One should never put on one's
best trousers to go out to battle
for freedom and truth.
—Henrik Ibsen
Tir«$ton«
GASTONIA
But what is Freedom? Rightly
understood, it is a universal
license to be good.
—Hartely Coleridge
VOLUME VII
GASTONIA, N. C., AUGUST, 1958
NUMBER 9
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THE CAMERA WAS AT WORK ON VACATION
Firestone Textiles employees took scenic
paths through America and the world dur
ing the annual vacation month of July.
These photos are typical of the material
brought back for the scrapbook—and mem
ories. From upper left: Temple Square, Salt
Lake City, Utah (Sally Crawford, Quality
Control); Heaven’s Peak in Glacier National
Park, Mont., (Inez Rhyne, Cloth Room); in
the Grand Canyon of Arizona; and an Old
West scene at restored “Ghost Town” near
Los Angeles (both Paul Reeves of Carding).
John Mercer, Shop, toured Europe and saw
landmarks such as this ancient castle near
Stuttgart, Germany. Accounts of these and
other vacation travels are in this issue of the
plant newspaper.
AT ARLINGTON-1958
Mrs. Turner’s Poem In Congressional Record
A recent issue of Congression
al Record contains a poem writ
ten by Thelma Turner, wife of
W. R. Turner, Sr., an SYC Weav
ing supervisor, and mother of
Mrs. W. L. Fritton of Main Of
fice.
The poem, entitled “Arlington
—1958,” was inspired by the Me
morial Day exercises at Arling
ton National Cemetery when
Unknown Soldiers of World War
II and the Korean conflict were
entombed there.
Congressman Basil L. White-
ner of Gastonia, who caused Mrs.
Turner’s work to be included in
the Record for June 24, com
mended the author for her deep
patriotic sentiment expressed in
the poem.
“The thoughts expressed and
the background information sub
mitted with the poem indicate
your deep appreciation of the
sacrifices made by those who
have worn the uniform of our
country in time of war. At this
Textiles Viewed As Indispensable
To Economy Of South And Nation
Take away the textile indus
try, and the economy of the
South would collapse overnight.
And 24 hours later the entire na
tion would forget atomic bombs
and outer space, in a desperate
effort to resurrect an industry
we cannot do without.
This was the opinion of a lead
ing South Carolina textilist, ex
pressed in an article in the sum
mer issue of “Bobbin and Beak
er,” official student textile mag
azine at Clemson College. W.
Gaines Huguley, author of the
article, commented;
“Nationally, more than two
million people — including ap
parel industry employees—make
their living in textiles. About 13
per cent of all manufacturing
employees are engaged in textile
or related production.
“There is a future—a great
future for the industry,” he
prophesied. “The ‘battle of the
fibres’, which used to be a popu
lar phrase, has tended more and
more toward the marriage of
fibres. It is getting hard to find
mills that are strictly ‘cotton’ or
‘synthetic’. . .”
Even though consumption of
man - made (synthetic) fibres
has increased, Huguley believes
the rapid increase of population
and new uses for fibres and tex
tile products will inevitably
benefit cotton and open new
possibilities for it.
crucial period in our country’s
history, the sentiments you have
expressed have deep significance
for all Americans,” he continued.
BACKGROUND material re
ferred to by Representative
Whitener included mention of
ancestors who have fought in
this country’s wars since 1812,
and was brought up-to-date by
reference to two of the Turners’
sons: Jerry, who received a
Merit of Award for service at
Kwalalein Atoll and is now in
the second half of OCS at San
Antonio, Texas; and Carl, who
recently returned with his
family from Hawaii, and spent
early July with his parents on
Firestone boulevard.
At Arlington—1958
Welcome, my brothers, welcome!
Clasp my hand in greeting.
I have been waiting with mixed
emotions
For this momentous meeting;
I had wondered if you were
coming.
If even the thoughts of men
Would pause, take countenance,
Do homage to those latest
conquests,
And refer it to now and then.
Who is it, my brother, you ask
of me?
Who stands with me when the
flag is flying
—Turn to Page 2
‘Sales Make Jobs’
Program Begun
Employees In Vital Role
Of Selling Campaign
“More Sales Mean More Jobs for More Workers,” is the
slogan behind a campaign now underway at the Gastonia
plant and soon to be introduced at principal Firestone plants
throughout the country.
The employee sales program entails voluntary mailing of
printed cards of appreciation to business firms and trades
men with whom Firestone employees deal, with the remind
er that they consider Firestone products when they have
need for an item which the company manufactures.
Each person employed at the
Gastonia plant has received a
supply of service appreciation
cards and a letter from General
Manager Harold Mercer, ex
plaining the program and tell
ing of the employee’s opportuni
ty to participate.
Additional cards may be ob
tained from department over
seers and at the Employment Of
fice.
PERSONS receiving cards
have been instructed to sign
each one and enclose them with
their personal checks if they pay
the family bills by mail. Where
payment is made in cash, signed
cards may be given to the person
in charge of the business estab
lishment.
In his letter to all employee
families, Mr. Mercer emphasized
the vital role employees can play
in improving the company's sales
position by buying , Firestone
products and "selling" them to
their friends.
“This is not a one-shot proposi
tion,” Mr. Mercer said, “but a
day-by-day continuing job for
all of us. If this program will
help to preserve a single em
ployee’s job or if it will bring
back to work an employee who
has been laid off, I think you
will agree that it deserves the
best efforts of us all.”
THE PROGRAM covers all
sales districts in the company’s
major plant areas. It covers all
Firestone store personnel and
district staff people.
“By a united employee effort
in plants and sales territories,
we can greatly increase op
portunities for selling Firestone
products in this time of intense
competition,” Mr. Mercer added.
“We are grateful for the at
tention which Firestone Textiles
workers and their families are
giving to this campaign. It is our
job to do everything we can to
sell Firestone quality products—
some of which we help to pro
duce at Gastonia.
“Sales and production rise and
fall together. To the extent that
both benefit, everybody benefits
because jobs are created and em
ployment is steady.
“Families of the Gastonia
plant can bo sure that our com
pany sales organization will give
this program their wholeheart
ed support.”
Firestone Tires
Win At Monza
The 500-mile at Monza, Italy
—the world’s fastest race—was
won on Firestone tires with an
average speed of 166.722 mph.
“This was a great race and a
tremendous triumph for our
product, for our racing division,
for our development people, and
for the men and women of Fire
stone who make the world’s best
tires,” said president Raymond
C. Firestone. He made a flying
trip to Monza to be on hand for
the race early this summer.
Jim Rathmann was winning
driver in the classic, known as
the “Race of Two Worlds.”
“It is significant that the
world’s fastest race — and on
Firestone tires—was won with
out a single tire failure and
without a single pit stop for tire
changes by any American driv
er,” Mr. Firestone added.
The 1958 classic at Monza was
the second 500-mile race at the
Italian autodrome. Firestone
tires were on the winning cars
in both races.
1,340 Chest X-Rays Made
At Mobile Unit In July
The mobile x-ray unit at Firestone in July recorded 1,-
340 chest pictures for employees. In its four-day visit to the
plant, the unit from the State Board of Health operated here
as a part of a Gaston County chest x-ray survey which ran
from late June through early August.
There was 90 per cent participation of employees, in the
visit of the mobile unit here. It was sponsored by the NC
State Board of Health, the Gaston County Health Depart
ment, and four other local health-relateH nrcrnniya+invic-