Evening star., 1952-03-27
Ewing Denies Backing
.FIuoridaiion Program
For Personal Profit

TOT PERSONAL kIOIn
Federal Security Administrator
Oscar r. Ewing today denied he
had personal profit motive in
pushing for fiuoridation Of water,
as suggested by Representative
Miller. Republican, Of Nebraska.
Mr.. Miller made the implication
lin a statement published in the
Congressional Record Tuesday.
The Congressman said that the
Aluminium Co. of America and
Mr.. Ewing might have a profit
motive since the company has
waste products that contain q
large amount Of fuoride and Mr..
Ewing was once associated with a
law firm that represents the firm.
He stated: ut would be interest,"
ing to know if he shares in the
yearly cut of their melon"
FSA Supporting Move.
MIR. Miller has opposed the
f1uoridation Of the Districts water
supply. Mr.. Ewing and the FSA
have been main supporters of the
move to fluoridate water over the
country to reduce tooth decay in
children.
Mr.. Ewing's statement today
said:
My attention has been called
to misStatements by DR.. A. L.
Miller, Nebraska Congressman, in
connection with fluoridation Of
municipal water supplies.
ITO clarity the picture, fluorida-
ton is considered the best known
method of preventing decay in
|children's teeth.
Phone Call Suggested.
'Dr. Miller stated that the
Aluminium Co. of America sells
fluorides and that the law firm
of Hughes. Hubbard and Ewing.
of which I was partner the
called it Hubbard, Hill and Ewing)
represented that company; and
he therefore wants to know
whether Oscar r. Ewing still gets
a cut out of the melon or not.
1.-THE doctor easily could have
obtained the answer by the simple
expedient Of giving me telephone
call. But that would have can
celed out his statement.
"The facts are these: Hughes.
Hubbard and Ewing, its prede-
cessor firms, headed one time or
another by Charles Evans Hughes
or his son, Charles E. Hughes, jr.,
has acted as the New York coun-
sci for aluminium Co. of America
since 1910. I Withdrew from the
firm at the end of August, 1947.
when I became Federal Security
administrator. The firm has since
had several reorgailizations.
Not Paid Since withdrawal.
IT have not received one penny
from that firm on any business
that it has done since I Withdrew.
AS a matter of fact, I had no per-
sonal knowledge of the aluminium
company having any interest lin
fluoridation until DR.. Miller made
his statements.
Tsregret to see any one playing
politics with the health of our
children.
There is only one question be-
fore the public: Is f1uoridation a
safe method of preventing decay
in the teeth of our children? II
$50, let us go ahead with it. The
Public Health Service and the
Federal Security Agency are con-
vinced that it is safe
Not a Waste Product.
Meanwhile. a spokesman for the
Aluminium Co. Of America said
that sodium fluoride is not derived
from waste, but is a prime alumni
mum product. He said that the
company supplies less than 5 per
cent of the fluorides used in water
systems over the country.
The spokesman said the COM
pany takes no stand one way or
the other on whether it is good or
bad from the health standpoint,
and merely supplies a few munici-
pal governments. AS for profits,
the spokesman said, the company
has been selling the fluorides at a
loss to meet commitments because
a price freeze has taken the profit
out Of the sales in recent months