PAGE 4 fir^slon^ Plant Honored For Safety Record Made Last Year At a dinner meeting in the Girls Club in late September. Firestone Textiles was formally awarded an achievement plaque for its outstanding safety record during 1954. "ft i y '' SAFETY TROPHY—For ihe best safety record in 1954 of North Carolina plants employing over 1,000 persons. Firestone received a plaque, accepted here by General Manager Harold Mercer (left) from H. S. Baucom, director of the State Industrial Commission. At right is G. D. Cross, safety director and head of supervisory training for the Firestone organization. At extreme left, L. B. Mc- Abee, Director of Safety here. RECOGNIZED FOR SAFETY LEADERSHIP—These supervisors made up a portion of Team 2, which was honored recently at a dinner meeting for the team's winning first place in the safety contest during 1954. In front row, from left: Tracy Whitener, Paul Walker, Clyde Moss (team captain), W. G. Henson, Sr. Back row: H. A. Cauthen, I. S. Bull, W. H. Dilling, and G. A. Perry. Members of the team not present for the photograph were R. E. Conrad, Frank Davis, Fred Morrow, Luiher Foy, Ed Taylor and D. J. Haefka. Mr. Haefka had been transferred to Akron at the time of the safety dinner meeting here. ELEVENTH MONTH HAS VARIETY Holidays and Anniversaries Fill Calendar In November THE HONOR came from the North Carolina Cotton Manufac turers’ Association in coopera tion with the State Industrial Commission. It was an award for the plant’s record in leading all other North Carolina indus tries of more than 1,100 em ployees in the state Safety Com mission’s state-wide contest dur ing 1954. That year, Firestone had only three accidents, a rec ord unmatched by other large firms in the state. At the recent presentation meeting here, G. D. Cross of Akron, Ohio, told approximately 60 employees—most of whom were supervisory personnel — that “accidents, no matter how minor, cost money and human suffering.” Mr. Cross is director of safety and supervisory train ing for the Company. Citing the Firestone Textiles record for safety in the current year. Cross emphasized that in safety each year must show an improvement over the previous one, and urged “increased safe ty consciousness.” THE PLANT'S safety record thus far in 1955—although below that of 1954—is good when com pared to other companies of similar size, the speaker pointed out. During the past year, the plant divided its supervisory person nel into four teams. These teams competed against each other for the best safety record. Team Number 2, captained by C. E. Moss, Sr., was first-place winner. At the plaque-presenta- tion meeting each member of the winning team received a Parker “21” pen and pencil set. TEAMS, besides the winning one, were: No. 1, General Super intendent Nelson Kessell, cap tain; No. 3, Francis Galligan, Superintendent of the Cotton Division, captain; No. 4, Phil Williams, assistant to Mr. Galli gan, captain. Scoring in the supervisory safety contest was based on record of absence of lost-time ac cidents in the departments each month, wearing of safety shoes and prescription safety glasses, personal contacts in the interest of safety promotion, attendance at monthly safety meetings, and number of approved safety sug gestions or refinements made in the departments. Carson Is Judge In Field Trials John R. Carson, Jr., son of J. R. Carson, plant guard, and Mrs. Carson, Cord Weaving, was one of the judges in the South Carolina Fox Hunters’ Associa tion field trials, held at Clinton, October 4-6. At the meet, hunt ers brought some 300 dogs from several states. Carson, who has 12 fox-hunt ing dogs of his own in Gastonia, spent a recent week hunting in eastern North Carolina. The Saxons called it Wind- monath, as the winds then blew furiously and the fishermen drew their boats on the beach to wait for the calmer weather of spring. To Americans, November is a month of football games, Armis tice Day, harvest-home festivals and Thanksgiving Day. It is a month of 30 days ideal for work and play and nights cool enough for sleeping. There is a zip in the air and restraint in the midday sun. And with the coming of frost, those first pink tendrils of morning look airish and brittle. Trees have shaken off their garb of colors and ani mals are busy making prepara tion for winter. Fields yield their goodness and there is settling in fluence that touches everything. NOVEMBER was the ninth month in the old Roman calen dar, and was named from the Latin word meaning “ninth.” When the Gregorian Calendar (the one we have now) was re vised—making the year begin with January instead of March— November became the eleventh month without any change in its historic name. November begins with All Souls’ Day which traditionally NOVEMBER, 1955 ARRIVALS Edgar Evans Wright, in Two members of the Spencer family—both employed here, be came a grandmother and a great grandfather at the same time in September. Edgar Evans Wright III, made his earthward trip at the U.S. Naval Hospital, Millington, Tenn., September 17. The father, Edgar Evans Wright, Jr., is serving with the U.S. Marine Corps. The mother, the former Jo Ann Spencer, is a daughter of Mrs. Mazella Spencer of Rayon Weaving; and a granddaughter of J. E. Spen cer, personnel interviewer here. The child, first in the Edgar Wright family, weighed seven and one-half pounds. ♦ Plant Engineer I. S. Bull and Mrs. Bull announce the birth of a son at Memorial Hospital on Sunday, October 9. The child, who weighed seven pounds and two ounces, has been named David Jackson Bull. ♦ > Ralph Carson, plant guard, and Mrs. Carson, splicer in Cord Weaving, became grandparents of a baby girl on October 1, born to Mr. and Mrs. Kenneth R. Lutz in Nashville, Tenn. The mother is the Carsons’ daughter. The grandmother went to Nash ville to visit the Lutz family when the baby arrived. > > Private and Mrs. John D. Wig gings announce the birth of a daughter, Nancy Ellen, on Sep tember 30. Private Wiggins is the son of Mrs. Rosalie Burger, starter maker, in Spooling. The father is stationed at Fort Eustis, Va. commemorates all souls of the faithful departed. WITHIN the month are sev eral birthdays of famous per sons, including: Daniel Boone, frontiersman. November 2; James K. Polk, eleventh Presi dent of the United States, 2; Warren G. Harding, 29th Presi dent, 2; William Cullen Bryant, American Poet, 3; Will Rogers, American humorist, 4; John Philip Sousa, “the March King,” 6; James A. Garfield, 20th Presi dent, 19; Franklin Pierce, l4th President, 23; Zachary Taylo^’ 12th President, 24; Samuel Clemens (Mark Twain), humof' ist, 30; and Winston Churchill’ British statesman, 30. AMONG special events November are: U. S. General election day, the first Tuesday after the first Monday; Forget' Me-Not Day, on the Saturday nearest Armistice Day; ArniiS' tice Day, commemorating the cessation of World War 1; and Thanksgiving Day, this year November 24. On the Church calendar, beginning of Advent, Novemb®^ 30, marks the start of a fouf' weeks period of preparation pr®' ceding Christmas. The Firestone Tire & Rubber Company Akron 17, Ohio Dear Mr. Mercer: Mr. Karl has just shown me your letter to him stating that the Gastonia Plant was the winner in Group 7 (factories employing over 1151 people) of the Statewide Textile Safety Contest. My congratulations to you and the entire personnel of the Gas tonia Plant. Of course, it is well appreciated by me that a record such as this is only attained by the wholehearted cooperation of every man and woman in the Plant. It is they who make the record, and to them go my congratulations. J. E. TRAINER Executive Vice President The Firestone Tire & Rubber Company Firestone Textiles Division Akron, Ohio Dear Mr. Mercer: It is especially gratifying to learn that Gastonia was the trophy winner in Group 7 of the 1954 Statewide Textile Safety Contest. To attain this position naturally requires continued vigilance on the part of your entire organization. My congratulations to you; Mr. McAbee, your Safety Director, and to your entire organization since they had a part in making this record possible. W. A. KARL President Firestone Textiles Volume IV, No. 17, November, 1955 Published by The Firestone Tire & Rubber Company, Firestone Textiles Division. Gastonia, North Carolina. Department of Public Relations DEPARTMENT REPORTERS CARDING —Edna Harris, Jim Ballew, QUALITY CONTROL — Sally Crawford, Jessie Westmoreland. Leila Rape, and Louella Queen, SPINNING—Lillie Brown, Mary Turner. WINDING—Mayzelle Lewis, Ann Steven son, Elizabeth Harris. SPOOLING—Nell Bolick, Ophelia Wallace, CLOTH ROOM—Margie Waldrop. Rosalee Burger. SHOP—Rosie Francum. TWISTING—Pearl Aldridge, Corrie John- WAREHOUSE — Patsy Haynes, George son, Lorene Owensby, Dorothy Baber, Harper, Albert Meeks, Rosevelt Rainey. Dean Haun, and Vera Carswell. PLASTIC DIP—Jennie Bradley. SALES YARN TWISTING—Elmina Brad- MAIN OFFICE—Mozelle Brockman. SUPERINTENDENT'S OFFICE—Sue Van SYC WEAVING—Lucille Davis, Sara Dyke. Davis, Nina Milton, Juanita McDonald. PERSONNEL OFFICE — Barbara Aber- CORD WEAVING—Roy Davis, Irene nathy. Odell, Mary Johnson. Claude Callaway, Editor