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{
    "localId": "75726775",
    "label": "Letters Sent to Dr. James P. Leake [J.P. Leake], December 3, 1931",
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    "title": "Letters Sent to Dr. James P. Leake [J.P. Leake], December 3, 1931",
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    "collections": [
        "Safety Light Collection",
        "Records Related to Radium Dial Painters"
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    "seq": 3,
    "pageIndex": 0,
    "type": "document",
    "url": "https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/lz/electronic-records/SLC/Radium/SLC_0002554.pdf",
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    "ocrText": "December 3rd,1931.\nDr. James P. Leake,\nRoom 1-123 C. Bldg.,\n16th Seventh St., S.W.\nWashington, D. C.\nDear Dr. Leake:\nDuring the past three or four weeks we have been giving\nconsiderable attention to the possibility of moving our operations back\nto New Jersey and occupring our own property located in Orange. For\nyour information I may say that our property has been idle there for the\npast five or six years, and that there is a building located on same\nwhich could be admirably adopted to our needs.\nIn view of the general policies of retrenchment which are\nthe order of the day, we have felt that a move of this kind was indicated -\nhowever, before we finally decide to go to New Jersey, we are disposed to\nhave the cooperation of the New Jersey State Labor Department, Essex\nCounty Physician, Health Inspectors for the city of Orange, and the Board of\nGovernors for the city of Orange. Upon approaching 8 number of these\norganizations, or individuals as the case may be, we have been confronted\nwith the proposition that our work is highly hazardous, and it is questionable\nwhether or not we would be an asset to the community. At the same time\nthey all tell us that in the event we can present evidence to the effect that\nif the application of luminous material to applicators and instrument dials\ncan be carried on with a minimum of hazard to the employees health, they would\nbe glad to give our problem fair consideration.\nWe have discussed this subject with Dr. Martland, and he has\nsuggested to us that the forthcoming report of the U.S. Department of Public\nHealth should quite amply clarify the situation, and whatever the final\ndecision of the U.S. Health Department is in regard to this industry, he\nwould subscribe to it.\nAs I recall you presented B. paper at the May meeting of the\nAmerican Medical Society in Philadelphia, giving a preliminary report of\nyour survey, and in this report you made & statement to the effect that the\nindustry as now conducted was not particularly hazardous. I don't believe\nthat this paper has been reported in the literature as yet. We would\nvery much appreciate it if you would write us a letter which we might present\nto these various organizations, stating briefly the attitude of the U.S. Public\n-2-\nHealth Department toward the industry involving the application of luminous\nmaterial to watch, clock, instrument dials, etc., as now conducted, from\na health standpoint. It might also be well, if you could do so to include\na list of the specifications which you have prescribed, under which the\nindustry may be conducted with a fair degree of safety..\nA letter from you to this effect, giving the precautions to be\ntaken, together with a statement to the effect that when such precautions\nare taken the health of the employee would not be particularly jeopardized\nwould be very helpful to us at this time.\nVery truly yours,\nVice President.\nHHBarker: RH"
}