MARCH, 1957
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Last Minute April Foolishness
Mrs. Davis (lefl), and Mrs. Decker—and a cake of many layers . . .
Retiree And Her Twin Sister
Keep Birthday Appointment
Mrs. J. M. Decker, retired em
ployee, kept a traditional date
with her twin sister, Mrs. J. R.
Davis of Atlanta, Ga., February
10. On the occasion of their 69th
birth anniversary, neighbors and
even close relatives agreed that
it was still pretty hard to tell the
identical twins apart.
To the birthday celebration
held at the Decker home at 825
Adams drive, Gastonia, mem
bers of the family took gifts for
the honorees—and there was a
king-sized birthday cake.
The twins, the former Misses
Mary and Sarah Abernathey,
grew up in Cherokee county,
near Murphy, and were married
there.
Around 35 years ago, Mrs. Da
vis moved to Georgia and Mrs.
Decker came to Gastonia. Each
had a family of 11 children, and
two children in each family are
deceased. Mrs. Decker has 19
Wyandotte Plant
Has Newspaper
When it made its bow to read
ers in January, Firestone Rim
Lines became the ninth em
ployee newspaper to be publish
ed by the Company at plants in
cities of the United States. It is
published by the Firestone Steel
Products Company at Wyan
dotte, Mich., world’s largest pro
ducer of truck and tractor rims.
The monthly employee paper,
edited by Carole F. Coffman,
Was named “Rim Lines” by
Joseph Angerbrandt, a safety in
spector at the plant. He sub
mitted the name in an employee
contest which drew 445 entries.
IN MEMORIAM
Funeral for John M. Wright of
217 South King street, was con
ducted from Covenant Methodist
Church on February 25, and
burial was in Hollywood Ceme
tery.
Mr. Wright was a retired Fire
stone employee. Mrs. Wright,
Who survives him, is also retired
from the plant. A son, Hugh
Wright, is Cloth Room Overseer
here. Others surviving Mr.
Wright are three daughters, Mrs.
I^aymond Glass, Mrs. Herbert
Swanger, and Miss Inez Wright
of the home; sons Theodore and
Guy Wright; two brothers, two
sisters, and a granddaughter.
grandchildren. Her sister has 16,
and four great-grandchildren.
MRS. DECKER retired from
the Cord Weaving Department
here four years ago, after spend
ing more than 10 years on the
job. Today, she h2s three daugh
ters and three sons-in-law who
are employed here. They are:
Mr. and Mrs. Carmen Robinson,
Mr. end Mrs. Payton Lewis, Mr.
and P(/[rs. A. C. Bradley.
The twin sisters make a
special effort to see each other
on February 10 each year, and
oftener than that if possible.
This was the second consecutive
year that the birthday celebra
tion had been held in Gastonia.
Sometimes they mark their
special day in Atlanta or else
where.
Mrs. Davis and her husband
have lived in Atlanta for around
30 years. Mrs. Decker’s husband
is deceased.
When visiting each other, the
twins delight to recall incidents
resulting from difficulties peo
ple have had in identifying
them. When they were first
married, even their husbands
had to look closely to tell the
sisters apart. And when the
children came along they often
were confused as to which
mother was theirs.
“Across the years it has not
been uncommon for both of us
to contract the same ailment at
the same time, even though we
were living miles apart,” they
relate.
Note; This is a preview of the night before Tax
Day, based on human nature and information
from the American Institute of Accountants, and
checked for technical accuracy by the Internal
Revenue Service.
☆ ☆ ☆
Now to figure up that old income tax!
In other words, Ralph, the fight is on. Fight
the form, fight the deadline and fight the temper.
This is the night of April 14, and tomorrow is
the deadline for filing your federal income tax
return for 1956. You, like millions of other people,
have succeeded in putting this matter off until
you have all the evening to rush through a job
that might save you more money than you earn
in a week.
No, Alice, I’ll not need your help this year. Too
many cooks spoil the soup, you know. Sit right
there and read the paper.”
A TYPICAL year’s spoilt soup included one
million returns filed without signatures—(or with
only one signature instead of the required two
on a joint return). Also, arithmetic errors re
sulting in over-payment by taxpayers of more
than $19,000,000—not to mention an even larger
amount of underpayments. Uncle Sam, who
checks every return, catches these errors. But
don’t expect him to look for all the deductions
or exemptions you missed.
“Must get organized! Alice, would you bring
me that pen from the dining room table?”
You’d better bring him a pencil for the first
draft, especially if he is going to itemize deduc
tions. Since Mr. Organizer waited until T-Day-
minus-one, chances are he will only have time
to repeat last year’s performance and take the
10 per cent standard deduction in the end. But
it is early yet, and he realizes that many tax
payers can save by itemizing such expenses as
charitable or religious donations, interest paid
on mortgages or loans, medical and dental ex
penses, and state and local taxes.
“What did I do w'ith that tax blank, Alice? How
about getting it for me out of my coat pocket in
the hall closet.”
Alice retrieves beautifully, and she is also good
for a $600 exemption on the tax return. And
Ralph, don’t forget to take a $600 exemption for
yourself. Anyone 65 or over gets an additional
$600 exemption, and there is still another ex
emption for blindness. These special exemptions
for age and blindness do not apply to dependents,
but you can get the regular $600 exemption for
each dependent, as explained in the instructions—
even when you provide less than 50 per cent sup
port, in some cases.
“Now that you’re up, Alice, would you add up
this column of figures and enter the total in
item 10? I’m sure it’s Item 10. Show me where
it says Item 11 in the instructions!”
WITHOUT taking sides on this particular issue,
it might be suggested that everyone who may
have to file a return (including anyone whose
income was less than $600, but who wants a re
fund for tax withheld) should read carefully the
instruction book which the Government pro
vides free. Since there is usually some change
in the tax laws each year, you might miss a de
duction or exemption to which you are entitled,
if you fill out the form without first reading the
instruction book.
“Then of course we’ll enter it in Item 11. Where
else would you put it? Let’s try to be intelligent
about this thing, Alice!”
Remember how stupid it was not to give birth
to the twins before midnight December 31, which
would have qualified two more dependents for
1956? And as if that weren’t bad enough, how
about the $5,000 you won on that quiz program?
Didn’t you realize that such a prize is taxable?
“Doesn’t this take the cake. Look at this, Alice.
How can those tax people in Washington expect
me to remember every little doctor bill I had
to pay last year?”
YOU CAN itemize and deduct all medical-
dental expenses in excess of 3 per cent of your
income, within certain top limits. Be sure to
list fees of doctors, dentists, hospitals and nurses.
You may not deduct expenses paid or reimbursed
by insurance, but your medical insurance prem
iums count as medical expense.
Ralph, do you remember when you twisted
your back removing the storm windows last
summer? If you were absent from work due to
an injury and received “sick pay” from your
employer or his insurance company, you do not
have to pay tax on $100 per week of this income.
The same applies to sickness, except that unless
you were hospitalized for at least one day, the
payments for the first 7 calendar days of absence
are not tax free.
“How long have you been hiding these re
ceipted bills and cancelled checks in this desk
drawer? Fine thing, Alice! What if you forgot
where you put them!”
THERE IS LITTLE chance that Alice has for
gotten where she was carefully filing the receipts
of bills paid. She knows you must keep receipted
bills and cancelled checks to prove payment of
such important, deductible items as state and
local taxes, interest included in mortgage pay
ments, union dues, the fee Alice had to pay the
employment agency for her part-time job, and
child-care expenses (you may be entitled to a de
duction of up to $600 if, while you worked, it
was necessary for you to pay someone to care for
a child under 12 or anyone who is physically or
mentally incapacitated).
“I give up! This is impossible. Alice, we’ll just
have to go to jail.”
This fight may be over late in the 14th round
of April. It happens to the best of last-minute
filers: the form wins by a TKO. If you want to
give yourself the best possible break on your
federal income tax, the American Institute of
Accountants advises that you prepare your return
carefully, file early and save your records to
back up deductions. And, if you find that Uncle
Sam owes you money, early filing means a quick
er refund.
“Alice, please! How can I concentrate on this
newspaper when you interrupt with silly ques
tions? Naturally, I’ll look over your figures be
fore I sign the form. And when you mail it —
Don’t forget to put a stamp on the envelope.”
Good Posture Promotes Efficiency
You typed three instead of
four carbon copies, lost a tele
phone number and misfiled a
whole sheaf of papers.
It could be the cold you’ve
been getting all week ... or last
night’s late movie ... or the
lunch you raced through at
noon.
But recently the Posture In
stitute has come up with another
and probably more important
possibility—the way you sit in
your office chair.
One specialist said, “A sur
prising number of secretaries
and other office people don’t
know how to sit properly. They
crouch, slouch, stretch or wiggle
instead of just plain sitting. All
of these unattractive seating
habits retard blood circulation.
twist the spine and increase mis
takes while cutting down on ef
ficiency.”
HERE ARE a few important
tips from the posture people on
how to sit right;
Don’t scrooch forward in your
chair. This puts constant pres
sure on your lower spine and re
stricts the movements of your
arms and shoulders.
Don’t slouch into an arc. Such
a position crowds the lungs and
internal organs.
Do sit way back in your chair.
Rest your feet on the floor.
Snap up straight, toss back
your shoulders and place your
feet squarely on the floor.
Doesn’t that feel better?
Now all you have to do is
stay that way!
0
-=©(^ or
Slipping in bath — Use bath-
mat in tub, handrail to get in
and out of tub.
Electrocution — No portable
electrical devices such as a
radio or space healer should be
within reach of bathtub, basin,
plumbing piping. Remember
water and electricity do not
mix. So be sure there is no
water in the washbasin while
using an electric shaver.
Sivalloiving poison — Keep
poisoi] out of the reach of
young children.
Scalding in shower, tub or
basin — Regulate water care
fully before getting doused.
Razor blade cuts — Have a
safe place to carefully discard
old blades.
© AMERICAN MUTUAL LIAB. INS. CO.