Are You Safe Off- The-Job ? (See Page 5 Picture Story)
North Carolina has an area of
52.712 square miles, 49,097 of
which is land. Its greatest length
is 503 miles. The largest county
is Sampson, 963 square miles;
the smallest, Chowan, 180 square
miles.
Tir«$ton«
North Carolina has three dis
tinct regions: Altamont (contain
ing Mount Mitchell, highest
peak in Eastern America); Pied
mont, the most heavily populat
ed and industrialized; and the
Coastal Plains.
GASTONIA
VOLUME VIII
GASTONIA, N. C., JUNE, 1959
NUMBER 7
COMPARING a Firestone 8.25-20 truck tire with the same size
Japanese Bridgestone: H. R. Baumgardner, truck tire engineering
section of the company's tire development and engineering deparl-
ttient.
Rise Of Automobile Imports
Threatens US Tire Makers
In the picture above are two 8.25-20 10-ply tires. One of
them was manufactured by Firestone workers in the United
States. The other tire was made by Japanese workers. The
Japanese tire is being distributed in Vancouver, Canada, at
a dealer cost which is $30 less than the Firestone tire. The
brand name on the Japanese tire is “Bridgestone”. It carries
the slogan: “T-Miler.”
Foreign competition in the United States tire industry
has been felt only slightly up until now, but this could be
the beginning of a real threat to our industry. This is why
all of us—factory workers, office employees, salesmen, and
dealers—must recognize the importance of delivering the
best product to our customers at a competitive price, if we are
to protect our jobs, our families, and our future.
Growing Problem Concerns Everyone
In Automotive, Related Industries
Not only must the management of our factories realize
and consider this foreign competition, but all of our em
ployees too must face up to this competition.
In 1949, only 7,543 foreign-made cars were imported into
the United States. That amounted to only .1 per cent of the
total production of passenger cars in the United States. In
1953, the total was only .5 per cent; in 1955, it was still just
•7 per cent. By 1957, the figure had climbed to 4.2 per cent.
Last year it more than doubled—10.1 per cent. Imports are
Expected to run about 500,000 in 1959.
Some people have commented that the foreign car busi
ness in this country is still small; that 10 per cent is not
^uch compared with total US auto production. But we in
the tire industry must realize that every time a foreign car
imported, we lose the opportunity to produce five tires
for the auto industry. And five times the 500,000 foreign
automobile imports expected in 1959 means 2,500,000 tires
that workers in the United States will not be paid to make.
Countless other automotive rubber products in addition to
^ires also will not be manufactured here.
Against this foreign competition, we at Firestone know
that, as a team, we can meet the challenge. How? By im
provement in equipment, cutting down on waste of labor and
Materials—and by harder selling.
—Turn to page 7
TOP A WARD TO RICHARD CANIPE
40 Area Boy Scouts Honored
When Richard Canipe re
ceived the Harvey S. Fire
stone Jr. Scouting Award
here on June 4, he joined
a list of 13 others who have
been granted the company’s
highest honor for Scouting
in the Gastonia area.
The 15-year-old Eagle
Scout was presented the en
graved silver Medallion—
symbol of the award named
for the company chairman
and chief executive officer.
Also honored at the 14th an
nual Scout Banquet in the Rec
reation Center here were 39
other area Scouts. Each received
from Piedmont Council Scout
executive Eugene Jones a Merit
Certificate and a check for
$25.75, to be applied on expenses
for a two weeks’ stay at Camp
Lanier for Piedmont Council
Scouts, near Tryon, or for pur
chase of Scout equipment of the
winner’s choice.
Perfect Score in
Rating Program
The top winner this year is
a member of troop 35, Gastonia.
He scored 425 points—a perfect
record—in the rating program
for the company awards this
year.
Richard is the son of Mr. and
Mrs. B. N. Canipe of 203 Beverly
Drive, Gastonia.
When the scoring began April
1 last year, he held rank of
Life Scout. At the end of the
contest period April 1 of this
year, he had added seven merit
badges to his record. Mean
while, he had earned the Eagle
Rank. His special project this
year was a waterproof, camou
flaged pup tent.
—Turn to page 2
SYMBOL OF ACHIEVEMENT—Richard Canipe, outstanding
Gastonia area Boy Scout of 1959, looks at the Harvey S. Firestone
Jr., Medallion, received from general manager Harold Mercer
(right). Richard's scoutmaster, Lee McCarter (left), holds the win
ner's Merit Certificate, a check for camp expenses and a $100
Savings Bond—all included in the Firestone award.
WHICH WILL GET THE PLAQUE?
Three Plants In Long-Range Safety Rivalry
Firestone Textiles here has
begun a long-range effort of
accident control, in rivalry
with two other factories of
the textiles North American
division of the company.
Other plants involved in
the contest are Firestone
Textiles at Bennettsville,
S. C.; and Firestone Textiles
Ltd., at Woodstock, Ontario,
Canada.
Beyond Page 1...
Auto Safety Check
—Page 2
Russia's Challenge
—Page 3
$12,500,000 Vacation
—Page 4
It's Your Money . . .
—Page 6
Quality: Firestone's
Byword
—Page 7
The safety rivalry will run for
the next 12 years, each year be
ing a separate contest. This year,
it dates from May 1 through
December 31. Beginning with
1960 and each year thereafter, it
will date from January 1 to the
close of the calendar year.
Basis of Scoring
Scoring is based on a lost-time
accident rate in the three sep
arate plants. Winner is to be the
plant having the lowest fre
quency rate (number of disabl
ing injuries per 1,000,000 man-
hours worked) during each of
the 12 yearly contests.
Contest rules explain that a
disabling injury is “any injury
arising out of and in the course
of employment, and resulting in
death, permanent impairment, or
loss of time beyond the day or
shift on which the accident oc
curs.”
In the event of a tie in the
competition, the winner will be
determined by the lowest acci
dent severity rate (number of
days lost per 1,000,000 manhours
worked.)
Plaque to Honor Winners
An award plaque will become
the possession of the winning
plant for a year at a time. It
will be presented by W. A. Karl,
president of aU three contesting
plants.
Rules provide that the plant
which wins the plaque three
years in succession—or wins the
most times in the 12-year period
—will earn permanent posses
sion of it.
The plaque, soon to be display
ed here for a month, will be sent
to Bennettsville, and in turn, to
Woodstock. After its trip to the
three plants, it will be returned
to president Karl in Akron,
Ohio, until a winning plant
claims it at the end of this year.
See page 4 for another
story on the safety contest
which began here in Jan
uary. It offers cash prizes
to winning employees.