Minutes of a J-M Meeting with Dr. Lanza on Completing the Metropolitan Life Survey (1933)

Two pages of minutes of a meeting on November 28, 1933, in W. R. Seigle's office, attended by Dr. A. J. Lanza of the Metropolitan Life Insurance Company and W. R. Seigle, E. M. Voorhees, S. A. Williams and Vandiver Brown of Johns-Manville. They discussed a suggestion by Sumner Simpson, president of Raybestos-Manhattan, for joint action by the textile group of the Asbestos Institute toward standardized methods of dust control, and J-M agreed to go along. Lanza wanted to complete the study of the asbestos industry Metropolitan had begun about three years earlier, and was told J-M's program would add its plants at Waukegan, Illinois; Gretna, Louisiana; and Pittsburg and Redwood City, California, to the Manville plant and the mines at Asbestos, Quebec.

What it shows

Voorhees asked whether Metropolitan Life would take dust counts at J-M plants once or twice a year, "Mr. Voorhees' idea being that unbiased reports of this character would be helpful to us, if favorable, in the event we should ever be involved in litigation." Lanza thought such periodic reports were not Metropolitan's province and suggested consulting engineers such as Saranac Laboratories. The meeting leaned toward having an expert in J-M's own organization able to take dust counts at any time, and suggested that a Dr. Miller be trained.

In Johns-Manville's chronology

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

A meeting is held on 11/28/33 between J-M and Dr. Lanza (Metropolitan Life) to discuss the suggestion made by S. Simpson that the asbestos textile group of the Asbestos Textile Institute "look toward" standardizing methods of dust control. After considerable discussion, J-M decides to indicate to Simpson its willingness to go along with his suggestion and to arrange a meeting with the textile group. Dr. Lanza advises that he would like to complete his survey begun 3 years ago which would involve a reexamination of the plants covered by the original reports as well as a re-examination of certain employees who had been X-rayed at that time. J-M proposes to Dr. Lanza that he expand his study to include four more J-M plants. Dr. Lanza lists the items Metropolitan could be counted on to perform if the survey is approved, including training of a J-M employee in the technique of taking dust counts. Voorhees asks Dr. Lanza if Metropolitan would take dust counts at various J-M plants once or twice a year in order to ascertain J-M's progress in improving dust conditions. Voorhees feels that a report by an outside consultant would be more favorable to J-M in the event of litigation. Dr. Lanza is not sure if Metropolitan would perform such a service. No final decision is made, but at the conclusion of the meeting, it is felt that perhaps J-M would be better off if it had an in-house person available to take dust counts at any time.

Editor's note: J-M's description refers to the Asbestos Textile Institute. The minutes say "the textile group of the Asbestos Institute."