If you deceive me once you are
a scoundrel; if you deceive me
often you are a smart man.
—Jugo-Slavic Proverb
S3SW
GASTONIA
Care to our coffin adds a nail,
no doubt, and every grin so merry
draws one out. —John Wolcot
VOLUME V
GASTONIA, N. C. JUNE, 1956
No. 6
A SIGNAL ACHIEVEMENT was recognized when the Minute
^an Award was presented to Firestone Textiles for its 97.1 per cent
Employee subscription to the Payroll Savings Plan. Here, Arthur
Hill (left), assistant to the national director of the U.S. Savings
^ond division of the Treasury Department, presents the award to
General Manager Harold Mercer. W. A. Karl, Firestone Textiles
president, looks on.
J tH3j.CS E. Trainer Addresses
Industrial Safety Meeting
James E, Trainer, director and Executive Vice President
of the Company, delivered one of the principal speeches at
26th annual statewide Industrial Conference which con-
'Vened in Hotel Charlotte, Charlotte, May 2-4. Mr. Trainer
^Poke at the general session Thursday morning. May 3, on
subject, “Tomorrow’s Challenge for Safety.” He was in
troduced by L. B. McAbee, plant safety director, who was
Until June 1, president of the N. C. Society of Safety
Engineers.
Mr. TRAINER, who has been
Associated with Firestone since
^939, is outstanding in the field
industrial safety. Under his
Employee Bond Subscription
Earns U. S. Treasury Award
Company-Wide Participation
Reaches 96.6 Per Cent
☆
☆
☆
Firestone Textiles shares with other U.S. plants of the Company in “the most out
standing achievement in the nation for 1956,” for performance in the recent drive to
sell U.S. Savings Bonds.
At the local plant, the 97.1 per cent of employee subscription to the payroll deduction
plan of Bonds purchase in the March 26-April 4 drive, earned for the plant the Treasury
Department’s Minute Man Award. This honor was formally accorded at a dinner meet
ing in the Recreation Center on the evening of May 7.
leadership the Company on a
nationwide basis has recorded
the lowest accident frequency in
the rubber industry. It is note
worthy that his program of in
dustrial safety was recognized
when he was appointed in 1948,
as chairman of the engineering
committee of the president’s con
ference on industrial safety; and
again in 1950, when he was
"Tomorrow's Challenge for
Safety" is summarized on page
8.
elected vice president for indus
try of the National Safety Coun
cil.
IN 1952, Mr. Trainer was
awarded the “Special Award of
Merit” by the President’s Con
ference on Industrial Safety,
Arthur Hill, executive of the
U. S. Savings Bond program,
who presented the award, point
ed out that the plant here has
earned the best record of any
plant of comparable size in in
dustry in recent months. “It is
definitely the best record south
of the Mason-Dixon line.” he
said.
PRESIDENT of Firestone
Textiles, W. A. Karl, was here
to congratulate employees. In
his remarks, Mr. Karl said, “I
am extremely happy to join in
celebrating the outstanding rec
ord you made in the recent em
ployee bond drive. It certainly
must have taken a lot of drive
to get 97.1 per cent of our 2,500
employees to sign up.”
Officials of the Savings Bond
program, several state and local
dignitaries appeared on the
awards program.
“for his outstanding contribution
to the national program to pre
vent death and injury in indus
try as chairman of the commit
tee on engineering.”
The Executive Vice President
was accompanied to Charlotte
by W. A. Karl, President of Fire
stone Textiles. While in North
Carolina they reviewed produc
tion plans at the plant here.
A delegation of approximately
50 from the plant attended por
tions of the Conference.
On the last two days of the
Conference, the endless battle
against injury in industry was
depicted in exhibits which were
set up in conjunction with the
three-day meeting sponsored by
the N. C. Industrial Commission.
At the meeting, individual
certificates, called Key Man
Awards, were presented to 35
men and women who helped
Chairman O. K. Forrester in
putting the Bond campaign
across.
WHEN the Company-wide
Savings Bond program ended
this year. Secretary of the Treas
ury George M. Humphrey, in a
telegram to Firestone P’resident
Lee R. Jackson, termed Fire-
—Turn to page 3
Camp Open On Lake James
Camp Firestone, Company-operated vacation facility on Lake
James in Burke County, opened the summer season on May 7, to
accommodate Firestone employees and members of their families.
On the opening date of the camp, the Industrial Relations De
partment at the plant began taking reservations.
According to information from the Industrial Relations Depart
ment, a person or party may make only one reservation at a time.
Other information about use of the camp facilities includes—
After you have used your reservation, you can apply for an
other one. This arrangement is necessary in order to make the
camp available to as many people as possible.
If you make a reservation and find that you can’t use the camp
at the scheduled time, please notify the Industrial Relations office.
Since there are usually people on the waiting list, your cancelled
reservation can make it possible for someone else to take your place
at the camp property.
Movies Scheduled Through Early September
^'ifteen full-length movies and
^ Serial of 15 installments make
the schedule of motion pic-
entertainment during the
summer season at the recreation
between Firestone boule-
and Dalton street in front
the plant. The schedule,
^^ich began June 1, with “Ma
Pa Kettle At The Fair,” and
the
first
— ot chapter of the serial,
■Oeadwood Dick,” will continue
'^ough September 7.
Included on the outdoor
movie list are three full-length
features in color.
The pictures will be shown
to employees and their families
at dusk on dates listed. In case
of rain the feature schedule will
be shown the following Monday.
In the five years of the motion
picture summer program here,
rain has halted the show only
once.
According to the Recreation
Department, sponsor of the pro
gram, the lineup of pictures has
been carefully selected to appeal
to both children and grownups.
Following is a listing of the
movies booked for the remain
der of the season:
June 8: Fireman Save My
Child, with Spike Jones and
His City Slickers.
—Turn to page 8
CHILDREN’S DA Y IN JUNE
Children's Day is observed the second Sunday in June in many
Protestant churches of the United States. In some churches the
observance takes the form of special recognition of Christian educa
tion, especially children's activities in the Bible school. Here Chris
tine and Lloyd Rosdahl look forward to "their day" in early June
at First AHP Church, which they attend regularly. They are son
and daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Lloyd Rosdahl, Crowders Cieek
Road; and grandchildren of Mrs. Carl Stowe, Girls Club hostess.