Leon B. Horowitz's Report to A. W. Spedding on the Asbestos Textile Institute Meeting of September 1961

A two-page confidential report of September 12, 1961, from Leon B. Horowitz of the Keasbey & Mattison Company to A. W. Spedding, on the Asbestos Textile Institute's Air Hygiene and Manufacturing Committee meeting of September 7 and 8, attended by C. L. Sheckler for Johns-Manville. Members agreed on a standard dust counting instrument, one stated purpose being "publicity," to show government agencies, unions and insurers that the Institute "is cognizant of the potential health problem and is doing something about it." Dr. Kenneth Smith of J-M then argued for inviting the U.S. Public Health Service to study the asbestos industry.

What it shows

A. R. Porter objected that inviting the Public Health Service without the rest of the industry would be a mistake, and questioned the publicity and the "probable" bias of the investigating agency; the meeting agreed the rest of the industry should be consulted first. Smith's reasons, as recorded, included "much erroneous thinking and irresponsible reporting" on asbestosis and cancer, the need to "avoid studies by State agencies (and Labor Unions)," and: "Because of the stigma of 'cancer', irresponsible reporting must be eliminated to avoid the high cost of compensation and product liability litigations." He also said the Public Health Service would conduct "an unbiased survey" that all authorities would use. The report continues the discussion of the June 1961 meeting and shows the asbestos textile companies weighing a federal cancer study in terms of publicity and litigation cost.

In Johns-Manville's chronology

Johns-Manville's own chronology of what the company knew describes this document as follows:

Minutes of ATI meeting dated 9/12/61, state that Kenneth Smith again reported that because of the stigma of "cancer - irresponsible reporting must be eliminated to avoid the high cost of compensation and product liability litigations."

Related documents

• Asbestos Textile Institute Air Hygiene Committee Minutes on a Public Health Service Cancer Survey (1961)