PAGE TWO
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FEBRUARY 25, 1955
Profits From 4-H Projects WUl]>^Q^ AffcCtS InCOme TaX
Help Send Girl To College
Shelby Jean Sparrow, 17-year-
old daughter of Frank Sparrow,
Firestone Shop employee, and Mrs.
Sparrow, is somewhat nearer the
goal of her dream for a college
education. Attainment of that goal
is being made possible each year
through Miss Sparrow’s 4-H Club
garden projects. And, too, her
gardening contributes substantial
ly to the family income, as well as
meeting Shelby Jean’s personal
finance needs.
In 1953 she canned approxi
mately 225 quarts of food. Last
year she increased her quota to
635 quarts, and 260 packages of
frozen foods.
“Although my garden projects
add much to our income, that is
not my greatest satisfaction de
rived from the work,” the Senior
4-H member says. “There is noth
ing I like more than to watch the
first seeds pop from the ground,
and then to care for the plants un
til the produce is gathered.”
RECALLING HER first in
terest in 4-H Club enterprises,
Shelby Jean says that ever since
she joined the Club in 1949 her
interest in gardening has grown
year-by-year. “I guess seeing my
brother Bill attain his state win
ning record in 4-H work had a lot
to do with my interest and love for
gardening,” she says. “Then, in
1952 when Bill went to State Col
lege, I took over the family garden
as my own project. With what I
have learned from my brother, and
guidance from other members of
my family, I have been getting a-
long fine and enjoying my work
very much.”
Systematic planning gets plenty
of attention in Miss Sparrow’s
gardening projects. Each year in
early spring she calls a conference
with other members of her family,
to plan just where to plant each
vegetable, and the variety and
number to plant.
Mrs. Sparrow plays an important
role in her daughter’s gardening
projects. She sells the vegetables
produced. While she is away from
home marketing the garden yield,
Shelby Jean does most of the
family cooking; and canning and
freezing foods for the winter sup
ply*
The Sparrows live on a 60-acre
farm, Route 3, Union Road.
Shelby Jean, a student at Gas
tonia High School, plans to attend
Warren-Wilson College, Swanna-
noa, N. C., where her sister, Louise,
is now enrolled.
Teeners Like
'Voice’ Music
Parents, social workers,
psychologists and editors who
write tongue-clucking edi
torials about juvenile delin
quency—take heart!
Today’s teen-agers prefer
long-hair music as much as
they do Tin Pan Alley tunes,
according to Compact, The
Young People’s Digest.
In the second annual poll of
high school editors conducted by
Compact, The Voice of Firestone,
time-honored program of fine
music simulcast over the Ameri
can Broadcasting Company tele
vision and radio networks every
Monday at 8:30 p. m., EST, tied for
first place in the “best musical
program” category with “Your Hit
Parade.”
The awards were announced in
the March number of Compact
which was issued February 15.
The Voice of Firestone, an out
standing musical program for the
past 26 years on radio, and for the
past six years on both radio and
television, had its premiere over
the ABC-TV and radio networks
June 14, 1954,
Minute Quiz
1. What is the largest indepen
dent nation in South America in
area and population?
2. Name the baby colors.
3. What is the tallest building in
the United States? Next tallest?
(Answers on page 4)
FIRESTONE NEWS
Volume IV, No. 4, February 25, 1955
Published by The Firestone Tire & Rubber Company
Firestone Textiles Division
Gastonia, North Carolina
Department of Public Relations
CLAUDE CALLAWAY, Editor
Department Reporters
CARDING—Edna Harris, Jim Ballew, Jessie Westmorland.
SPINNING—Ray Thomas, Mary Turner, Maude Johnson'.
SPOOLING—Nell Bolick, Helen Reel, Roealee Burger.
TWISTING—Pearl Aldridge, Corrie Johnson, Lorene Owensby,
Dorothy Baber, Dean Haun, and Vera Carswell.
SALES YARN TWISTING—Elmina Bradshaw.
SYC WEAVING—Vivian Bumgardner, Lucille Davis, Sara Davis,
Nina Milton, Juanita McDonald.
CORD WEAVING—Roy Davis, Irene Burroughs, Mary Johnson.
QUALITY CONTROL—Sally Crawford, Leila Rape, and Louella
Queen.
WINDING—Mayzelle Lewis, Ann Stevenson, and Christine Stroupe.
CLOTH ROOM—Margie Waldrop.
SHOP—Rosie Francum.
WAREHOUSE—Patsy Haynes, George Harper, Albert Meeks,
Roosevelt Rainey.
PLASTIC DIP—Frances Huffman.
MAIN OFFICE—Moielle Brockman.
SUPERINTENDENT’S OFFICE^Sue Van Dyke.
PERSONNEL OFFICE—Barbara Abernathy.
When Congress passed the Internal Revenue
Code of 1954, you heard such terms as “baby
sitter deduction,” “dividend exclusion,” and “re
tirement income credit.”
Now these terms will have real meaning as
you file your income tax return under the new tax
law, containing thousands of changes in its 929
pages.
Some taxpayers may find April 15—the new
deadline for most individuals—a worse shock than
March 15 used to be. Most of us, fortunately, will
find the new tax a little easier. For one thing, a
reduction of about 10 per cent in rates took effect
in January, 1954, and has been reflected in the
amount of tax withheld from pay since then.
But the difference is not just in the rates. The
new tax law—passed after the rates were reduced—
includes many special adjustments aimed at helping
people who partially need relief. You’ll get some of
these benefits almost automatically as you fill in
the blank. Others must be dug out of the fine prini.
That’s why it is particularly important this year
not to wait till the last minute, but to begin your
tax returns early.
* * #
THAT “BABY SITTER” DEDUCTION
Tom and Sylvia Wright think they know about
the deduction of baby sitter pay. They hired a
sitter when they went to the movies—and they’re
in for a shock. The deduction is permitted only for
actual expenses up to $600 for the care of depen
dents while a mother, widow, divorced or legally
separated person is gainfully employed.
But the broad meaning of that word “de
pendent” will help many. Expenses for care of a
child under 12 years who is the taxpayer’s son,
daughter, stepson, or stepdaughter, or other depen
dent mentally or physically incapable of caring for
himself, are deductable. There are no restrictions
as to age or relationship in the latter case.
Thus Mary Williams can deduct what she paid
the woman who sat with her bedridden dependent
aunt while Mary worked afternoons at the library.
She is filing a joint return with her husband, which
is necessary procedure for wives asking the “baby
sitter” deduction. The couple’s adjusted gross in
come was not more than .$4,500. If their income
were more, say $4,700, they would have to reduce
the $600 limit on the deduction by the amount their
income exceeded $4,500. That is, they could take off
only $400. This limitation and the requirement of a
joint return do not apply if the husband was dis
abled.
* * *
YOU CAN CLAIM MORE DEPENDENTS
Caldwell Coffey will benefit two ways from the
more liberal rules about dependents. Until now, be
cause the relationship was too distant, he could not
claim as a dependent (good for a $600 exemption)
his Cousin Wilbur who came for a visit and stayed.
Wilbur will be listed this year because close
relationship is no longer necessary to qualify a de
pendent who lived in the taxpayer’s home and re
ceived over half of his support from him.
Young Ben’s earnings of over $600 a year would
have kept him off his father’s list of exemptions
under the old law. Not wanting to penalize parents
for their children’s industry. Uncle Sam now sets
no top limit for a son’s or daughter’s earnings. A
taxpayer can claim an exemption if he provides
over half the support of a dependent who is either
under 19 or a student, regardless of the child’s
income.
The 1954 Code offers relief, also, to children
who are supporting parents. For example, Fred
Carpenter and his two sisters share in helping their
mother, who lives in her own home. Among them
they have provided more than half of her support
for several years and each has furnished more than
10 per cent of such support. However, as no one of
them provided more than half, none was able prev
iously to list her as a dependent. Now they can take
turns in claiming the exemption. Fred can take the
exemption for 1954 because his sisters have agreed
to sign a statement that they will not claim the
exemption for that year.
He
DEDUCTIONS FOR MEDICAL BILLS
This year you can deduct expenses in excess of
3 per cent of your adjusted gross income, as com
pared with 5 per cent in the past. But in listing
your medical expenses you can include only medi
cines and drugs beyond 1 per cent of your income.
Look at Bill Wagoner’s figures. His adjusted
gross income amounts to $5,000, and during 1954
he spent $400 on doctor’s and dentist’s bills for the
family, $200 on hospital expenses, $125 for drugs
and medicines. He may count only $75 of the last
item (having subtracted $50, 1 per cent of his
gross income), which makes his total medical ex
penses $675. He subtracts $150 (3 per cent of in
come) having a deduction of $525.
Maximum permissable medical deductions have
been doubled and can now go as high as $5,000 for
a single person or a married person filing his in
come tax separately; up to $10,000 for married
persons filing jointly, or for the head of a house
hold.
Look out for this change if the doctor ordered a
trip for your health: you can deduct cost of trans
portation, but not living expenses while you were
away.
H: % He
IF YOU RECEIVE DIVIDENDS
Sidney Edwards, who has bought stocks with
some of his earnings, will find a small bonanza in
the new tax law when he works out his return. His
stocks paid him $50 in dividends during 1954. On
his tax form in other years he added his dividends
to his $6,000 salary. The new law, however, gives
him the first $50 of dividends tax free. This $50
dividend exculsion can be doubled for a married
couple, if both have dividends of $50.
This tax deduction is to offset in part the
effect of “double taxation”—which occurs because a
corporation pays taxes on profits and then, when
the shareholder received those profits in the form
of dividends, they are taxed again.
As another means of reducing “double taxation”
4 per cent of the dividends after the first $50 may
now be deducted from the total tax bill, within
certain limits.
* * *
ANNUITIES AND “RETIREMENT INCOME”
Mack King received during 1954 the first $1,200
annual benefit on an endowment policy with an
insurance company. The new tax rules permit him to
recover his entire investment, tax free, during the
life expectancy upon which the payments will be
made—this is 10 years in Mr. King’s case. Since
his policy cost $10,900, Mr. King will exclude $1,090
of his benefit this year. He will pay taxes on only
$110. And no matter how long he may live beyond
the 10-year expectancy, he will still report only
$100 of the $1,200 each year.
If you have this sort of annuity, your insurance
company will let you know what part of your bene
fits is taxable. Special rules apply to certain annui
ties to which you and your employer may be con
tributing.
The “retirement income credit”—new this year
—can benefit retired persons as much as $240. It
is intended to give all retired persons tax relief
similar to that provided for those who receive tax-
free social security payments.
IN BRIEF
QUALITY CONTROL
Mrs. Pearl Aldridge, inspector,
visited her brothers, W. F. Stone
in Louisville, Ky., and R. C. Stone
in Jefferson, Ind., during the week
end of January 21. Mrs. Aldridge
made the trip by plane.
Vernon Brockman, laboratory
technician, is recuperating at his
home after undergoing a tonsillec
tomy recently.
Charlie Hipps, Quality Control,
was given a surprise birthday
dinner on Sunday, January 28.
Mrs. Dealva Jacobs, inspector,
who had a birthday too, was also
honored. There were a number of
relatives present at the dinner.
George Hager, inspector, has
been transferred from the Weav
ing Department to Quality Control.
Mrs. Easter Green, Quality Con
trol, has returned to work.
Mr. and Mrs. Charlie Hipps at
tended the funeral of Mrs. Hipps’
uncle, Sam Blalock of Canton,
N. C., on Saturday, February 5.
TWISTING
Mrs. Pearl Chastain, battery
hand, visited her mother, Mrs. J. F.
Wood in Salem, S. C.
Mr. and Mrs. Wallace Deanhardt
spent a recent week end with Sgt-
and Mrs. S. L. Blaylock in Fort
Bragg, N. C. Mrs. Deanhardt is a
battery hand.
Mr. and Mrs. Everette Martin
had as their week-end guests, Mr>
and Mrs. Hoyt Barrett of Green
ville, S. C. Mrs. Martin is a battery
hand in the Twisting Department.
Miss Frances Brewer, battery
hand, Mrs. Jane Rice, smash hand,
and Howard Wiley, quiller hand,
have returned to work after sev
eral weeks of illness.
(Continued on page 4)