The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1927-01-28
SIX 'LOONEY CAS-
VICTIMS TO Get
S35O,OOO BALM
Standard Oil Settles
After Long Fight


NEWARK, Jan. 27.-After n'nc
months of litigation, the Standard OF
Company Of New Jersey has agreed
to settle out Of court for $S50,00O six
Of the damage suits brought by form
er employees who were poisoned. in
October, 1925 by tetraethyl gas,
Charles w. Brown, attorney for the
men, announced today.
Five men died and thirty-five 9TH
ers were poisoned by the so-called
"Looney gas" at the Baywater, N. j.
refinery Of Standard Oil more than
two years ago. When a new refining
process was installed, the Standard
Oil officials, oblivious Of any regard
for the health or welfare Of their
employees, made no attempt to find
a ventilating system that would dis
pose Of the poisonous gas it gener-
ated
This negligence on the part Of the
notorious corporation claimed toll
Of over forty victims until public in
dignation was aroused and the com
. DuNA IDS AUIAEu " EAAAHADF AiNinAAeAA
engineers to remedy the condition.
Six Of the men filed suits last sum-
mer, and the case was fought until
new, when the settlement came. The
men have been unable to work since
the poisoning. and in most cases it
completely ruined their health, max
ing chances for recovery remote. The
gas derived its name from the fact
that the victims were temporarily
driven ravingly insane from its ef-
fects.
Health Bureau Active.
The agitation was largely organ
lied by the Workers Health Bureau,
a cooperative labor health enterprise
of many labor unions. It's consulting
scientists from Yale and Harvard
medical schools exposed the hazards
of this new fuel compound not only
to the manufacturing workers whose
numbers are relatively few but to the
hundreds of thousands Of garage me-
chanics and chauffeurs who must
breathe its loaded fumes as it came
into general use. The American Fed
Grafton Of Labor officially entered in
to the fight. And at last the Sur
geon General Of the United States
called a conference of medical scien-
lists to consider what must be done
At the Surgeon Generals confer
ence the Ethyl Gasoline Corporation
found itself on the defensive. This
corporation is made up Of the Stand
ard Oil of New Jersey, the General
Motors and Du Pont interests and il
was able to bring a number of its
own scientists TO argue that the haz-
iards We're slight, in comparison to
the benefits to be gained. But the
peoples case as presented by Secre-
tary Berries of the Metal Trades de-
APARTMENT, the directors of the Work
ers Health Bureau and associated and
friendly scientists carried the day for
the time.
What's A Few Deaths?
J The company, backed TO the wall,
pleaded that the deaths Of few
workers were small price to pay
for the advantages of an nti-knock"
compound that meant more miles to
the gallon and conservation Of oil
resources. But ct the end Of the dis
cussion the company agreed that
manufacture would not be resumed
until a report of seven scientists TO
be appointed by the Surgeon General
should be made public.
Labor had won the first round, but
not the second. The report permitted
the manufacture and distribution of
the new fuel compound if certain re-
strictions should be followed. And
there was one of the jokers in the.
deck The restrictions in the use Of
the fuel are not being observed.
Poison Everywhere.
And tetraethyl lead treated gaso-
line is coming into general use.
1t is the People versus the Ethyl
Gasoline Corporation-that is the
People versus Standard Oil, General
Motors and Du Points.
And all the people have gotten out
of it so far is the s350,OO0 settled on
six health-ruined laboratory workers.
Other Standard Oil survivors are
bringing suits totalling nearly a mil
lion. Perhaps they will get some
thing more-but how about the gar
age mechanics who breathe the gas 4?
Jersey Judge Lets