APRIL, 1957
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PAGE 7
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BUSY YEAR AHEAD. . .
A COLLECTION of travel brochures, typical of "see-America-
first" literature issued through the travel information service.
People and Places
—From page G
While on her way from San Diego, Calif., to New York City,
^rs. Howard Gatlin stopped recently in Gastonia for a brief visit
Mth her sisters, Pearl Tate, tie-in hand, and Martha Wood, winder
tender.
Ann Adams, respooler tender, recently attended a birthday
dinner honoring her mother, Mrs. R. G. Davis, at the home of
Soyce Davis and Mrs. Davis in Bessemer City.
After a short leave of absence. Spooler Tender Vester Tram-
*^ell has returned to his regular job in this department.
Lee Sims, doffer, is having two rooms added to his house at 1025
"^est Sixth street.
Dillard Palmer and his family attended the funeral of Mrs.
Palmer’s uncle, O. B. Taylor, at Murphy, N. C., in March.
After a sick leave, Charles Clark, doffer, is back at work in
this department.
Carolyn, Annette and David Carpenter, children of Mrs. Ruth
Carpenter, respooler tender, made a trip to the Qualla Indian reser
vation, near;, Cherokee, a few weeks ago.
Margaret Robinson, respooler tender, has returned to work
^fter an illness.
Mr. and Mrs. Coy Brewer and family went to Toccoa, Ga., not
ago, where they attended a birthday celebration program in
honor of Mr. Brewer’s mother, Mrs. D. L. Brewer, who is 75 years
old.
Lola Roberts is back at work after a leave of absence in March.
Friends and relatives honored Mrs. W. G. Lancaster at a birth-
dinner in the home of Auther Lancaster in Spartanburg, S. C.,
^arch 3. Among those present from Gastonia were Junior Lancaster,
^^otion man, Charles Lancaster, frame hand, and Gladys Lancaster,
^^spooier tender.
Everette Watson and his family attended the funeral of Fred
in Cedartown, Ga., February 28. Before they returned to
^^stonia, they visited Mr. Watson’s mother, Mrs. Lillie Watson, of
Fairmont, Ga.
Gladys Lancaster, respooler tender, visited her sister, Delphia
in Spartanburg, S. C., March 2.
Clayton Taylor, frame hand, underwent a tonsillectomy in
'^id-March, and is back on the job in this department.
Mrs. L. T. Camby of Detroit, Mich., was a recent visitor in the
ho:
^6 of her daughter, Mrs. Katie Elkins, tie-in hand.
th,
^ Civil Defense Commission.
Travel Service In Fourth Year Of Operation
“We furnish everything but the money,” Ralph
Johnson jokingly says, in speaking of one of the
more unusual and less-known phases of the
plant’s Recreation Department.
This is the travel information service which
has been operated for employees for the past
three years. The helping hand to travelers was
started after a number of employees had inquired
of the Recreation Director concerning plans for
week-end and vacation trips.
During the three years of the information serv
ice here, individuals, families and special touring
groups have availed themselves of the help. The
department aids in planning and scheduling
travel itineraries, supplies information and makes
suggestions on where to go, and what to see. It
suggests places to stay, such as hotel and motel
accommodations, and provides a rough estimate
of trip costs.
CHIEF ALLIES of the plant’s travel service
are the chambers of commerce all over the United
States and the local Carolina Motor Club affiliat
ed with the Automobile Association of America.
Of considerable help, too, are promotional and
publicity bureaus, corporations, transportation
companies, civic and garden clubs, and news
bureaus.
The travel service maintains for distribution
an I reference use an up-to-date supply of travel
helps such as road maps, promotional leaflets and
booklets, accommodations listings, and a number
of other references that will answer questions
most likely to be asked by trip-planning em
ployees.
Quite often, persons wish to attend special
events, such as fairs, festivals and sports pro
grams. When sufficient advance notice is given
the department, there will be time to send away
for specific information that may not be on hand.
Johnson recalls that the shortest trip the serv
ice ever planned was to a place near Norfolk, Va.
On that particular assignment, he studied the
map and discovered the traveler’s destination to
be indicated as out in the Atlantic Ocean—a new
fact of geography to him. Upon closer check
with the chamber of commerce in the Virginia
port city, the error on the map was corrected.
The longest trip ever planned by the service
was to California.
OF THE unusual requests, there once was an
employee who wanted to be routed by automobile
through New York City, without having to con
tend with the traffic problem.
“We had to confess that that was beyond our
ability, and the employee settled for some of our
suggestions on things to see in the Empire City,”
Johnson remembers.
Then there are the people who ask for in
formation on what kind of clothing to take along
on a trip. The service can help in a general way,
because of the overall knowledge of weather con
ditions prevailing in different parts of the coun
try at a particular season.
“But when it comes to our being asked whether
it’s going to rain in Missouri next week, we must
admit we’re not in the weather predicting busi
ness,” says Bob Purkey, the Recreation Depart
ment’s assistant director.
SOMETIMES employees request such detailed
information as, “How far can I travel in one day?”
when the deciding factors cannot be determined.
There are frequent requests for tickets to
special events, and as a general practice, the de
partment cannot oblige. An exception is the spe
cial provision to supply tickets to the Voice of
Firestone simulcasts in New York.
plant travel information service is a year-
round project, but the concentration of requests
is from late spring into autumn.
“Beginning this spring, the travel service ex
pects its busiest year thus far,” says Johnson.
“Opening of the beach season, another summer
of outdoor historical dramas and pageants in the
South, and such special events as the Jamestown
Festival in Virginia, will undoubtedly swell our
volume of requests for travel help.”
S .w , ' ' ^ ¥1
ASSISTANCE—Eleanor Dunlap of Main Office
Accounting gets a helping hand from Bob Purkey
of Recreation, on plans for her summer vacation.
She is making use of the North Carolina Travel-
book and a world atlas, two of the many reference
materials available at the plant travel service.
Women Can Be Effective Promoters
Of Safety On The Highways
Saving Information At CD Office
A major number of inhabitants in America’s larger cities would
?^ish in event of atomic attack—all because of lack of bomb
alters. This was a fact emphasized recently by a spokesman for
In America’s small towns and communities, survival in case of
^^^^ic attack depends greatly upon the individual citizen’s ability
Protect himself.
^ raid instructions and information on emergency action on
Suiv atomic fires and to administer first aid are among
^j^ojects treated in posters and pamphlets currently available at
^ Gastonia Civil Defense office.
at the CD office on the lower level of the City Hall building
^ ^ your supply of this vital information. It could save lives.
Women can use their natural
regard for safety and their in
fluence on drivers in their fam-
lies to substantially reduce the
number of accidents on the
highways. This belief is express
ed by H. D. Tompkins, vice
president in charge of trade sales
for the Company.
As chairman of the Inter-In
dustry Highway Safety Commit
tee, Mr, Tompkins urges that the
women of America persuade the
drivers in their families to par
ticipate in safety-check lane pro
grams in their communities.
“Last year’s all-time high of
more than 40,000 traffic deaths
makes it imperative that every
means be used to stop acci
dents,” Mr. Tompkins said.
The safety check-lane program
was devised under the sponsor
ship of the Inter-Industry High
way Safety Committee to test as
many cars as possible for safety.
The check lanes will be operat
ed during May. The drivers of
automobiles found to be unsafe
will be urged to have them re
stored to top safety efficiency.
DURING last year’s safety-
check program one out of every
five vehicles tested was found
to be in need of service to one or
more of the 10 items affecting
safe operation of the car.
In addition, reports from nine
states conducting official vehicle
inspection programs in 1955
showed that up to 71 per cent of
all vehicles inspected were not
passed because one or more parts
needed immediate service, ac
cording to Mr. Tompkins.
Firestone is one of the auto
mobile and tire companies which
have loaned 19 men to the com
mittee to organize the 1957 pro
gram during the next three
months. They will travel in the
34 states which do not require
auto inspections by law, to help
cities and counties organize and
conduct free and voluntary com
munity safety-check programs.
UNDER sponsorship of various
civic officials and organizations,
thousands of automobile and tire
dealers will provide qualified
personnel to check vehicles for
safe driving condition.
The inter-industry program
emphasizes the importance of
keeping vehicles in safe driving
condition, crucial in the 34 states
which do not require periodic
motor vehicle inspection. More
than 46 million, or two out of
every three registered vehicles,
are using U.S. streets and high
ways with no official inspection
required of their safe operating
condition.
Persons interested in promot
ing safety-check lane programs
in their communities for the pro
tection of their families may ob
tain detailed information by
writing to the Inter-Industry
Highway Safety Committee, 1200
Eighteenth Street, NW, Wash
ington 6, D. C.