JUNE, 1956
PAGE 3
employees who served on Ihe
solicitation team during the Bond drive
■were given certificates from the Treas
ury Department. Altogether, there were
35 men and women who helped to con
tact all employees in the interest of the
payroll savings deduction plan. In this
picture are, from left; Sally Crawford,
Clara R. Wilson, Aileen H. Brimer, Edna
H. Harris, Mary Turner, Fred T. Morrow,
Elizabeth Harris, Belladonna Barker,
Lucille Davis, Rosalee Burger, Dorothy
H. Baber, Lillie A. Brown and Beatrice
L. Carver.
OTHERS WHO SERVED on the solici
tation team were, from left: Flossie Wil
son, Corrie H. Johnson, Mary Johnson,
Ruth Cloninger, Rosie Francum, Fanni-
bur Humphreys, Haz2l Foy, Kaiherina
K. Davis, Juanita McDonald. Charlie M.
Parham, Bonnie Dockery, Ethel Robin
son, Maude Guffey, and Eula B. Wilson.
Other team members not in either pic
ture were; Jimmie Lou Hartgrave, J. G.
Tino, Ralph Johnson, Vera Lee Carswell,
John W. Hendricks, Irene T. Odell. Coy
T. Bradshaw and Nell D. Haun.
‘Working Together, You Did A Magnificent Job’
Following is the text of a talk by W. A. Karl, Presi
dent of Firestone Textiles, given at the Savings Bonds
award program, May 7.
★ ★ ★
Distinguished guests and fellow Firestone employees:
I am happy to be here with you and to join in cele
brating the outstanding record you made in the recent
Employee Bond Drive. It certainly must have taken
a lot of “drive” to get 97.1 per cent of our 2,500 em
ployees to sign up. But you were equal to it. Orville
Forrester, who was Chairman of the Drive, has my
heartiest congratulations, and so too has the team who
Worked with him. Working together, you did a magnif
icent job.
I would also like to thank the representatives of the
Savings Bond Division of the U, S. Treasury Depart-
JTient for the assistance they gave us in putting the
E)rive over the top. It is quite unlikely that, without
their expert help, we would have reached the figure of
97.1
per cent participation. On behalf of our War Bond
team I want to thank the Savings Bond Division for its
help.
Incidentally, the figure of 97.1 is by far the highest
the area for a plant of a size comparable to Fire
stone’s. And that figure is higher than the Firestone
National average of 96.6. Our other textile plant also
heat the national average.
LAST TUESDAY was the 15th anniversary of the
issuance of the first of the Series E bonds. Back fifteen
years, on May 1, 1941, the President bought the first
bond from the Secretary of the Treasury.
That year was a terrible one for the free nations of
the world. The Nazi war machine had overrun the
Low Countries and France. In Western Europe Hitler
^as supreme. Great Britain was under the most punish
ing aerial siege in history. That was the year of Pearl
Harbor. The year 1941 was the year the United States
became the “Arsenal of Democracy.”
It was the sale of Defense Bonds, as they were called
at that time, that helped our country to become the
“Arsenal of Democracy” and to remain an arsenal until
the Axis powers were defeated and the most terrible
war in the history of the world was brought to an end.
AMERICAN INDUSTRY too played a vital role in
gaining the victory. The vast manufacturing facilities of
Firestone in 1941 were partially converted to defense
production. And after Pearl Harbor they were totally
converted to war production.
During those fateful years. Firestone produced hun
dreds of different products needed by the Armed Forces.
These ranged from antiaircraft guns to barrage balloons,
and from gas masks to tank tracks. We made, in
addition to millions of tires and tubes, aircraft oxygen
cylinders, airplane wings, machine gun clips and many
other rubber, steel, textile and plastic products.
HERE IN GASTONIA, you did extremely important
work. The bulk of our production was tire cord fabric.
We produced millions of pounds of it. And it was used
in every conceivable type of military tire.
I went back to the record here, to 1941, to discover
what sort of participation in war bond buying we had
at that time. During that year, and before we held our
first plantwide drive in 1942, many employees were
buying bonds regularly. Then, in August, 1942, we had
the drive and 97.4 per cent subscribed. That was just a
shade above the figure for the recent drive. And those
figures are, I think, the best indication of the patriotism
of our employees now and their patriotism then.
THE RECORD also disclosed that we have 376 men
and women at Firestone Textiles, Gastonia, who were
on the rolls fifteen years ago. And 93 per cent of these
people are currently enrolled in our Savings Bond pro
gram.
I think that this record-breaking participation on the
part of our employees is also a reflection of the general
prosperity of our country. We here in Gastonia are shar
ing in that prosperity. One indication of that fact is the
number of times we have had to expand our employee’s
parking lot. It seems that every time I come down to
Gastonia there are more and more cars in it.
BUT EVEN MORE to the point, and I believe you
will find this fact of interest, our records disclosed that
since 1941, wage rates in Firestone Textiles, Gastonia,
have increased 220 per cent. And when you figure in
the extra benefits, like free insurance, paid vacations,
and other things, the increase amounts to 266 per cent.
Another interesting aspect of this situation is the fact
that while wages and benefits went up 266 per cent
there was an 82 per cent increase in the cost of living,
according to figures of the United States Department
of Labor. This means that real wages were more than
doubled. The exact amount of the increase is 101 per
cent.
IT IS ONE THING merely to keep up with an ad
vancing cost of living and quite another thing to get
ahead of it. And these figures show that we are ahead.
I am glad that this is so, because it has given our
employees not only the opportunity to show their
loyalty to their country but also to give a very practical
demonstration of one of the cardinal virtues—thrift.
In practicing thrift, the men and women in our plant
here in Gastonia are not only guaranteeing their own
security but they are also making a contribution to
sound national financing.
FIRESTONE TEXTILES in Gastonia is proud of its
Savings Bond program and proud of its share in ad
ministering it. But the Company is proudest of our
employees who responded so magnificently in the Bond
Drive and set a record for participation in this section
of the country.
To them—our heartiest congratulations and thanks.
Savings Bonds Program
—From page 1
stone’s achievement in the drive
^he “most outstanding record in
nation for 1956.”
'^he telegram read; “Fire
stone’s superb performance in
securing 96.6 per cent employee
participation in Savings Bond
i^ive just completed is most out
standing record in nation for
1^56. My heartiest congratula-
on such a remarkable job.
Ill you please convey my con-
®^^tulations and appreciation to
general bond chairman, your
^ ant managers and their re-
^ective bond chairmen who
this record possible.”
Five plants had 100 per cent
^I'ticipation, and twelve made
of more than 95 per cent
^^fticipation.
The record-smashing results
of our drive to sell United States
Savings Bonds is indeed grati
fying,” Mr. Jackson said, “Every
employee who responded to our
Government’s request to buy
bonds is to be heartily con
gratulated for putting our drive
well over the top.”
AT THE AWARDS meeting
here May 7, three employees
were recognized as winners of
ihe letter-writing contest on
"Why Buy Bonds". Cramer Lit
tle, Shop, won first prize, a $100
Bond; Rosie Francum, Shop
clerk, $50 Bond; and Earl Clark,
Rayon Twisting, $50 Bond.
Their prize-winning letters
follow:
U. S. Savings Bonds are a
sound investment that helps to
insure our freedom, provides a
way to save systematically, pays
a fair rale of interest and is
backed by our Government. In
directly, Bonds fight com
munism. So you see. Bonds pay
interest that can not be deter
mined in dollars and cents.—
Cramer Little.
For the big things in life with
financial security for the future,
we should purchase U. S. Sav
ings Bonds. They are the safest
and surest investment available,
with a guaranteed rale of in
terest. By purchasing Bonds we
are strengthening our economy
by reducing demands and curb
ing inflation.—Rosie Francum.
Nothing contributes to peace
of mind like security—personal
security, national security, or
security for one's family. This
may be accomplished by buying
bonds through Payroll Savings.
Firestone helps secure the fu
ture for its employees and we
can secure Fireslone's future by
making secure our nation's fu
ture.—Earl Clark.
Butlers Live
In Kansas
Miss Ruth Hipps became the
bride of Frank Woodville Butler
in a ceremony at West End
Methodist Church, Sunday after
noon, April 22. The Reverend R.
Harold Hipps, associate pastor
of West Market Street Methodist
Church, Greensboro, and brother
of the bride, officiated at the
service, assisted by the
Reverend G. W. Bumgarner,
pastor of West End church.
Mrs. Butler is the daughter of
Charles B. Hipps, Quality Con
trol second hand, and Mrs.
Employee’s Son
Plays Good BaU
Kenneth Davis, son of Hoyt
Davis, Shop, is a pitcher on the
baseball team at Norcross High
School, Norcross, Ga. Recently
Kenneth pitched his team to vic
tory for th*e seventh consecutive
game.
Hipps. She is a graduate of Ash
ley High School and attended
Woman’s College, Greensboro.
Mr. Butler is the son of Mr.
and Mrs. Frank Wilbur Butler
of Suffolk, Va. He attended
Whaleyville High School, Oak
Ridge Military Institute, and
Campbell College.
Mr. and Mrs. Butler live at
316 West Seventh street, Topeka,
Kan. He is stationed in Topeka
with the Air Force.