The Chronicle-star combined with the Moss Point advertiser., 1945-07-20
Masonic
lContinued from Page D

WeStpnalen, VINO was apputAitcu
acting general manager at Lau-
rel 10 succeed j. H. Thickens,
and with Robert Boehm, director
Of research for Masonite, and
that together they had decided
on a remedial program that was
estimated to cost "$250,000."
On The following Wednesday
a telegram was received by the
Chrinocle-S Star from Mr.. McCul-
Tough, after his return to Chi
cago, announcing that the Ma
sonite Corporation board of di-
rectors has today authorized an
expenditure of one quarter mil
lion dollars to be expended in
construction and equipment
which should enable us to elm
mate u share of responsibility
for the killing of fish. Engineer
ing is being completed and ord
ers for equipment r being
placed Immediately
AT the meeting of editors in
Laurel, who came by invitation
of the company to hear its YER
sion of the pollution problem "as
ii concerns the corporation rep
resentatives of the Chronicle
Star asked if the company would
not say in detail how this quar-
ter of a million" was to be spent.
Plant officials said they would
submit, during the week, a con-
else outline Of the program they
had in mind. But no such infor-
nation had been received by
this newspaper by press day on
Thursday.
Easton King, editor of the
Chronicle-Sta expressed appre-
citation and interest for Mr.. Nc
cullough's promise of future pol
icy.
However" he said I'VE came
here with a healthy skepticism
as to what the company actually
planned to do to clean this situa-
ton up, and l must say frankly
that we are leaving with it. In
view of Masonite's long record,
we cannot accept this program
on faith until you tell us specifi-
cally what you plan to do"
The editors tour of the plant
| revealed that the plant had
been almost totally lacking in
any intention TO treat its high
lY destructive waste before
dumping il into the river sYs-
fem.
The settling pond. which in
theory was supposed TO allow
wood fibers to settle TO the
bottom before fhe water was
discharged into the stream.
had actually been allowed to
fill up over a large part of its
area. The raw waste ran
through channels and small
ponds directly to the TallahaIa
creek.
Moreover. a section of fhs
pond dam had been washed
away. permitting the waters di-
rect discharge into the creek,
and MIR. Westphalen. acting u
perinisndent. said the dam had
been out. and that the discharge
had been allowed to flow un-
checked into the creek. to his
knowledge for the past ten
or eleven months"
The company has claimed on
numerous past occasions that,
though il could get labor to man
ufacture its products, it somehow
could get no labor to take care
of waste treatment methods.
Mr.. Westphalen said, however,
that the company had been able
to get labor on July 2 to begin
the first steps of the remedial
projects outlined in Mr.. McCul-
lough's speech. This date marked
the first weeks of the campaign
against this chronic abuse and
demands that the attorney gem
eral take action to enforce the
law.
Nh. Boehm, the chemical di-
rector, said that by raising the
banks of the settling pond three
feet, the libers remaining in
the waste would be allowed to
settle. Prior to this, he said, the
company would pass il through
a continuous sedimentation tank
taking off the larger part of the
fibers, which would be burned.
The waters in the pond would
retain the oxygen hungry wood
sugars, but these could be held
until the rivers were at high
stage, he said, and they could
then BE discharged without
damage"
The editors of the Chronicle
Star pointed out that such a pro-
grom provided absolutely no
means for treating the wood sug-
airs. which DR.. Boehm admitted
were responsible for two-thirds
of the pollution effect. and which
other chemists have estimated
much higher.
1t was brought out in the dis
cussion that it was actually