WHITE LEAD.

Press, Volume LVII, Issue 17317, 1 December 1921, Page 10

WHITE LEAD.

TO THE EDITOR OF "THE PBESS." Sir, —Woulcl you allow me, through your columns, to refer at this late day to a letter appearing in your issue of the 10th instant, relative to the white lead controversy P I challenge your correspondent's right, His sense of organisation and Ins sense of justice, in writing such a letter over the signature of the president of the New Zealand Federation of Master Painters. The object of that Federation is to improve trade conditions, and its strongest tendons are those of fellowship and goodwill. • Labour constitutes, according to application or branch of the trade, from '25 .per cent, to 75 per cent., of its volume, therefore wfth regard to efficiency as business men we must consider the uneasiness of the operatives in using an admittedly poisonous compound. The worker has a r&markably strong argument for no one does nor can deny the fact ■ that carbonate of jlead is a poisonous compound, and th 4' necessity of special care and cleanproves the danger. Medical examination is not compulsory, therefore it is impossible to gain a statistical knowledge of the evil. That fact alone affords and embraces the whole strength of the adherent to the use of carbonate of lead, and therein lies the weakness of the sufferer's case. What constitutes a real danger is arguable, a match and a tin of benzine constitute a danger or otherwise, according to the point of view and proximity. A master painter would stand well back, exactly as he does from the poisonous fumes or dust of the present commercial lead compound. The operative must face the danger. His instructions are to get into the job and out of it, to give the boss a chance of making a dollar. 'He can scrub himself until Doomsday after his day's work, but he cannot get it out of his stomach, his nostrils, his eyes, or' the pores of his skin' absolutely. He dies, and his trouble may be diagnosed as stomach, nose, eye, or skin trouble, with signs of lead poisoning, but not sufficient to cause death. The painter cannot avoid the danger, neither can the pedestrian or the child. The apologist tries to prove that our lead is not so good as it was before the war. That is nonsense. It is more generally used the fashion for white dwellings predominates. _ The old-fashioned stone colours carried a lesser proportion of carbonate of lead in their composition, and wero relatively more permanent. In proof of this I rely on the memory of your readers, who have had to brush their clothes after coming into contact with picket fences and frdnt gates that had been painted white, and to their experience of the fact that the stone colour on the cottage lasted much longer than the white does on the mansion. Economically we have nothing to lose if the use of carbonate of lead was abolished. Oxide of zinc would be of equal value, but demands more expert handling and knowledge. Patriotism does not affect the question, except regarding efficiency and welfare. Great Britain never had a monopoly in the manufacture of white lead, and is rapidly installing machinery for the production of greater quantities of oxide of zinc. The British Government has appointed a committee to investigate the question of the danger from the use of lead paints. Medical Associations warn the public. In the face of this, to state that carbonate of lead is not injurious is an insult to intelligence.—Yours, etc., A MASTER PAINTER, AND ALLIED TO MASTER PAINTERS' FEDERATION.