tatires of these industries conferred vith Mr E. B. teldlein. Director of the Institute, and after advising him of the nature of their problem, of its vide-spread character and numerous menacing aspects, suggested the need of some fora of concerted action on the part of those industries presently or potentially involved. T understand that Ur* ? V. Sherwood, Tlce-Presidect of Owens-Illinois Glass Ccnpaay and Or. -Roger Eitcbins, Presi dent o f the American Refractories Institute,-were-the persons ho presented the situation to the Mellon Institute, Mr. Teidlcin, on behalf of the Institute, agreed to cooperate to the extent of calling the meeting and having the representatives spend a day in Pittsburgh as the guests off the Institute. There was some preliminary discussion as to the possibility of using the Mellon Institute as a clearing house for information and research upon aspects of the problem common to ell industries beet definite commitments era postponed until after the holding of the meeting. An Impressive list of experts specializing upon various aspects of the dust problem attended the meeting and ; PLAINTIFFS EXHIBIT .T a a f r CC52-1.8 -i; ft /i /hW jv delivered addresses, Among these were Er. A. C. Eirth, a lawyer associated with Williams, Eversaan and Morgan, Toledo, Ohio, attorneys for Owans-Tl 11 noia Glass Company; Dr. Eugene P. Pendergrass of the X-ray Laboratory, University Hospital, Phila delphia; Dr. Am J - Lanza, Assistant Medical Director of the Metropolitan life Insurance Company; Dr. R. R. Sayers, Medical Officer in Charge of U . s . Public Health Service; Professor Philip Am Drinker of the School of Public Health, Harvard Uni versity; Mr* F. Robertson Jones, General Manager, Association of Casualty and Surety Executives; and Mr. Donald S. Cannings,' Assistant Director, Saranac Laboratory for Study of Tuberculosis. She addresses delivered by these specialists, together with the open discussion that followed thee, rewealed-, among other things, the very menacing character of the problem, its complex nature, 'the -uncertainties attending most of Its aspects and the necessity of some fora of -united action by-the afflicted Industrie: It was recognized that some aspects of. the problem were peculiar to special Industries bat it was equally evident that other-aspects were common to all. For example, only too te rro r- of dust, namely, free silica and asbestos are definitely known to produce fibrosis of the lung* Even is the case of these dusts the problems resulting therefrom are quite different since the fibrosis resulting froa -silica is of a much more serious character than that resulting froa asbestos in that the former predisposes to tuberculosis and is aneh nnre likely to have a fatal termination. On the other hand (and this Illustrates one of the most serious aspects of the problem that is c c m o n to all dust producing industries) the fact that no other dust is knows to produce disability has not prevented entirely groundless claims aggregating millions and even hundreds of of dollars being brought against industries which have no silica or asbestos dost hazard. For -example, Dr. Lanza pointed out that no one had ever maintained that gypsum dust was harmful and yet, nevertheless, the gypsum industry bad suits pending against it covering claims I n excess of four m in io n dollars. It appeared that among the problems ewanon to n Industrial were the following; (1) The menace of ambulance chasing lawyers in . combination with unscrupulous doctors. - The uncertainties surrounding diagnosis of any of the various forms of pueuaoaoconiosis are so many that * question of fact is presented in every ease. Expert testimony can be pro duced by both plaintiff and defendant and it is for the iury to decide whose experts are 0052 \9 3 - corpeet la their Interpretations. In nrfr>g this decision, the jury is not l i k e l y to favor the opinion of the experts produced by the esployer. (2) The desirability of making various dost diseases compensable under properly drawn orkaents compensation laws. One of the speakers stated that *the strongest bulwark against future disaster far Industry is the nsetsent o f properly drawn occupational disease legislation*. Such, legislation would (a) el Ininate thfe jury and empower a Medical Board to paas upon the existence of the and tiie extent of the disability; (b) eliminate the.shyster lawyer and the quack doctor since fees would be strictly U n i t e d by the lawj and (e) permit the correct- ' ing of initial mistakes in the waking of awards b y providing far bearings to redace or eliminate awards If proof could be adduced that the -claimant was sot disabled or that the extent of his disability had been over--' patina tad. - (3) Probless of ventilation, dost collecting and elimination, and respiratory derices. () The establishing of standards {a} for dost connting end particle else determination, (b) for the taking o f X-rays for diagnostic use, ad (c) for the Interpretation of the arklngs on the films so produced. At the close of the discussion a Urm forts, Tice- President of American Befractories Corporation, made a notion that Ir. V U U a a P. Taut, Chairman of the meeting appoint a nominating committee who would nominate a group of Individuals to se r ve as a com l frtce for the formulation of ways and to bring about effective cooperation of aorae character between the various Industries for meeting and coabating those phases of the dost problem common to all. This notion, was carried and a gracfrating Cosmlttae appointed which retired and upon returning presented to the meeting the names of seven individuals to act as such Committee. Bo other names having been placed In nosdnmtlon, the following were elected to act as the Oasnltiee and report back to the various industries and groups represented at the meeting or to whoa the Invitation had been originally extended; 005^20  --ir~ Vandiver 3rows representing Asbestos, Cork and Son-Metallic Dr* 3* D. Sakla tvalla representing Chemical* Abrasives, Alloys and Son-ferrous oetals E* 0 Jones representing Poondriea A* V. Sherwood representing Glass Sand Ground Sand and Glass Manufacture A* J* Gentholta representing Iron Steel and Ores A* J. 3* Curtis representing Line, Liaestona> Cesent and flypsua Soger A* Eitehins representing Refractories,Ceranics and days I explained to the other sabers of the Constttee that X had been sent to the neeting solely as an-observer and had no authority iron Johns-iianville Corporation to aeeept aeabersfaip on the Cooaittee and certainly none frost the Asbestos Industry as a whole* I -eas urged, however, to meet with the Cosasittee sad greed to do so on the condition that X sight withdraw if approval of ay serving Is that capacity should not be -for th.coain g , I pointed oat that seabers of the Asbestos Industry did not care to be associated In tins 1ads of the public or of employees with., those lndsstrles whose problem was silicosis and that for this reason I felt-there night be sone opposition to having? a .representative of ttye Asbestos Industry working with then* X did.indicate, however, that X realised nsaeroos aspects of our problem were the sane and that if cooperation could be worked out without an undue amount of publicity, Jahns-haawllle Corporation and perhaps the ASbestos Industry ha a whole, would In all likelihood be ws-n<np -to cooperate. Xt was the opinion . of the Cooaittee that this -condition would sot present any insuperable difficulty. Sr. Roger Hiiehins, President of Aaerrlcaii Refractor ies Institute, was sade Chalroan of the Cotsalttee which held a neeting Tuesday evening after the close of the ay posliau Ur. Hitching was designated to seat with Ur. Veidleln of the Xellon Institute and ask him to sake a proposal In definite and concrete form as to the Banner in which the Mellon Institute sight be able to assist the various Industries for a fee of $25,000. then this proposal has been received and approved by the Members of the CooBBlttee, it will be submitted to the various industries with the recoaaendatlon -that It be accepted and that the various Industries or individual corporations agree to stand good far a. proportionate aaount of -the fee not in excess of a definite specified son. D05221 - 5-- X gathered that the proposal which would bo sad* b7 the Mellon Inatitat* would iacltuie, aaocg others, the folio* lag: (a) The ccopiliag of a casprahensiT bibliography of all books, treatises and publications deal h$ with: ay aspect o f the dost problea; aad the evaluation thereof. (b) The compiling, digesting and correlating of data and information froca. various subscribing Industries relative- to their particular expert OXUSSS^ , (c) The drafting of .approved vorkaaa^s compensation legislation; corring pawsaonoconlosis. (d) The digesting of the lavs o f the various states which sight affect the operations o f industries presenting a dost-hazard. (a) The outlining, of probleas re<tuiring research or the establishment of fixed standards and the prevention of duplication o f effort and expense along these lines The interest with which the discussions were followed and the entbnsiasa which greeted the proposal for unified effort lead a e to believe that the necessary support will be found for soaa sort of program along the above lines 7S3DI7SE B R O W ' January 18,.1935 005222