The labor journal. [volume] (Everett, Wash.) 1909-1976, 1912-07-12
PERILS OF LABOR
What a Pullman Stakeholder Did
For Mems Health.
NEW METHODS INSTALLED.

prove Conditions Under Whicn
Workmen Toiled--Menaoe of Dust
and Lead Poisoning Eliminated.
Alice Hamilton, medical officer OF the
Illinois commission on occupadonal
diseases, says in the Survey:
Many men and women are beginning
to feel more or less vague misgivings
as TO the lot of the thousands Of work
ers upon whose toll their income de-
pepds. Loose as is the tie which binds
the men employed by large corpora
ton to its stock holders, many of the
latter sincerely wish to give expression
10 their sense Of responsibility.
| want to tell the story of one stock
holder who attacked this problem with
uuhesitating directness. She found
that the difficulties were not 1nsur-
mountable and that the corporation
was made up of very reasonable ana
humane men. About a year ago
went TO Mrs. Joseph p. Bowen to talk
with her about the conditions In the
great Pullman works, because l knew
she was a large stakeholder.
In the course of an investigation car
ried on for the occupational diseases
commission of Illinois we had become
convinced that there was a needless
amount of industrial disease among
the men at Pullman who were exposed
to poisonous or irritating dust and
fumes For instance, the paint for the
interior of the sleeping cars was very
rich in white lead and was used In
such a way that the painter could hard
ly escape lead poisoning. The paint
had to be rubbed down with sandpa-
per, which produces great deal OF
dust. AS this was done inside the
small Enclosure of the dressing rooms
the air became full of white lead
dust. Work of this kind is recognized
as the worst a painter can do, and
skilled painters will not undertake 1t
if they can possibly find anything else
to do. There were other places in
which men were exposed to poisonous
substances, such as the glass etching
department. where hydrofluoric acid is
used. The fumes of this acid are ex-
cessively irritating, causing intlamma-
zion of the eyes, nose and throat, bron
rhitis and broncho pneumonia.
The Illinois commission was not sup
posed to go into the problem Of non
poisonous dust, but as matter of Gu
riosity we did examine that depart
ment which was admitted to be the
most dangerous, the sand blasting
Sand blasting consists of driving the
very finest possible sand against a
sheet of steel with such force that the
grains dent it and it becomes roughen-
ed all over with millions of tiny dents
so that the paints will adhere to the
surface. This work was done outdoors
in summer. and in winter it was done
inside building, and the fine sand was
excessively bad for the workmen's
threats and lungs.
These were the facts that were
brought to Mrs. Bowen's attention and
that made her decide to take up the
whole question of accidents and indus
trial disease among the employees OF
this company. of which she is stock
holder At first she sent an agent to
Pullman to investigate the accident sit.
uation. His report showed that with
an average of 200 accidents month
the company was employing but one
surgeon for part of his time, that he
was not given the services Of nurse
| icfo hot
company hospital.
Mrs. Bowen submitted the results OF
this Investigation to the managers OF
the company, reserving as a last re-
sort an appeal to the stockholders In
case the managers should refuse tC
act. This proved to be quite needless.
On the whole, however, the confer
ence was most amicable, and the Off
Gals decided to send the report fol
verification to the men in charge of the
various departments. When it was
clear that her statements were borne
out by the facts they agreed to carry
out as far as possible the reforms
which she recommended.
Meanwhile the new occupations dis
ease act came into force In Illinois anG
obliged the Pullman company to de
away with certain of the dangers de
scrlbed. The fumes of the glass de
partment had to be confined or carried
away and provisions made for lunct
rooms, wash rooms and special work
ing clothes for the men engaged II
handling the poison. The law does no
touch the men In the department:
which are dusty, but not poisonous
The company, however, has been i'm
pressed with the results of the medi
cal examination and has decided to e
beyond the law and to include under
special protective care not only thu
men in the poisonous. but those In tn,
dusty departments - sand blasting
glass cutting metal polishing. bufinl
and asbestos cutting. All are now
provided with respirators and are Civ
Z en- a medical examination once {
month The company at present EN-
ploys FIVE physicians where II had bu
one
To protect the interior painters
against lead poisoning the compan,
has decided to adopt compound o
lead that is much less poisonous thai