JUNE, 1957
MSWi
PAGE 5
Tackle Summer Heat With These Suggestions
Ever since the dawn of time, the sun has been
man’s greatest friend. But the benevolent source
of light and energy is also man’s conqueror—if
he allows it to be.
Peaceful co-existence with Ol’ Sol is not so
much a question of cooling ourselves as of cool
ing the sun-made surroundings in which we
spend most of our time. That the good ol’ sum
mertime may be more enjoyable, it will be well
to keep in mind some common sense rules on the
art of getting along with the sun.
The old saying about people talking of the
weather but never doing anything about it, is
a bit out-moded. Scientists and other research
ers have come up with a store of new facts that
can help us to cooler living in summer. The rules
here apply well to the mid-South. Practice them
and have more fun this summer.
Much of the discomfort arising from the sum
mer sun is of our own invention.
HERE ARE some guiding principles recom
mended by an industrial physiologist whose
knowledge was gained through broad investiga
tion in the field of hot-weather problems.
1. Spend as much time as you can in cool
surroundings, in air conditioned places if pos
sible.
2. Flee from the sun when you can. A hat
will help considerably, especially if you go out
side between the hours of 10 a.m., and 3 p.m.
3. Leave off any exercise just before meals
and for an hour afterwards.
4. Drink plenty of water, fruit juices and
other non-alcoholic fluids. Iced drinks are not
as effective as those moderately cool. Force
down a glass of liquid occasionally, whether you
are thirsty or not. The vitamin C of at least one
glass of fruit juice daily will help fight the heat.
5. Dress lightly, adjusting the amount of
clothing to the sun. In the shade, the less you
wear, the better. In the sun, porous, light, loose
clothing which is free at the neck will help out.
A HAT—the wider the brim the better—will
cool you considerably, so long as it is porous.
Select white clothing for the sun, black for the
shade. And don’t pass up an opportunity to
kick off your shoes occasionally. Dunk the feet
in cool water as often as you can.
6. Playing lazy in summertime has its ad
vantages. If you exercise, choose the shade. When
your work takes you into the heat, especially
the direct sun, take frequent short rest periods
in as cool a place as you can find. Plan to do
strenuous work, especially housework, in the
forenoon. And spend little time in a hot kitchen.
Better to take to the outside shade for your meal
preparation.
7. Stick to regular bedtime hours, getting as
much sleep as you need. An afternoon nap helps
to outwit the heat.
8. Light eating will help you keep cool. A
minimum of high-calorie foods such as fats, rich
pastries and desserts will help cheat the mount
ing thermometer. Take a moderate amount of
proteins such as eggs, meat and cheese. Salads—
both cool to the eye and to the palate—can sup
ply much of the extra vitamins you need in sum
mer.
A daily lukewarm bath will cleanse the pores
of the skin and aid the most favorable degree of
perspiration.
FOREGOING principles have to do with the
individual. Beyond this, much of the discomfort
of summer heat can be traced to your en
vironment. Autos, buildings, streets and other
surroundings naturally soak up heat and throw
it at you.
In houses, most heat enters through the roof
and openings such as windows and vents.
Remedy: Let the breeze blow through your at
tic. Insulate the walls and ceiling. A light-color
ed roof will bounce heat and make your rooms
degrees cooler. Light-colored outside walls will
help out in the same manner. Don’t overlook
the cooling value of an occasional washdown of
the roof and walls with a hose.
Let awnings and shrubs, trees and vines shade
the windows all day long. Have something green
growing under windows. The afternoon sun
against the west wall of a house calls for a quick
shade such as a trellis of lush climbing vines.
Remove shrubs and trees that do not add shade
but hinder the breeze—one of the most effec
tive weapons against summer heat.
%
Suit your clothing to the degree of sun. Don't
overlook the value of a hat, especially a porous
one with a broad brim. . .. Good advice exempli
fied by Don Grant, son of Time Study Engineer
Thomas A. Grant and Mrs. Grant of 1542 Belmar
drive, Gastonia.
Your Series E Savings Bonds
A Bigger Bargain Than Ever
That Series E Savings Bond
you buy today earns a higher
rate of interest than it did be
fore February 1 of this year.
Moreover, the bond you pur
chase now will reach maturity
sooner than was the case here
tofore.
The Treasury Department an
nounced recently that all Series
E U.S. Savings Bonds sold since
February 1, 1957 carry a new
improved interest rate of 3V4
per cent, compounded semi-an
nually, when held to maturity.
The old interest rate was 3 per
cent.
Also, the maturity period of
your bonds has been shortened
to 8 years and 11 months, in
stead of the former term of 9
years and 8 months.
The Department adds that in
termediate redemption values of
Series E bonds are improved,
too. The new bonds yield a full
3 per cent interest after three
years. At the 3-year point under
the old system, they yielded 2Y4
per cent.
According to the announce
ment in May, no extension privi
lege has been provided for the
new bonds. This determination
will be made later as the first of
these bonds approach maturity.
THE ANNUAL limit on pur
chases of Series E bonds has
been reduced from $20,000 face
amount to $10,000 face amount.
This is because of the more at
tractive features of the new
bond, and is in keeping with the
Treasury’s intention to empha
size the Savings Bond as a se
curity primarily designed for the
average saver.
Series E bonds will continue
on the present form until stocks
are used up. Even though your
bonds show the old terms, their
date of issue determines their
earning power, because those
GEOGRAPHY LESSON—Jerry Howie of the Shop gets some
facts on Liberia from Fred L. Helm (right), who was here recently
to introduce "A Changing Liberia".
From Liberia To Gastonia--
And A Contrast In Textiles
When Fred L. Helm came to
Gastonia in May to introduce the
Company’s new movie, “A
Changing Liberia,” he gave some
interesting highlights of his
more than 25 years as a rubber
planter in the small West Afri
can republic. Some interesting
sidelights came, not in his lec
tures here, but in conversation
with employees he visited on the
job.
The world traveler - lecturer
who has made a significant con
tribution to Firestone’s “experi
ment in democracy” in Liberia,
was fascinated by manufactur
ing operations in the plant. His
inside look at a modern textile
operation suggested a bit of
comparison with the making of
fabric in the plant here and
cloth-making in “The Land of
the Pepper Bird,” where the
Company has extensive rubber
plantations.
The Ohio-born visitor marvel
ed at the huge processing ma
chines, the swiftness of the
weaver’s shuttle, and the seem
ingly endless web of material
that rolled off the production
line.
“How I’d like to take one of
the Gastonia looms to Liberia,
and there introduce the wonder
of its operation to the natives,”
he said.
The people of Africa’s first re
public, explained Mr. Helm,
weave their cloth on portable
hand looms, somewhat similar in
principle to the crude looms of
the Navajo Indians of the South
western United States. The fab
ric comes off as a narrow strip
five or six inches wide. And
the shuttle, plied by hand,
travels slowly. To form usable
material for clothing and other
needs, native handicrafters of
Liberia sew the narrow strips
together.
Vacationing Employee Learns
That Haste Makes Waste
dated February 1 of this year,
or thereafter, automatically car
ry the new terms.
Beginning around July 1, a
new form of Savings Bond will
go on sale. It will be printed on
punch cards — for greater ef
ficiency and economy. On it will
be the latest information of
terms and redemption values.
The appearance will closely re
semble that of the present bonds.
WHAT OF BONDS purchased
before February 1? The Treas
ury Department says that the
older bonds will not be affected
by the changes. In most cases, it
advised, you’ll be better off if
you retain the older bonds,
rather than redeem them for the
new ones.
And here’s why:
(1) Tax liability. Accrued in
terest, upon redemption, is im
mediately subject to Federal in
come tax.
(2) Rising scale of redemption
values. The lowest earning
period is quickly over, and
from then on the bond becomes
increasingly valuable. For ex
ample, a bond which is 21/2 years
Motorists who fail to heed
traffic signs and ignore speed
laws quite often get “the book”
thrown at them, to say nothing
of how they endanger lives and
property on the highways.
This bit of wisdom took on
special meaning recently when
the travel information service of
the Recreation Department put
on record the following incident:
An employee applied for de
tailed information on a trip to
Miami, Fla. After the itinerary
had been mapped out. Recrea
tion Director Ralph Johnson ad
vised:
“Remember to drive carefully,
and when you get to . . . Ga.,
that speed trap makes no mis
takes . .
The lecture tucked away in his
collection of tourist information,
the employee-traveler headed
South.
old will earn more than SV^ per
cent from now to maturity.
“Hold on to the old and buy
the new bonds,” advises O. K.
Forrester, Spooling-W i n d i n g
overseer who is chairman of the
Savings Bond purchase program.
“Above all, plant a patch of
new E bonds, but don’t disturb
the crop that’s sprouting.’'’
But, alas, by the time of his
arrival at ... , he’d forgotten
the most important travel note
of all.
His payment of a $50 fine for
exceeding the 35-mile speed
limit squeezed some of the fun
and enthusiasm out of the jour
ney to the Land of Sunshine.
“And thereby hangs a good
lesson,” said Mr. Johnson, with
out revealing the employee’s
name.
Seven Teams Play
Partners Golf
Seven teams, composed of 14
men at the plant, are playing in
the Partners Golf League this
season. League play, begun in
April, will continue through
July 18. After that date, an In
dividuals Tournament will be
gin. From this competition the
plant golf champion will be se
lected and awarded a trophy.
E. D. Bagwell, overseer in
SYC Weaving, is present defend
ing champion.
Plant golfers play each Mon
day, Wednesday and Thursday
at 5:30 p.m., at Municipal Golf
Course.