SAFEST EVER DEVELOPED
Firestone Tires Quality-Tested
At Indianapolis 500 Speedway
Tire$ton«
GASTONIA
VOLUME VII GASTONIA, N. C., JULY, 1958 NUMBER 8
COMING JULY 15-18
X-Ray Unit Here This Month
Tires used in the Indianapolis
500-mile Memorial Day race this
year ran cooler than ever before
in speedway history, Firestone
engineers have learned. Post
race tests and research showed
the cooler-running tires made
them the safest ever developed
for racing—a major advance in
tire engineering.
Heat is the greatest enemy to
tire life, the engineers pointed
out.
Findings of Firestone engi
neers had been indicated earlier
by race winner Jimmy Bryan,
who said, “The tires couldn’t
have taken such a beating un
less they were running cooler.”
Bryan and other drivers also
credited '‘stickiness”—the grip
of the tire on the track—with
providing another safety factor
that permitted higher qualify
ing speeds in the 1958 race.
Firestone engineers said tires
were clinging better to the track
surface because of improved
tread compounding. A new tread
called commercially, “Rubber
X”, is credited with the improved
traction.
Bryan drove his yellow Be-
lond Special at speeds up to 175
miles an hour. His average speed
for the 200 laps was 133.791.
It was the 35th consecutive
race won on Firestone tires.
You can have a free chest
x-ray at the mobile unit com
ing to Firestone Textiles
July 15-18. The unit from the
State Board of Health will
operate at the plant as a part
of a Gaston County chest x-
ray survey running from
June 28 through August 9.
Sponsored by the NC State
Board of Health, the Gaston
County Health Department and
four local health-related organ
izations, the program aims at
providing free chest x-rays for
every person in the county 15
years of age or over.
The Firestone schedule—
July 15: 1 pm to 7 pm
July 16; 7 pm to 1 am
July 17; 12 noon to 6 pm
July 18; 9 am to 3 pm
When you have your chest x-
rayed, films will be read by a
physician specializing in x-ray,
and a written report "will be
mailed to you within two or
three weeks. If necessary, a sec
ond chest picture will be made
at no cost.
Company Awarded
Racing Trophy
The coveted Continental Cas
ualty Company award for “Out
standing Contribution to Safety
in Auto Racing” has been pre
sented to the Firestone Com
pany.
Trophy presentation was made
by Lou Morrell, vice president
of Continental, to W. R. Mc
Crary, manager of the Firestone
Racing Division, as a highlight
of the Annual United States
Auto Club Awards dinner at
the Indianapolis, Ind., Athletic
Club May 17.
Inscription on the six-foot,
three-inch trophy reads “1958,
The Firestone Tire & Rubber
Company, For Outstanding Con
tribution to the Development
and Production of Safer Tires
for Auto Racing.”
The Continental company is
the exclusive agency supplying
—Turn lo Page 4
Sponsors of the program em
phasize that the chest x-ray sur
vey is an effective method of
finding tuberculosis and other
chest conditions, such as some
types of lung cancer and some
types of heart disease.
EARLY discovery of tubercu
losis in apparently healthy peo
ple will lead to earlier treat
ment, greatly increasing the
chances of cure; and early diag
nosis of other chest conditions,
Firestone Scholar
Gets SAR Medal
Cadet Staff Sergeant Michael
A. Stroupe of Bessemer City re
ceived the Sons of the American
Revolution ROTC Medal at
North Carolina State College at
recent commencement exercises
in Raleigh. The award, present
ed to Michael by Dr. A. M.
Fountain of the NC Society of
their early treatment and re
covery at less expense.
“It is especially important that
persons 45 years old and over
have a chest x-ray at least once
a year,” the Health Department
points out. Almost one-half of
the people found to have tuber
culosis in Gaston County are in
the 50 - year and - above age
bracket. The death rate is slowly
decreasing, while the case rate is
about the same.
the SAR, and faculty member of
State College, is given each year
to the basic ROTC cadet who
has exhibited the highest de
gree of merit with respect to
leadership, military bearing and
academic excellence.
Michael, who will be a junior
at State this fall, is attending
college on a Firestone Scholar
ship. He is the son of Mr. and
Mrs. W. L. Stroupe of Bessemer
City. His mother works in cotton
Weaving.
CIRCLE OF VICTORY—Company president Raymond C. Fire
stone, who was an honorary steward at the race, congratulated
winner Jimmy Bryan in the victor's circle. Actress Shirley Mac-
Laine at Jimmy's left gave him the traditional winner's kiss.
PROVING GROUND—Firestone tires play a vital role in the
"500" race, which serves as a proving ground for safety features
built later into Firestone passenger tires. J. J. Robson {right, beside
race car), manager of tire development and engineering, explained
features of Firestone's racing tires to Dave Garroway on the "To
day" nationwide telecast.
Sales Down 10.8%, Net Profit Off 25.2%
In Six-Months Period Ending April BO
Harvey S. Firestone, Jr., chairman, and Raymond C.
Firestone, president, made the following public announce
ment on Thursday, June 12:
“Net sales of the company and its subsidiaries
amounted to $490,854,806 for the six months ended
April 30, 1958, compared with $550,422,328 for the
same period last year, a decrease of 10.8%.
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with $28,430,380 for the same period last year, a
decrease of 25.2%. Provision of $20,400,000 has
been made for domestic and foreign taxes on in
come as compared with $28,050,000 for last year.”
Six Months Ended April 30
1958 1957
Net Sales $490,854,806 $550,422,328
Other Income 1,690,254 1,774,707
Total Income $492,545,060 $552,197,035
Deduct:
Cost of Goods Sold,
Depreciation, Selling,
Administrative and
General Expenses,
and Interest $450,880,378 $495,716,655
Domestic and Foreign
Taxes on Income 20,400,000 28,050,000
$471,280,378 $523,766,655
Estimated Net Income $ 21,264,682 $ 28,430,380
Summer is that time of year when many folks have given up on seed catalogs but are still hopeful of road maps.