Everybody has an equal chance
but all have not an equal amount
of energy to realize on it.
—Harvey S. Firestone
GASTONIA
Good suggestions are always
needed. Help your Company and
yourself by submitting your ideas
for improving our operations or
the quality of our product. Christ
mas will soon be here. A cash
award will help solve your gift
problem.
VOLUME III
GASTONIA, N. C., OCTOBER 10, 1954
NO. 15
Labor Day Fun
Program Draws
Record Crowd
“Fun for Everyone” was
the theme for the Labor Day
program conducted by the
Recreation Department. From
all reports the theme was car
ried out to its fullest extent
for a record crowd. Boys,
girls, men, women, young and
old alike had their share of
fun.
On the agenda for the day were
games and contests covering near
ly everything from pushing a
lemon with your nose to a money
scramble. Everyone had a chance
to get in the fun. Cash prizes were
awarded to the winners in each
event.
The program was brought to a
close with a spirited Slow Pitch
Softball Tournament with teams
from the plant participating. After
all the runs, hits and errors were
i^ecorded in the respective games,
the First Shift All-Stars, managed
by Harold Robinson, emerged the
victors, defeating the Third Shift
Hoot-Owls 6-5 in the championship
game.
Ernest Bagwell Wins Golf Meet
Tv Show Tickets
May Be Obtained
Through Networks
The Recreation Department
has received a number of re
quests concerning where to write
order to secure tickets for
television shows originating
from New York. Following are
the addresses of the four major
^^etworks:
B, C., 30 Rockefeller Plaza,
York 20, New York.
C. B. S., 485 Madison Avenue,
^ew York 22, New York.
A. B. C., 7 West 66th Street,
^ew York 23, New York.
M. B. C., 1440 Broadway, New
York 18, New York.
Time To Think Of
Safety Is Before
Accident
The purpose of safety is to
°yestall and eliminate the last
j^^itical moment when it is too
to think.
1^ discussing an accident, an
^^jured man said, “It all hap-
Pened so quickly I didn’t have
to think.” He was right.
® time to think is before the
^'^cident occurs. An accident can
^t occur until the conditions
created which make it possi-
These conditions can be and
a j ^ften both in man’s mind
. In the physical things with
^^1^ he works.
(■jj^^^ally there is plenty of
Co correct or avoid these
Ha thus prevent the
‘<^^^^ing which we call an
if we remember
^y and practice it.
SHOWN on the second green at Municipal are employee golfers
Ernest Bagwell (left) and Charles Metz. This photograph was taken
during the final round of play in the recent Employees Golf Tourna
ment in which Overseer Bagwell topped Mr. Metz (Main Office)
by a score of 50 to 43.
Exceptional Safety Service
Brings Honor To Firestone
TO its long list of awards for industrial safety. The Firestone
Tire & Rubber Company has added The National Safety Council’s
Public Interest Award for “exceptional service” to public safety
education through advertising.
The award, for promoting public safety during 1953, was accepted
by Lee R. Jackson, President.
Presenting the award, H. G. J.O '
Hays, General Manager of the Ohio
State Safety Council, said that
Firestone had made “an extraordi
nary effort” in public safety pro
motion.
Among the numerous projects
undertaken by the Company and
its executives to promote safety
was a talk given by Harvey S.
Firestone, Jr., Chairman, October
26 last, on the nationwide radio
and television show, the “Voice of
Firestone.” Its theme was “Ameri
ca’s Future Progress Depends on
Better and Safer Highways.”
Many thousands of the reprints
of this talk were distributed to
motorists and civic leaders
throughout the United States.
!(! % *
ON another occasion, a skit on
the Firestone program emphasized
the necessity of safe driving to
young people, and at the end of it
the public was invited to write for
Man-to-Man and Dad-to-Daughter
safe driving agreements.
In addition, the program signed
off several times on the theme of
Mr. Firestone’s talk for better and
safer highways, and this theme
and others were used in the cause
of highway safety by Firestone
New Tubele ss Tire Features
Revolutionary Tread Design
New Rayon Cord Fabric Aids Strength
Of 1955 Original Equipment Tire
Development of a new tubeless tire featuring a revolu
tionary new tread design that will be original equipment on
many of the 1955 automobiles, providing them with increas
ed safety and comfort, has been announced by The Firestone
Company. Firestone was the first to supply tubeless tires to
automobile manufacturers for some of their 1954 models
after thorough testing in the field. The new tire, known as
the Firestone DeLuxe Champion, will be available for re
placement on any cars now on the road. Cord fabric produced
at the Gastonia plant played a leading role in the new de
velopment.
“This new Firestone tire is the‘'^T~
sistors. There are 70 per cent more
skid resistors, resulting in greatly
increased traction and car con-
first tubeless tire specifically en
gineered to provide extra safety
and comfort for motorists driving
modern automobiles with power
steering, power brakes and high-
horsepower engines,” said Ray
mond C. Firestone, Executive Vice-
President.
The new tread includes entirely
new engineering principles giving
a glide-like ride over rough and
irregular roads. Tire squeal in
turns and sudden stops has been
virtually eliminated by its special
design. It runs silently at any
speed. .
Tubeless construction, use of
newly developed tread rubber com
pounds, and the development of
new rayon tire cord fabrics, pro
duced at Gastonia, are the reasons
the Firestone DeLuxe Champion
has from 25 to 30 per cent more
strength than comparable tires
now used as standard equipment on
automobiles.
)<( }|(
Outstanding safety feature of
the new tread design is the great
increase in traction provided by
the ingeniously arranged skid re-
trol. The skid resistors, running
in a diagonal direction, not only
improve forward traction but also
guard against side skidding.
By varying the distance between
the tread design elements, Fire
stone engineers have been able to
silence the noise of the tire on
straight runs and in cornering.
From the new Firestone DeLuxe
Champion, motorists can expect
all the advantages of tubeless tires
including puncture protection,
blowout resistance, greater streng
th and economy plus more skid
resistance, and snow, ice and wet
pavement traction than in earlier
tires, according to Mr. Firestone.
By designing a tread that is
more streamlined and flatter than
in earlier models. Firestone has
improved riding qualities in this
new tire. Because the tread con
forms better to the road surface,
small obstructions in the road arc
enveloped in the tread rubber and
bumps are hardly felt. After go
ing over such obstructions, the tire
does not bounce.
dealers on local radio and television
programs.
The Company also gave its sup
port to National Farm Safety
Week on its radio and television
simulcast.
Accepting the award, Mr. Jack
son pledged the Company’s con
tinued support of the safety move
ment in all its phases.
New Square Dance
Band Available At
Any Time
The Recreation Department an
nounces the organization of a
Square Dance Band. The band is
composed of Don Anthony (fiddle),
Carol Rabb (banjo), Earl Bowens
(guitar), Vernon Fowler (mando
lin), and Andrew Hutchins
(guitar).
Recreation Director Ralph John
son states that the band is avail
able to play for square dances at
any time. Any department or
group wishing the services of the
band is requested to contact the
Recreation Department.
This newest of tubeless tires features a revolutionary tread
design that will first be seen by motorists on the 1955 model cars
of major automobile manufacturers. Raymond C. Firestone, Executive
Vice-President, points out how the segmented, flexible tread will
provide far greater traction and a quieter and more comfortable I'ide
on all kinds of road surfaces.