The doorstep to the temple of
wisdom is a knowledge of one's
own ignorance. —C. H. Spurgeon
Tir«$ton«
GASTONIA
The path to success is paved
with good intentions that were
carried out. —Robert Edwards
VOLUME VI
GASTONIA, N. C. MAY, 1957
No. 5
IN NORTH CAROLINA
O SPRING COME PRETTIL Y IN
Spring has lighted her candles everywhere and once more the
withered year has been redeemed. That’s what the poet said. The
new world of green leaves and fresh blossoms—not to mention the
mysterious resurgence of zest for living—serves as a reminder of
springtime’s new horizons. To this, you may add: Hopes reborn
and a million other exciting things which the heart can feel in the
season of Nature’s awakening.
To Katherine Sanders, spring means all these things, and others,
too. Such as the upcoming respite from classes at Central School
and days and days of fun under Mid-South skies. She is the daugh
ter of Mr. and Mrs. Carl Sanders, 1740 Poston circle. Her mother
Works in Main Office.
Expanding Textiles Industry
Offers Broad Opportunities
To young people with ability,
ambition and determination, the
gales of opportunity are open
in textiles — the nation’s third
largest industry and North Caro
lina’s first.
Textile manufacturers are
searching for those with train
ing and ability to fill responsible
positions in the industry that in
North Carolina amounts to 2.5
billions of dollars as compared
with 900 millions of dollars for
agricultural products.
In recent months demand has
been mounting for graduates
from North Carolina State Col
lege’s School of Textiles. Ac
cording to information from the
research coordinator at the
School, the graduate there can
have his choice of more than a
half-dozen jobs. And the pay,
well as the in-plant training,
is equal to—if not better than—
^ny other industry.
William A. Newell of the
School’s research department
®aid that the excellent oppor
tunities for employment in the
industry are indicated by the
^act that in a recent year one
Outstanding Safety Program
Earns Tenth-Year Citation
' Plant Aha Shares With Company
In World-Wide Honors
For the tenth consecutive year the plant has won commendation for its outstanding
program of accident control. The honor, given jointly by the North Carolina and the
United States Departments of Labor, was handed out in a ceremony at Masonic Temple
on April 11. Plant Safety Director Alvin V. Riley received the award on behalf of the Com
pany, from State Labor Commissioner Frank Crane. In addition to the Firestone award,
there were presented certificates of honor to 42 other industrial plants in Gaston County
for their safety record in 1956.
company alone wanted more
trained workers than the num
ber in the entire textile gradu
ating class of the same year at
N. C. State College.
INDICATIONS are that there
will be an even greater demand
for trained workers as the tex
tile industry expands, prepares
to manufacture a wider range
of goods, adjusts its physical as
sets to the new age of automa
tion, Newell said.
A variety of jobs, he added,
embracing virtually all manage
ment and scientific talents, are
open to textile school graduates.
He said that graduates are need
ed in production, sales and mer
chandising, production planning
and control, chemistry, research,
quality control, machinery de
velopment and sales, fabric de
sign and development, industrial
engineering and management.
Located principally in North
Carolina and adjoining states,
the textile industry offers jobs
within the state and enables
young men and women to enter
careers in their native state,
Of all the plants honored.
Firestone Textiles was the only
one which received the tenth-
year recognition.
The award winners qualified
for the state honors in one of
three ways: (1) By reducing the
plant accident frequency rate
40 per cent or more last year,
compared with the plant’s rate
the year before; (2) by having a
record of no lost-time injuries
last year; (3) by maintaining an
injury rate 75 per cent below
the state average for the par
ticular industry.
BASED on an average num
ber of employees of 1,916, the
plant here in 1956 accrued a
total of 3,897,087 manhours with
only four reportable injuries.
With this attainment of the
safety program last year. Fire
stone was a generous contribu
tor to the outstanding record in
industry for Gaston County in
1956. The 43 plants honored on
April 11 operated a total of 14,-
790,194 manhours during the
year with only 27 lost-time ac
cidents. Altogether they had a
1956 frequency rate of just 1.8
lost-time injuries per million
manhours.
“The combined injury rate of
just 1.8 lost-time injuries per
million manhours represents a
splendid accomplishment in the
field of accident prevention,”
Commissioner Crane said.
Last year the state-wide in
dustrial accident rate was 8.3
lost-time injuries per million
manhours worked.
IN MAKING the presenta
tions, Mr. Crane noted:
“Preventing accidents on the
job requires a sustained team
effort between management and
workers. The awards which I
present are tokens of your
achievement in preventing hu
man suffering and curtailing
economic waste. They are in
tended to recognize the coopera
tive work and vigilance of each
plant official, supervisor, fore
man and worker whose planning
and practice of safety on the job
have made it possible for us to
present the awards to you.”
Large-plant honors, which are
for establishments having 50 or
more employees, are joint pre
sentations of the North Carolina
and United States Departments
of Labor, Awards for smaller
plants are from the North Caro
lina Department of Labor.
—Turn to page 2
*
’>.* p*' "i;
SYMBOL of top safety performance at the plant: The plaque
presented by N. C. State Labor Commissioner Frank Crane (center),
to Safety Director Alvin Riley. With them is Brice T. Dickson, ex
ecutive secretary of the Gastonia Chamber of Commerce, sponsor
of the awards program April 11.
thus helping to build up the eco
nomic levels and raise the per
capita income.
Newell pointed out that re
search holds the key to further
revolutionary improvements in
the textile industry.
With its annual research
budget of around $436,000—98
per cent of which is invested by
the textile industry—the School
of Textiles has been buying and
is continuing to buy textile ma
chinery equipment at the rate
of $75,000 a year which, with
state appropriations, has enabled
the institution to assemble the
best in teaching and research
facilities.
Scholarship To Daughter Of Employee
Miss Irva Frances Smith,
daughter of Dave Smith, plant
guard, and Mrs. Smith, has been
awarded a $150 scholarship by
the Gastonia Pilot Club. Miss
Smith, a student at Gardner-
Webb College, Boiling Springs,
is the first to receive the scholar
ship, instituted this year.
The club president said the
recipient was chosen for her
ability, participation in many
activities in college, and because
she is a major in business ad
ministration. After this school
year, she plans to transfer to
Appalachian State at Boone, to
continue studies in business ad
ministration.
While at Gardner-Webb, Miss
Smith has been prominent in
school and campus affairs.
In 1956 the employee’s daugh
ter was in the Miss Shelby beau
ty contest, and last year was
chosen Homecoming Queen at
Gardner-Webb. As a member of
Loray Baptist Church she is ac
tive in young people’s work. She
was once a regional winner in
the young people’s Speakers
Tournament.