FEBRUARY, 1958
S?3I1WI
PAGE 3
FEPIR/lii PAYROli PER M,$. FAMHY Foundation Notes Rise In Payroll Costs
EQUAL TO
PERU. S. FAMILY
EQUAL TO
PER U.S. FAMILY
EQUAl TO
m U.S. fAMlW
laaaiasfmia
Payrolls for civilian employees of the Executive Branch of the Federal
government reached an estimated $11 billion, an all-time high, in fiscal
1957—equivalent to |255 for each U.S. family, according to Tax Founda
tion, Inc. Ten years ago, payroll costs were equivalent to $162 per family.
Amateur Rocket-Launching Programs
Abound In Danger, NFPA Advises
Experimenting with amateur
rockets can be very dangerous,
and should be prohibited in the
interest of public safety “until
safe launching sites are set up
and until well qualified persons
can be provided to supervise
such programs.”
This reminder has been issued
to fire marshals and other public
safety officials by the National
Fire Protection Association,
clearing house on all fire safety
matters.
Rocketry “as practiced by cer
tain teen-age boys” has become a
serious problem in many areas,
the Association said.
Besides the serious explosion
hazard associated with rocket
launching, there are lesser but
real dangers introduced by the
handling and mixing of rocket
fuels, not to mention the threat
to life and property from mis
siles created by successful rock
et launchings,” according to the
NFPA.
AMONG recommendations the
NFPA has made to safety of
ficials are:
Fuel handling and rocket
launching should be conducted
only at specified safe locations
such as outdoor rifle ranges, and
under strict supervision by qual
ified persons familiar with the
hazards involved.
Some state-wide method of
communication should be set up
—preferably within or through
the school system—whereby
amateurs can obtain answers to
their rocket-building problems
from experts.
Until safe launching sites are
established and thoroughly
qualified personnel are available
to supervise an amateur rocket
program, it is in the best in
terest of the general public to
prohibit the manufacture and
launching of rockets by ama
teurs.
Sweat Leads Veterans Organization
Wilson T. Sweat was elected
national commander of the
World War Tank Corps Associa
tion, at the group’s recent 39th
annual reunion in Atlantic City.
Mr. Sweat, manager of oil
company sales for the Firestone
Charlotte district, served in the
332nd Light Tank Batallion dur
ing World War I.
He became a member of the
WWTCA while in service with
the AEF in France in 1918, and
has been a member ever since.
The new WWTCA command
er joined Firestone in 1931, and
on July 27 of last year marked
his 26th year of service. His
career with the Company began
with completion of store man
ager training at Miami, Fla.
Then he was sent to Akron, as
central zone manager. In 1934,
he managed both the central and
eastern zones.
In 1935, Mr. Sweat was trans
ferred to Memphis, where he be
came manager of the Company
tire plant there. Ten years later
he was appointed manager of the
Charlotte district, a position he
held until late 1957.
The payroll for civilian em
ployees of the Executive Branch
of the Federal government
reached an all-time high, more
than $11 billion, in fiscal 1957.
This amount, needed to pay
some 2,400,000 civilian em
ployees, is equivalent to $255
for each American family, Tax
Foundation, Inc., reports.
Ten years ago when there
were just over 2 million workers
— Federal government employ
ment was slacking off from
World War IPs 3Vz million peak
—the amount of the payroll was
equivalent to $162 per family,
the research organization noted.
Forty years ago there were
over a half million civilian em
ployees in the Executive Branch.
Ten years later employment had
increased by several thousand.
By 1937 there were over 850,000
on the payroll.
Between 1947 and 1957, the
payroll costs all but doubled,
going from nearly $6 billion to
just over $11 biUion, while the
number of employees increased
from 2,116,000 to an estimated
2,410,000.
Serves On Board
Of Safety Group
Safety Director Alvin Riley is
serving on the 12-member board
of directors of the Blue Ridge
Safety Council. He was re-elect-
ed at the organization’s quarter
ly meeting held jointly with the
Gaston Personnel Association, at
Masonic Temple on January 16.
The Blue Ridge Safety Council
is one of eight regional organiza
tions sponsored by the North
Carolina Industrial Commission.
The Blue Ridge group comprises
the counties of Gaston, Burke,
Cleveland, Lincoln, McDowell,
Polk and Rutherfordton.
The eight councils function to
promote safety education with
in industries, homes and public
places, with emphasis placed up
on industrial safety.
Each time the Blue Ridge
Council convenes in Gastonia,
the meeting is held jointly with
the Gaston Personnel Associa
tion. This is an organization com
posed of individuals affiliated in
personnel work or in a super
visory capacity in Gaston Coun
ty industries. Its purpose is to
encourage an improved under
standing of personnel and indus
trial relations problems.
Income Has To Be Big To Make A Profit
Making the rounds in the textile industry
is this little tale about the lathe that took
more than a million dollars to replace.
It typifies the burden of high tax rates and
insufficient allowance for depreciation that
belabor the industry—and, in this particu
lar instance, the textile machinery aspect
of the industry.
Last year, one company had to replace a
lathe. The old one cost $12,000 back in 1942,
so the company had saved back in deprecia
tion $12,000.
The new lathe cost $67,000 (it was a new
model with more attachments). After the
$12,000 was applied, the firm still owed
$55,000, Another $1,000 trade-in brought this
down to $54,000.
That $54,000 had to come from profits.
In order to clear $54,000, the company had
to make a profit of $112,000 before taxes. To
make that much profit, it had to sell more
than $1,250,000 worth of products.
Not many people realize what a whale
of a lot of income it takes for a company to
make a profit.—Southern Textile News.
Significantly, while defense
needs have been declared to be
part of the reason for recent
employment upsurges, in fiscal
1956 and 1957 the number of
employees in the purely civilian
agencies has topped the number
of civilian employees in the De
fense Department.
The number of civilian em
ployees in the Executive Branch,
the payroll costs, and the equiv
alent amount per U.S. family is
shown thus:
Fis.
Empl’s.
Payrolls
Equiva
lent per
Yr. (thousands) (millions$) U.S. family
>47
2,116
$5,807
$162
’48
2,053
6,049
163
’49
2,055
6,530
169
’50
2,052
6,846
174
’51
2,446
8,814
221
’52
2,577
9,907
244
’53
2,541
9,880
242
’54
2,398
9,553
232
’55
2,376
10,146
242
’56
2,389
10,688
250
’57
2,410-
11,066*
255*
‘■‘Estimated
$98,960 Paid For Suggestions In 1957
A record number of employee suggestions was adopted
by the Company during fiscal 1957. Approved were 4,277
ideas suggested by people who work at Firestone plants.
Total number of suggestions received was 16,336. This,
too, was a record high.
The rate of participation was 439 per 1,000 employees, a
late January announcement pointed out. Highest rate of
adoption was at the Los Angeles plant, with 262 per 1,000.
The Company plant in Des Moines, Iowa registered the
highest rate of participation. There, 1,261 suggestions were
received per 1,000 employees.
A total of $98,960 was paid during the year as award
money.
February Is Month Of The Great
February in American history
is the month of the Great. Be
sides being the birth month of
George Washington and Abra
ham Lincoln, February belongs
to more than a score of great
personalities—among them Wil
liam Henry Harrison and Thom
as A. Edison.
Here is an abbreviated run
down from a list of persons who
have made an outstanding con
tribution to American and world
life. Figures are birth dates:
Victor Herbert, composer and
musician, 1; Horace Greeley,
pioneer journalist, 2; Sidney
Lanier, musician and poet, 3;
Mark Hopkins, educator; Charles
A. Lindberg, 4; D. L. Moody,
evangelist, 5; William Henry
Harrison, ninth President, 7;
William Allen White, journalist,
10.
Thomas A. Edison, inventor,
11; Abraham Lincoln, 16th Presi
dent; Cotton Mather, 'colonial
preacher, 12; Grant Wood, Artist,
13; George Washington, first
President; James Russell Lowell;
Edna St. Vincent Millay, authors,
22; Winslow Homer, artist, 24;
Henry W. Longfellow, poet, 27;
John P. Holland, inventor of
submarine, 29.
6 ways to GUARD your heart
1* See your doctor ! 2« Control your weight
3* Get enough rest | 4* Keep physically fit
5« Ease up and relax | 6« Fight heart diseose