Minutes of Board of Trustees of Steinway & Sons contain the resolutions to close the old Astoria foundry, and to disband the company’s Plate and Action departments. The decision to close the foundry is prompted by New York State government, which has told Steinway & Sons to either upgrade the foundry to modern standards, or shut it down. This, in turn, has been brought about by the increased number of worker insurance claims state-wide, due to silicosis, the lung disease often caused by foundry dust. From now on Steinway & Sons will buy piano plates from two foundries in Springfield, Ohio: O.S. Kelly and Wickham. The Plate and Action departments have been centers of union activity, and by closing them and delegating the work to subcontractors, the management makes its life easier, at the same time saving approximately $30,000 per year.