WORK SAFE; IT MAY BE
later than you think.
—Ralph Moton, Supply Room,
a winner in the 1954 Safety
Slogan Contest.
GASTONIA
DON’T SHORTEN YOUR STAY;
LIVE SAFELY EACH DAY,
—Velma Brooks, SYC Weav
ing, a winner in the 1954
Safety Slogan Contest.
VOLUME IV
GASTONIA, N. C., JANUARY 24, 1955
NO. 2
Newspapers Laud Firestone
(Editor’s note; On December 29 and 30, 1954, several newspaper
editors and trade paper writers made an inspection tour of the new
slectronically-controlled, safety tensioning and gum-dipping tire cord
unit at Firestone Textiles. Lyle Edwards and James W. Atkins of The
Gastonia Gazette were among those who viewed the new equipment
here. The following editorial appeared in The Gazette, Thursday, De
cember 30.)
Firestone Forges Ahead
Yesterday the Firestone Tire & Rubber Company, at its
Gastonia textile plant, displayed to a number of newspaper
men and trade journal representatives its new Nylon Hot
Stretch Dip Unit, the first cord-treating factory of its kind
m the world.
This new operation, which took years of work and
Pi'eparation, will make safer, stronger, and longer-wearing
automobile and truck tires than have ever before been made
in history.
Gastonia should be proud and happy that Firestone
chose its Gastonia plant for this historic new operation.
You have read or will read in news stories the details of
this new plant.
There is no reason to recite the details here.
Suffice it to repeat that this newly activated addition to
the Gastonia Firestone plant is a credit to our city.
We are glad they chose Gastonia for this important new
operation.
(Making the tour of inspection of the new tire cord treating
^Quipment on December 29 was David E. Gillespie, president and
P'^blisher of The Gaston Citizen, Gastonia. The following article
appeared in the Citizen December 30, in Gillespie’s column “Hornin’
Citizen!”)
Some Changes Made
More than 15 years ago we walked up to Russ Conrad,
Overseer of the weaving room at Firestone, and told him we
''^ere quitting our creeling job to write sports for the news
paper.
^ That was in 1939 and we had just finished high school.
'Jobs were pretty scarce that summer and we had become a
^I’eeler only through the fact that Ed Spencer of the employ
ment office knew our father and wanted to help us out.
, Mr. Conrad wasn’t too unhappy about us leaving. We
^oubt that we were the best creeler he ever saw. And we’ve
^ot the scars on our shins to back up that statement.
So that’s how we got into the newspaper business. And,
jJP Until yesterday, we had been back inside the Firestone
Plant only one time since 1939.
The changes during those 15 years are amazing. We
^ould never have recognized the plant if we hadn’t known
destination yesterday. But we certainly saw a lot of
People we knew years ago and, surprisingly enough, remem-
®^ed most of the names.
How Firestone has grown!
^ Ed Spencer used to employ all the help, handle the per-
‘;'^Hnel problems, take care of the insurance, and find time
^ ^ent the company houses on the side.
Now they’ve got about a dozen men doing the job he
to do (it’s on a much larger scale today, of course).
^ there’s an office jammed with men and women who
^Pi*esent the clerical force.
\\r ?he plant is a lot cleaner today than it was 15 years ago.
imagine that the heavy emphasis on the synthetics,
n^^ch don’t blow around like cotton, has a lot to do with
both management and labor have learned, too,
clean plants are the best operated.
The people are happier and more prosperous looking.
' take pride in their work. They’ve either bought or are
'ying their own homes. They own good automobiles and
of them are sending their youngsters through college,
n Not only has Firestone and many other textile plants in
^,^ston County changed physically through the years, they’ve
' ^^ged mentally, too.
Oh i^to a fellow-worker of 15 years ago. He shook
^and, joked about the clumsiness we used to exhibit in
(^^^\^eave room, and asked us how we would like to be back
^ ^^e job.
tj. And we weren’t just kidding when we say that some-
^es We wish we were.
Slogan Winners
Get Awards
Winners of the 1954 Safety Slo
gan Contest received their award
checks from General Manager
Harold Mercer on January 10.
In presenting the checks, Mr,
Mercer reviewed briefly the Fire
stone policy on safety. He empha
sized that “safety is a continuing
Firestone desire—not so much be
cause accidents are costly in terms
of money, but because prevention
of accidents means lessening of
human suffering and lost time on
the job,”
The General Manager lauded the
contest winners and said that their
interest was indicative of the
growing safety consciousness on
the part of all employees.
First prize in the contest was
$25; second, $15; third, $10; and
the next 10 were $5 each.
March Of Dimes
Ends January 31
Freeing victims from iron lungs
and releasing them from total re
liance on braces and crutches are
objectives of the 1955 March of
Dimes which opened January 3 and
will continue through January 31.
“The gi’eatest weapon in our
arsenal is our stubborn determina
tion to return health and vigor to
children and adults who have fallen
victim to the crippling disease of
polio,” said H. Rex Edison, chair
man of the Gaston County Chap
ter, National Foundation for In
fantile Paralysis.
“Even if the Salk vaccine even
tually banishes the fear of polio,
we must make sure there are no
forgotten victims—those stricken
before there was any polio vac
cine to protect them,” Edison de
clared.
“We don’t know yet whether the
trial vaccine actually can protect
a single child from paralysis. If
the evaluation shows it does, we
will make 9,000,000 vaccinations
available this year. To do this will
cost a lot of money, but it will be
money joyfully spent.
Dimes and dollars contributed to
the March of Dimes will help in
prevention; treatment, and epi
demic aid to victims of polio.
Nationwide, the March of Dimes
needs $64,000,000 in 1955, all of
which must be raised in the Jan
uary drive, it was pointed out.
General Manager Harold Mercer (extreme right, front row)
congratulates James R. Thomas, Weaving Department, and presents
him with a check for $25 as first prize in the recent Safety Slogan
Contest.
In the picture (front row, from left) are T. B. Ipock, Jr., Director
Industrial Relations; William G. Henson, Plant Engineer; Rosie
Francum, Shop, third-place winner; Annie Lay, Plastic Dip; Marlene
Stewart, Rayon Weaving; Juanita McDonald, SYC Weaving; Mr.
Thomas; and Mr. Mercer.
In second row are L. B. McAbee, Safety Dierctor; Nelson Kes-
sell, General Superintendent; James Gaultney, Rayon Weaving;
Roy Hutchins, Ply Twisting; Ralph Moton, Supply Room; James
Thompson, Ply Twisting; Thurman Clark, Quality Control; Fred
Morrow, Supervisor of Warehouse; Francis Galligan, Superintendent
of the Cotton Division.
Not present for the picture were Ralph Dalton, secQnd-place
winner; and Velma Brooks.
22 Complete Long Service Records
Five employees became eligible
for 15-year service pins as of
January this year. At the same
time, 7 became eligible for 10-year
pins; and 10, for 5-year pins.
Following is a list of names of
those completing the long-term ser
vice records:
Fifteen Years
Carding: Claude Bolding, Fron-
tus Lyles, William C. Watts. Spin
ning: Carrie Helms. Rayon Weav
ing: Nettie B. Corn.
Ten Years
Spinning: Ira Neal Broadway;
Newton W. Lynch. Spooling: Sarah
M. Scruggs, Cora D, Sanders, Ray
on Twisting: Newton Colvard. Cot
ton Weaving: Ruby S, Wiggins.
Shop: Thomas Farr,
Five Years
Spinning: Louise M, Tate, Spool
ing: Frances Q, Player, Gertrude
G. Hampton, Cotton Twisting:
Trella M. Beaver, Cotton Weaving:
Rochel Player, William C, Shull,
Aliene N, Smith, Cloth Room: Eva
0, Henson. Quality Control: Wil
liam J, Glenn. Winding: E, P, Mc-
Arver,
Total number of service pins
distributed by Firestone Textiles
through December 31, 1954 were:
3G3 for 15 years service; 808 for 10
years; and 1,851 for 5 years.
Pins for those employees who
became eligible in January will be
presented at a later date.
Company Has Paid Over $900,000
For Emplayees’ Suggestions
The Firestone Tire & Rubber °
Company has paid out more than
$900,000 in awards for ideas from
employees for improvements in
production, sales and office opera
tions since starting its suggestion
system in 1918,
Awards have totaled about $903,-
000, said L. J, Alger, Manager of
the Suggestion System for the
Company, in a year-end review.
During the 36 years, employees
have submitted 178,000 suggestions
and of these more than 53,000 have
been adopted.
From 25 plants throughout the
world and from the sales and office
forces, the Company is now re
ceiving about 12,000 suggestions a
year and putting into use about
3,600—an adoption rate of 30.9 per
cent. The National Industry rate is
26,9,
Rate of participation in the sug
gestion plan also is running high,
with 325 suggestions received per
year per 1,000 employees—a par
ticipation rate of 33 1/3 per cent
—well above the National Industry
rate of 217.
Awards now top $80,000 a year.
The suggestion system encour
ages employees to offer ideas for
improving working conditions,
quality, safety and sales, and for
economizing on operations and on
material xisage. Amounts of awards
for improved operations are in
proportion to tangible yearly sav
ings, Other awards are based upon
intangible savings and benefits to
workers in adding comfort and
safety to their jobs.
(Continued on Page 2)