PAGE TWO
7jr«$tone MSWi
JUNE 25, 1955
Sweikert Wins In '500’
Bob Sweikert, 29-year-old driver
of Speedway City, Ind., was de
clared winner of the famous 500-
mile race at the Indianapolis Motor
Speedway on Memorial Day.
Sweikert battled his way from 14th
position in the world’s fastest field
of 33 racing drivers. He captured
the lead at 220 miles, held it until
350 miles, and recaptured it at
400 miles. Then he increased it to
more than a full lap over second
place Tony Bettenhausen at the
500-mile mark.
It was the 32nd consecutive year
that cars in the race were equipped
with Firestone tires.
CONGRATULATIONS—Executive Vice President Raymond C.
Firestone congratulates Bob Sweikert, who drove his car into the
winner’s circle at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. From left,
Anton Hulman, owner and manager of the Speedway; Mrs. Bob
Sweikert with the victor’s bouquet; Sweikert; Dinah Shore, who
greeted the winner with the traditional victor’s kiss, and Mr.
Firestone.
Stay Smarter Than The Machine
Some people have been worried about automation. They
think it may mean a push-button, workerless factory.
But the automatic electronic “brains” are actually
brainless.
One type of electronic computer measures, just as does
the speedometer on your car, or a thermometer. Another
kind of computer counts. The difference between an ordinary
adding machine and an electronic computer is merely a
matter of speed.
But what about workers?
The workerless factory is a myth. General Motors,
since it first installed its many electronic devices, has added
200,000 more employees.
Automation at Ford Motor Company conserves man
power but does not eliminate the man.
* H: H:
The late Phillip Murray, when he was president of
the CIO, said, “I do not know of a single solitary instance
where a great technical gain has taken place in the U. S.
that it has actually thrown people out of work. The industrial
revolution that has taken place in the United States in the
past twenty-five years has brought an additional 20,000,000
people into employment.”
But in manufacturing there will probably be changes in
what men do. There will be new skills and a general upgrad
ing as the patient machines take over the monotonous and
spirit deadening tasks.
All a man has to do is stay smarter than the machine.
Hatred ever kills, love never dies. Such is the vast dif
ference between the two. What is obtained by love is re
tained for all time. What is obtained by hatred proves a bur
den in reality, for it increases hatred. The duty of a human
being is to diminish hatred and to promote love.
—Mohandas K. Gandhi
FIRESTONE NEWS
Volume IV, No. 11, June 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 Westmoreland.
SPINNING—Ray Thomas, Mary Turner, Maude Johnson.
SPOOLING—Nell Bolick, Helen Reel, Rosalee 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.
Lewis, Ann Stevenson, and Christine Stroupe.
CLOTH ROOM—Margie Waldrop.
SHOP—Rosie Francum.
WAREHOUSE Patsy Haynes, George Harper, Albert Meeks,
Rosevelt Rainey.
PLASTIC DIP—Frances Huffman.
MAIN OFFICE—Mozelle Brockman.
SUPERINTENDENT’S OFFICE—Sue Van Dyke.
PERSONNEL OFFICE—Barbara Abernathy.
DEPARTURES
T. J. Moss, Veteran
Of The Navy
Chief Petty Officer T, J. Moss,
44, died at Portsmouth Naval Hos
pital, Va., May 29, after an illness
of five months.
Mrs. Moss and son, T. J., Jr., live
at Alameda, Calif. Other survivors
are his parents, Mr. and Mrs. B. H.
Moss; three brothers: Clyde, Assis
tant to the General Superintendent
here; James of Time Study; and
Bill, all of Gastonia; three sisters:
Mrs. Mary Ruth Childress, Ply
Twisting; Miss Betty Moss, Main
Office; and Miss Margaret Moss,
all of Gastonia.
Chief Moss, who had 20 years
service in the Navy, was buried in
National Cemetery, San Francisco.
ENQUIRING
REPORTER
Roscoe Burton Blanton, Men’s
Club clerk in the Recreation De
partment, died suddenly on June
10. He was 48.
A native of Rutherford County,
Mr. Blanton had lived here for 13
years.
Dr. Frank Malone, pastor of
Loray Baptist Church, conducted
the funeral at the church, Monday,
June 13.
Survivors include his wife, Mrs.
Allene Hamrick Blanton; a son,
James Blanton; and a daughter,
Mrs. Ray Barnes, all of Gastonia;
three brothers, Raleigh Blanton of
Ellenboro, Bunyan Blanton of Shel
by, and Roy Blanton of Charlotte;
a sister, Miss Etta Blanton of
Ellenboro, and one grandchild.
Burial was in Hollywood Cemetery.
John L. Reep, father of Mrs.
Dorcas Atkinson, yarn packer in
the Winding Department, died sud
denly June 6, while he was visiting
at the home of a son in Salisbury.
Mr. Reep, who lived at 708 West
Airline Avenue, was a native of
Lincoln County, but had resided
in Gastonia for the past 47 years.
He was a member of Main Street
Methodist Church.
Survivors include his wife, Mrs.
Martha Smith Reep; three sons,
Ralph and John A. Reep of Salis
bury, and Roy Franklin Reep of
Lowell; four daughters, Mrs. Cath
erine Craft, Mrs. Virginia Bailey,
Mrs. Dorcas Atkinson, and Miss
Cynthia Reep all of Gastonia; and
a brother, Sam Reep of Lincolnton;
a sister, Mrs. Ann Griffin of Con
nelly Springs; 12 grandchildren,
and three great-grandchildren.
The funeral was held at the home
on Airline Avenue June 7, and
burial was in Gaston Memorial
Park.
Individual
(Continued from page 1)
country can substantially increase
the available manpower of the
United States through the preven
tion of many on-the-job accidents,
he said. Many of the activities of
such a program not only save man
power by preventing accidents but,
in addition, help to make the most
efficient use of men and machines.
“We must not lose sight of the
fact that in this entire picture of
safety and the saving of manpow
er, the most important factor is
the individual. Without his sug
gestions, co-operation, and safety
efforts, the maintaining of a good
safety record both in the plant and
outside is impossible.
“In our plants and in the coun
try as a whole it is the individual
that counts.”
Six of the honored 20-year employees here, give their
answers to the question:
What, to you, has been the highlight of the past 20
years at Firestone Textiles?
mmm
THOMAS G. STACY, Inspector
in Quality Control: The starting of
the Company pension and retire
ment plan for employees. For a
20-year man ,some security against
his retirement is a comforting
thought. Now workers here can
look forward to retirement with
more confidence in the future.
PEARL ALDRIDGE, Quality
Control Twisting Inspector—The
beginning of the paid-vacation
plan. It shows concern for em
ployees’ welfare. A paid vacation
enables one to get away from the
routine, go to new places. It brings
one back to the job refreshed and
able to do better work.
BERTHA CLARK, Quality Con
trol fabric inspector—The Com
pany’s decision to sell its homes to
employees. It made ownership pos
sible to many who otherwise could
not buy their homes. We bought
ours this way and it gave us a feel
ing of independence and a desire to
improve our home—because it be
longs to us.
BEN DAVIS, Men’s Club Clerk
—Starting of the recreation pro
gram. It was begun about a year
after the Company took over the
plant. The program has continued
to grow. Outstanding feature of
the recreation program is Little
League baseball.
CHARLIE HIPPS, Second Hand
in Quality Control—The establish
ment of a Quality Control Depart
ment. Without a close check on the
quality of goods we produce the
Company could never have attain
ed the enviable reputation it has.
The greatest technological advance
ment has been improved quality.
HENRY BOYD, Refreshment—
The three-ring circus in 1950, mark
ing the 50th anniversary o| the
Firestone Company. The circus
was set up in Charlotte and the
Company furnished free transpor
tation for employees and theii’
families here. The circus showed
Company concern for the higl^
morale of its employees.