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    "localId": "75726488",
    "label": "Letters Sent to Dr. Herman Schlundt, May 29, 1931",
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    "title": "Letters Sent to Dr. Herman Schlundt, May 29, 1931",
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    "ocrText": "May 29th,1931.\nDr. Herman Schlundt,\n303 Hicks Ave,\nColumbia, Mo.\nDear Dr. Schlundt:\nI wired you yesterday asking you to send me the copy of\nthe report by the U.S.Public Health Service, and I am in hopes to have this\nreport on Monday morning.\nI had a conference with Dr. Leake on Thursday evening, at\nwhich time we went over a copy of the report, but he did not elect to leave a\ncopy with me. I understand that he has discussed this report with the Clock\ncompanies in the Connecticut Valley, namely - Ingraham, Waterbury and New Haven,\nbut that in no instance did he leave with these people a copy of the report.\nI think this is rather unfortunate, for as you well realize a report of this\nnature is something that is difficult to go over hurridly, and the Clock Companies,\nas well as ourselves feel that they would like an opportunity to study the report.\nI am wondering if you would have any objections if we were to stride off copies\nof your copy, and place same in the hands of the Clock Companies. If you do\nplease advise me Bor otherwise I shall assume that it is satisfactory to you if\nwe do this.\nThe clock companies are quite up in arms regarding the report,\nand I think there is considerable justification in their feelings. As you will\nrecall this investigation was started with the idea of making a survey of the\nindustry as now conducted, to ascertain whether or not it is safe. The major\npart of their report does not deal with the industry as presently conducted, but\nconsiders the problem from 1918 to '19, which does not give a true picture of\nthe problem since that date. Unfortunately the Clock Companies allowed the\nDepartment to examine some of their employees who had worked prior to 1926, and\nthe Department has incorporated all of this data in their report.\nDr. Leake admits that while they have drawn several conclusions\non this data, still the Department realizes that they have not had a true picture\ninasmuch as the girls most seriously afflicted had either died or were not avail-\nable for their examination.\nThe text of the report jumps from the conditions after 1926 to\nconditions from 1918 up to the time of their examination rather promiscuously,\nand in reading same it occurs to me that one might be confused as to just what\ntime the conditions arose that they are speaking of.\nI am in hopes that your copy of the report contains all\ntables and graphs which the copy that Dr. Leake had. Some of these tables and\ngraphs are rather unique and in my mind very good, but there are others which\nare highly damaging, and could be used to great advantage by anyone who was\nantagonistic to the industry. I pointed this out to Dr. Leake, and am in hopes\nthat he will make some modification of these tables, or at least modifications\nregarding the captions of the tables.\nI am rather unable to understand the attitude of the Department. I my opinion\nthe report is very damaging, and anyone who would read same would be quite justified\nin claiming or contending that the industry as conducted since 1926 is fully, if\nnot more hazardous than the industry as conducted prior to that time. On the\nother hand Dr. Leake advised me verbally that in his opinion the industry can be\nconducted along entirely safe lines, and that they - the Department - would be\nwilling to substantiate this position. He further stated that the reason they have\nmade the picture so gloomy, is to make the offenders realize that there is a\ndanger in this work, and the necessity of exercising every possible precaution.\nWhile I agree there is some merit in taking such a position, still at the same\ntime I feel that the issuing of a report such as they have prepared will be very\nalarming to the Clock Companies, as well as to any girls who have ever worked at\nthis line or are working at it at the present time.\nMr. Granger of the Waterbury Clock Company, has suggested to the Department\nthat a re-examination of the girls, that the Department found active, be undertaken.\nDr. Leake does not respond favorably to such a procedure, and I am rather inclined\nto agree with him. They have spent a lot of time on this work, and from their\nstandpoint it has been completed. Mr. Ingraham, of the E, Ingraham Co., alse\nsuggests that a further survey of the girls employed since 1926, be conducted to\ndetermine to the satisfaction of the Clock Companies, that these girls are really\nactive.\nThe opinion seems to be that this investigation should be conducted as a joint\nproposition, Dr. Flinn and the Department participating, as well as a third and\ndisinterested party. Your name has been suggested in this connection. It seems\nto me that in the event the Clock Companies desire a re-examination of their\ngirls, that such an examination should be conducted independently of either Dr.\nFlinn or the Deparment of Health, and that such an investigation should be at the\nrequest of the Clock Companies for their information to satisfy themselves, as to\nwhether or not the reports Dr. Flinn has been rendering periodially to them are\nright, or whether the work of the Department of Health is correct.\nI am wondering whether or not you would be willing to undertake such an\ninvestigation for the Clock Companies? I am inclined to believe that if you are\nwe will be able to obtain a fund to carry on this work. I would further suggest\nthat if you undertake such a program you have someine to assist you - probably\none of your students at the University who would be capable of giving the assistance\nrequired in this type of work.\nDr. Leake is going to make a report on the work of the Department at the\nAmerican Medical Association's meeting in Phila., on June 10th. I understand\nthat Dr. Flinn is going and may discuss the report. I am planning on attending\nas a listener only, to find out what is going on.\nfact that this\nIn view of the/report will probably be forthcoming very shortly unless a\nconcerted action is taken, we are proposing to devote the greater part of next\nweek to the consideration of this problem, and hope to formulate a definite plan\nof action. In order that we may move intelligently, I hope you will give this\nletter immediate consideration, and advise us whether you would be available to\nundertake this work, and when\nI don't doubt but that the Clock Companies will be anxious to have the\nwork started at the earliest possible moment.\nI am sending this special delivery in hopes that you will receive it on\nSunday.\nSincerely yours,\nVice President.\nHHBarker:RH"
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