What You've Got Within You

12: Sydney 1946

12Sydney 1946

The chairman was a mammoth man, well over six feet and approaching 20 stone in weight. “Let us just say that there’s a great deal of money to be made,” he rumbled.

“Yes, but the b****y stuff’s apparently dangerous,” objected his chief executive, who looked more like a watchmaker than the chief executive of a national conglomerate.

“What nonsense!” the chairman thundered back. “The report from the government medical officer says that asbestos is … here, I’ll quote it to you …‘only dangerous in the asbestos textile industry at doses in excess of five million particles per cubic foot.’” The chairman glared down at his little chief executive officer, beads of perspiration popping up in between the thinly haired wisps of grey slicked back over his scalp. “Now, last time I checked, we were planning to mine this blue asbestos, not make clothing out of it! So, what’s the problem, Fergus?”

Fergus Hamilton sighed. He had little knowledge of mining, engineering or medical science. What he knew was how to avoid unnecessary expenditure and to reign in a spendthrift board. A slight, Scottish number-cruncher, who had worked for V&L Ltd for two decades, he was tough and stubborn despite his frame. He could smell a risk as good as any in business. Hamilton also knew a crank when he saw one. Sir Llewellyn Williams was definitely that. He had to find a way to turn the big man from his lunatic views.

“Llew, that sounds more like sophistry than sound advice. We have no idea whether conditions in a textile factory will be similar to the exposure conditions in our mine and mill. Shouldn’t we first find that out?”

“Sophist-b****y-what?! Look, we asked the government and they gave us an answer. End of b****y story as far as I’m concerned.” If he had been on the Savannah, Fergus would have run for cover, fearing a charge from a bull elephant. Instead, he had to sit in his chair, listening to the outraged trumpet of the chairman’s voice. “Fergus, it’s 1946, in case you’ve forgotten. We bought the mine from Langlands almost ten b****y years ago, and nothing’s happened! Not a thing - unless you call the dribble of asbestos we currently get out of it something. And I don’t for one. It’s about time we got cracking. The war’s over. We’re dragging the chain. Now, I want this Disaster Blue mine developed!”

“But…”

“There are no buts about it, Fergus. The Yanks were pouring the stuff into their warships during the b****y war! We should have been in on it then. Now that the war’s over, there’s a lot of ships and houses to build. And this b****y asbestos is a miracle fibre they say. It can be used in everything. Our blue fibre, this crocidolite, is the best there is. That’s what the geologists told us when we were investigating whether to buy the rights. They should know. They know all about rocks and dirt and that sort of thing. I don’t like the idea of paying all that money to Langlands, and not making a go of it. All our scientists, engineers, metallurgists and what have you, have been fiddling around for too long. I want action! Goddammit, Fergus, we’ve got to get into it, and quick smart at that! It’s a joke what we’ve done with it so far. As I said, there’s money to be made. Lots of it. Let’s just move ahead on this one before somebody else discovers the mother lode of asbestos in Australia some place else.”

Fergus regarded his chairman phlegmatically. Sir Llewellyn Williams was not used to opposition. He had never had any. Fergus knew Sir Llew had risen through the ranks of the business world by bluster, bullying and deceit. He had always been a large man with a voracious appetite for food, money and acquisitions. He was nicknamed ‘the Big Ship’, although nobody had the courage to say it to his face. Fergus was certainly not going to try. Hamilton knew that Williams did not like to lose at anything. He had a highly developed rat cunning. He knew a good deal when it presented. The most essential step in any venture was to get in early and clinch a deal. Difficulties could be sorted out later (by others). Fergus Hamilton was always one of the “others” who attended to the detail. He was not always successful in steering the Big Ship into safer waters.

“Llew, the government medical officer did tell us to make our own independent assessment of the health risks involved with asbestos mining. He suggested we visit the blue asbestos mine in the North West Cape in Africa. It’s been going for years and may be able to provide us with some important information. We should at least call them.”

“You’ve got to be kidding! They’re a competitor. As soon as our mine at Disaster Gorge starts producing to its capacity, we will be fighting with them tooth and nail for market share. No way, let’s get on with it now. I’ll be sounding out the rest of the Board this afternoon. I’m sure they’ll all agree to forge ahead. So, get used to it, Fergus, and start assembling some figures for us to work out what the whole thing will cost to have Disaster Gorge developed.”

Hamilton could see the risks; the craziness of trying to exploit a small deposit in a remote part of the country. The South Africans and Canadians had huge reserves. How could they possibly compete? It was a dirty industry as well. The mining men he had spoken to had assured him of that. It did not make sense. Sir Llew must have some other angle. Fergus could not see what that angle was.

“We’ve already analysed the cost of developing the mine further. It’s prohibitive. The company can’t afford it. It would need to build a town with appropriate infrastructure, and to construct a road and rail service to the nearest port in order to ship bags of the blue fibre to the eastern manufacturing states. And then there’s the workers.”

“Fergus, you worry too much, you know that.” The big man smiled at his chief executive like an indulgent father. “Do you think I’m going to let V&L Ltd, a company in which I hold a significant number of shares, pay for all that on its own? Not on your Nelly.” Fergus saw the amusement in Sir Llew’s eyes. “No, Fergus, this job will require some help from our friends. Once it’s properly explained to them, I’m sure they’ll also see the value in Disaster Blue becoming a vital, national commodity.”