Page 34 - To Dragma May 1934

MAY, 1934
An A O n Fellow Writes
[CONTINUED FROM PAGE I S ] it is put in tabulated, written form.
tion in France. A study of certain phases of
the application of the workmen's compensa-
tion law and of certain selected measures of
accident prevention; Government course in
accident prevention; plant safety committees;
apprenticeship in specified industries.
I had planned to spend four months in Paris
before going to other districts. Actually I
spent five months and, because of the central-
ization of records in that city, I shall spend
comparatively little time in the other districts.
While I was in Paris the three principal
sources from which I obtained information
were the Ministry of Labor, the Ministry of
Justice and the Union des Industries Metal-
iurgiques ct Minicrcs, the association of metal
industry employers. From these sources I
secured statistics concerning the number of
accidents, the court settlement of the cases,
and measures of accident prevention.
I left Paris in February and went to Nancy,
where T spent a number of interesting weeks.
The Ministry of Labor had written to the
Chief Labor inspector, in charge of that dis-
trict, so that he was very helpful, giving me
information and taking me to factories in the
neighborhood. I gave up the plan of going
to Lyons, because I thought that it would be
impossible to studv three important industrial
districts in a satisfactory manner. I replaced
Lyons by Nancy because it is situated in the
region in which accident prevention has
reached its highest development in France, in
the particular form which I am studying,
safety committees. Furthermore, a Dcpart-
of Labor inspector has been very active in
safety work in that district.
The metal employers' association arranged
visits to a number of large foundries and
steel mills in the region of Nancy, and the
plant officials gave me extremely interesting
statistical material. I should add that the
plant managers have been extremely generous
both in giving their time and providing type-
written records. I think that such generosity
has been due partly to the fact that compara-
tively few investigations of industrial prog-
ress have been made in France, whereas large
numbers have been made in England and cer-
tain other countries. In addition they were
motivated by patriotism. As they said, they
wished me to carry a "bon souvenir" back to
the United States.
I am in Lille at the present time. I have
hcen studying textiles, since it is a center of
that industry, and have visited only one metal
plant. The surrounding district has been very
severely affected by the industrial crisis.
There is a great deal of unemployment in the
region and comparatively few plants are work-
ing full time. Since the textile industry has
not done as much accident prevention work as
has been done by the metal industry, because
of the fact that there is far less hazard, I
have secured a certain amount of informa-
tion concerning the social work done by the
textile trade associations.
I expect to leave Lille soon and shall return
to Paris. I am very anxious to put my mate-
rial in order and to begin writing. I feel that
I have collected some very valuable informa-
tion, but, of course, it will be of no use until
I have had an extremely interesting time
in France and have gathered material which I
hope will prove of practical value to the De-
partment of Labor. I should like to thank
Alpha Omicron Pi for its part in providing
the fund which made it possible for me to un-
dertake the study. I am indeed very grate-
ful for the assistance which was given me.
Very sincerely yours,
Janet Martin.
Success Attends Dr. Drant
( C O N T I N U E D FROM P A C E 111
stands upon her desk and have had it printed
in color so you all could see what is almost
impossible to describe. The next room is a
small one done in red and white and then a
dressing room in brown and yellow, an oper-
ating room in black and white. The operating
table was built especially for Doctor Drant
and can be regulated to any height or inclined
at any angle. Many complicated medical gad-
gets, about which I know nothing, complete
the room. The X-ray laboratory is also in
black and white. This brief description of
Doctor Drant's suite certainly doesn't do jus-
tice to it. The rooms are unusual, different
and exquisite. I am sure they are the most
lovely in all the medical profession in Phila-
delphia. Not only is Patricia Drant, M.D., a
pioneer in her own field of dermatology and
skin cancer but a pioneer in the field of deco-
rating doctor's offices.
In what spare moments this noted physician
can wrangle from her busy life you will most
likely find her dancing, attending the opera,
the theater or horse-back riding, and she also
manages to belong to the Philadelphia Alum-
na? Chapter.
Just as this is written comes the announce-
ment of her engagement to William Warren
Rhodes of Wilmington, Delaware. Mr. Rhodes
was graduated from the University of Penn-
sylvania and is sales manager of two sub-
sidiaries of E . L du Pont de Nemours and
Company.
Mississippi P. T . A. President
[ C O N T I N U E D F R O M P A C E 9]
ville. receiving her check from Uncle Sam.
In 1919 she was married in Nashville to Carl
C. McDonald, a prominent business man of
Bay St. Louis.
One of the successful enterprises of her
home town P. T. A. was the P. T. A. special
edition of the Sea Coast Echo, published in
October of last year in celebration of P. T . A .
week. This paper was on display at the ex-
hibit tea tendered the visitors to the conven-
tion, Wednesday afternoon, and contained a
complete history of the association, opinions
of educators on the value of P. T . A. work,
besides the general news of a weekly paper.