PAGE TWO
rire$toiie NEWS
JUNE 25, 1954
General Manager Honored
IN APPRECIATION for his efforts in behalf of the United
States Savings Bonds program, General Manager Harold Mercer
received—as a surprise during the recent Boy Scout Awards Banquet
—a framed replica of the prayer offered by President Eisenhower
before beginning his inaugural address in January, 1953. In the re
enactment of the presentation, above, J. G. Reading, left, president of
the National Bank of Commerce, presents the prayer replica—
framed in wood from the inaugural platform. Looking on at right is
0. K. Forrester, chairman of the Savings Bonds program at this
plant. In making the presentation originally, Mr. Reading noted
that Firestone Textiles led the state’s textile industry in payroll
savings plan participation in 1953, with 63 per cent of the plant’s
employees enrolled in the plan.
™ i a6tue$tand atthi0" ;
moment, my fliture associate in
^mcntivc branch cf the Qroucmtmnt
me in bc^^eching that 0hou tvill make full
attd compUtc our dedication to tfie seruice ofb
the people Jhi^ tfirong and their f^lloiy citiiene
iue u0,wepray,the |joiirerto discern clearly ri^ht
^from wrong and alloui all our uior&$ and actions
to bFooucmed thereljy and bi| the iaim of t(u5 land.
we pray that our concern $hall bei^
jfor all tite people, regardless of station, roce-
or calling.jit (Hay cooperation be permitted and*
be the mutual aim of those who,nnber the concept
of our .Constitution, hold to differinjp politicaln
beliefs - so that all may work for the giood of ouV
beloued comitiii and tor'^hy glonj, ^jfmen
tflhie is ttw ’'(ttlie pcaijtr pf iru) ^ ;
Oujight ts. gucnhewsr on Januarif 20,
1953, bcftjve bfjinmit# hi» Inaujurol
®hi» «l!um*nat«i of ‘Pta-yer,
- framei* with U!«!d ft«m ih* Inaugutal Piatfot-tn,
is on for pattjottc oetulc*-'
m th? United Staxtt Sawtitg* Pcoatiitn,*?*
THE “President’s Prayer” reproduced above has been beautifully
engraved and framed by individuals and businesses at no expense
to the government for the Treasury Department to use as a fitting
memento and distinctive award for volunteers who are outstanding
in their aid to the United States Savings Bond Program.
FIRESTONE NEWS
Volume III, No. 11, June 25, 1954
Published by The Firestone Tire & Rubber Company
Firestone Textiles Division
Gastonia, North Carolina
Department of Public Relations
Editor R. H. Hood
Department Reporters
CARDING—Edna Harris, Jim Ballew, Jessie Westmoreland.
SPINNING—Ray Thomas, Mary Turner, Maude Johnson.
SPOOLING—Nell Bolick, Helen Reel, Rosalee Burger.
TWISTING—Hazel Foy, Annie Cosey, Dean Haun, Carrie Johnson,
Lorene Owensby, Dorothy Baber, Kathleen Clark.
SALES YARN TWISTING—Bonnie Dockery.
SYC WEAVING—Vivian Bumgardner, Lucille Davis, Sara Davis,
Nina Milton, Juanita McDonald.
CORD WEAVING—Roy Davis, Irene Burroughs, Mary Johnson.
QUALITY CONTROL—Dealva Jacobs, Leila Rape, Catherine Isham,
Louella Queen.
WINDING—Mazelle Lewis, Dorcas Atkinson, Ann Stevenson, Chris
tine Stroupe.
CLOTH ROOM—Margie Waldrop.
SHOP—Rosa Francum.
WAREHOUSE—George Harper, Albert Meeks.
PLASTIC DIP—Frances Huffman, Helen Guffey.
MAIN OFFICE—Mozelle Brockman.
SUPERINTENDENT’S OFFICE—Sue Van Dyke.
PERSONNEL OFFICE—Barbara Abernathy.
Company Chairman Says. . . .
Leadership Needed To Remove
Foreign Investment Barriers
REMOVING the “barriers to overseas private capital investment”
is a job for “industrial, business, financial and political leadership,”
Harvey S. Firestone, Jr., Chairman of The Firestone Tire & Rubber
Company, told the second International Conference of Manufacturers
recently in Paris.
There is a “log-jam” of unfavor-
I
■
It COSTS
ust as muc
to make seconds
as to make
TOP QUAIITY!
able conditions which “impedes the
flow of private capital into places
where it is most needed,” Mr. Fire
stone said, pointing out that these
obstacles are “unfavorable condi
tions which lead foreign investors
to despair of equal treatment, re
strict their operations, impose dis
criminatory controls on them and
subject their efforts to remit earn
ings and repatriate capital to
onerous exchange and tax penal
ties.”
Mr. Firestone emphasized that
private capital “does not seek
special advantages” but that it
will not go “where it is uncertain
of fair and friendly treatment,”
Solving the problem calls for
pioneers who “will hack their way
through this wilderness of red tape,
fear and misunderstanding” and
work out a program based on “less
theory and more practice. . . . more
action and fewer words.”
ANY program designed to cor
rect the present situation must
approach the international move
ment of private capital on three
fronts, Mr. Firestone said:
He went on to specify these as
“encouragement at home by the
capital-exporting countries; the
inducement or investment climate
offered by the capital-importing
countries; and the extent to which
investment opportunities abroad
are known and understood by po
tential investors.”
“Slowly but surely the physical
foundations of a better investment
climate are appearing in many
countries,” he said. “Food, health
and educational conditions are im
proving, and basic public services
are being expanded.”
The Government of the United
States “believes that the time and
conditions are now favorable for a
large-scale resumption of United
States private investment in for
eign countries and is taking action
to promote and facilitate it,” Mr.
Firestone said.
On the recommendation of Pres
ident Dwight D. Eisenhower, Con
gress is considering a tax bill that
will provide new incentives for the
investment of American capital in
foreign enterprises, he said.
“The United States is also tak
ing steps to negotiate bilateral
treaties of friendship, commerce
and economic development with
friendly nations desiring to estab
lish a code of fair and equitable
treatment for private investment
and trade,” he pointed out. “A good
example of this type of action is
the recently ratified treaty with
Japan.
* * *
“THE International Develop
ment Advisory Board, of which 1
am a member, has recently recom
mended to our Government that
provision be made, through bilat-
erial treaties, to remove income tax
obstacles to private investment by
both the United States and the
country in which the investment is
made.
These benefits would be in addi
tion to any tax incentives afforded
to United States investors by gen
eral statutory law. In a practical
way, it would give effect to the tax
incentives provided by other coun-
Receives Honorary Degree
W. A. KARL, President, Firestone Textiles, is shown above as
he gave the commencement address at the New Bedford, Mass.,
Institute of Textiles and Technology. Mr.'^Karl received an honorary
Master of Science degree from the Institute. Seated behind Mr.
Karl are, left to right, Basil Brewer, publisher of The Standard-
Time.s in New Bedford; the Rev. John F. Hogan who gave the invoca
tion, and George Walker, president emeritus of the Institute.
W. A. Karl Tells Textile Grads
They Must Learn To Take Orders
WILLIAM A. KARL, President of Firestone Textiles, received an
honorary Master of Science degree from the New Bedford Institute of
Textiles and Technology, New Bedford, Massachusetts, and gave the
commencement address at the Institute’s graduation exercises on June
4. Mr. Karl’s honorary degree was one of six presented, the first ones
to be given in the history of the Institute.
A native of New Bedford, Mr.O
(Continued On Page 3)
Karl was graduated from the New
Bedford Textile Institute and was
first employed at the Butler Mill
in New Bedford. He joined the
Firestone Company in 1919.
In the commencement address
Mr. Karl told the graduates that
industry expects the engineering
graduates to learn to take orders
before he can give them.
“After learning to take orders,
there are many other requisites,”
Mr. Karl continued, “such as punc
tuality, maintenance of health,
thrift, continued study, loyalty,
productivity and civic responsi
bility. '
“Progressive industry today
places great stress on safety. It
emphasizes the elimination of haz
ards to reduce accidents, thereby
eliminating human suffering, loss
of pay, and family hardships. If
you appreciate the value of main
taining good health, you will then
accept plant safety programs as a
must.” N I
Sf* ijc
ABOUT loyalty Mr. Karl said,
“All of us develop a spirit of
loyalty early in life, our family
loyalty. Industry expects its en
gineers to be loyal, to believe in
the company and its products and
never to speak’in a derogatory way
of any of its employees, its pro
ducts, or the company.”
In conclusion Mr. Karl told the
graduates: “When you work for a
company, you are thei^ representa
tive wherever you are, and wher
ever you go. Be proud of your
company and make it easy for
them to be proud to have you
associated with them.”
Mr. Karl received his honorary
degree from John E. Foster, Insti
tute president, with the assistance
of Philip Manchester, chairman of
the board of trustees.
In introducing Mr. Karl, Mr.
Manchester described him as “a
well-trained and well-seasoned co
ordinator of industrial processes,
a constant friend and generous ad
visor.”