Newspapers / Firestone News (Gastonia, N.C.) / Dec. 1, 1959, edition 1 / Page 3
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DECEMBER, 1959 PAGE 3 ^Good Old Days’ Not So Good Now that the Firestone Company has been in business for almost 60 years, it is interesting to take a backward look at manufacturing in the “Good Old Days.” Take, for example, how jobs for employees have pro gressed—becoming easier, better, and more stable through the use of machines and greater productivity. The Firestone worksr today Hsnd Opsrailons— gets more than ten times the rate of pay as the person in a comparable job received 50 ye'rs ago. What’s more, the pres ent-dry worker is putting forth much less effort and working fewer hours. In an October article in Fire stone News, Gastonia, tire as sembly methods in 1359 were compared with those of 1907. A followup of that story led to a look at the archives for informa tion on tire curing and high lights of the change in curing processes from 1907 to 1959. Since lires are Ihe principal producl into which Firestone Textiles production goes, the story affords a good look at progress across the past half csntury. The record shows that in 1907 autoclave-type vulcanizers were used in turning out passenger tires. Priced then at about $1,003 each, installed, they could cure about 20 to 25 passenger tires at one time—depending on tire sizes, or about 250 to 350 a day. At best, each of those tires was destined for a life of up to 3,000 miles of service. Belmont Station Conelrad Outlet Commercial broadcast station WCGC in Belmont has been au thorized by the Federal Com munications Commission to op erate as a Conelrad outlet in time of national emergency. It is the only regular broadcast sta tion in Gaston County so licens ed, according to Robert Hilker, station manager and local Civil Defense communications officer. In event of a national emer gency, WCGC will switch from its assigned frequency of 1270 kilocycles to 1240 as a Conelrad station, to furnish information on public welfare and safety. During national emergencies, Cumbersoms Methods Tires were built, trucked, and loaded and unloaded from the vulcanizers—all in hand opera tions. Adding to the task was the fact that tires were built and cured on heavy iron cores which increased by several times the weight of the tires them selves, and the cores had to be lifted with the tires in all of the numerous hand operations. No wonder an employee on the cur ing line put forth so much more effort than he does today! In 1959 much of that olden- days heavy effort has been done away with in curing of passen ger car tires. Improved methods and skills and the company's ability to provide the increased needed investments have brought on mechanization. And that’s where the difference is. Look at the picture today. Automatic Machines Mnke for Progress Look at the picture today. Conveyors bring the “green” passenger tires directly to long batteries of twin bladder-type automatic curing presses. With little effort, operators are thus able to load presses. After cur ing cycles are completed, the m*olds open automatically and the tires are held in a conveni ent position for the operator to put them on conveyors for a trip to final inspection. Two or three twin automatic presses can equal the production of one of the 1907 vulcanizers with their 25-30 tires capacity. all radio and television stations not authorized for Conelrad serv ice will cease operation. Objec tive of Conelrad service is to minimize navigational aid that an enemy might have from the electromagnetic radiations of broadcast stations. Conelrad sta tions also provide controlled service which is essential to public welfare during national emergencies from enemy attack. Some 260 to 390 passenger tires can be cured daily by the two or three presses. And the tires turn ed out in 1959 offer the motorist at least four to ten times as many miles of safe service as the 1907 kind, depending on the car and the driver, speed, and types of roads, loads and climate. Improved Manufacture Has a Price Attached But all this progress calls for increased investment. The two or three twin presses needed to do the same job as the 1907 equipment cost the company be tween $70,000 and $100,000, in stalled. That is 70 to 100 times more of an investment. With this example of a study in progress, what of tomorrow’s promise? Ever-improving methods and ways of manufacturing at Fire stone hold out hopes that curing tires and many other jobs will be made even easier than they are today. Poisons In Home: Constant Danger Poisons in the home are among the greatest causes of in jury and death. Medicines and chemicals make up the biggest poison category, but a fact often overlooked is that some of the soaps, polishes and cleaning fluids in the house can be highly dangerous when swallowed, or applied to the body. Adults aren’t likely to be the victims as often as curious chil dren. The U. S. Food and Drug Ad ministration is campaigning for warning labels on products, to alert parents to the danger of poisons. HOME-SAFETY practices in clude keeping these dangers out of the reach of children, and reading labels carefully. The U. S. Public Health Serv ice’s Accident Prevention Bu reau suggests; ; ; Keep all products not used for cooking out of children’s reach. ; : Don’t place them with products you use for cooking. : : Always keep house clean ing materials in their original containers. : : Learn emergency treat ment for accidents caused by household poisons. Call a doctor. i "GOOD OLD DAYS"—How would you like this 1907 job? Pro duction was slow and much effort was required of employees, be cause all trucking and loading and unloading of tires had to be done entirely by hand. Long hours and low pay resulted because productivity and products demand were low compared with to day's standards. THE 1959 WAY—Green tires, conveyed directly to the op erators, are easily placed in twin bladder-type automatic presses which cure and open automatically. Conveyors also take the load from employees, who must use their skills to operate controls. This is a good example of how machines are lifting the loads in in dustry. Yule Parties December 19 NORTH COUNTRY (Special) —The Peddler of Good Cheer and Merriment, more familiarly known as Santa Claus, has con firmed his 1959 stopover in Gas tonia, for a pre-Christmas-Eve visit with children of Firestone employees. It will be St. Nick’s 20th an nual trip to the Southland for the special children’s parties, staged through the years at the Webb and Palace theatres. Children through 13 years of age who are members of Fire stone employee households will be honored guests at the tradi tional company parties on Sat urday morning, December 19. As in past years, shows will be staged in three performances — two at the Webb theatre down town with beginning time 9 and 11 o’clock; and at the Palace (Negro) theatre on North York street at 10. At all performances, Santa’s visit will be preceded by a ses sion of lively entertainment made up of several movie car toons and short features. Foretaste Of Christmas Long before December arrived, these children had been entertaining visions of Christmas gaie ty ... of reindeer and sleigh . . . the Good Visitor from the Northland who journeys across house tops once a year. Here, amidst merchandise dis plays at the Firestone Stores at Franklin and Marietta, Ricky Rumfelt and Jill McDaniel pre view the Yule gift situation. Ricky's father, R. L. Rumfelt, and Jill's father, Cramer McDaniel, are electricians in the Mechanical department. Each year the company's network of retail stores en larges the stock of toys and other items espec ially appealing to youngsters. Carbon Monoxide Is A Winter Killer That notorious wintertime killer is back again. Odorless, taste less, colorless—but deadly. It is carbon monoxide. Danger of CM poisoning increases in winter months because houses and garages are likely to be closed tight, preventing fresh air from circulating. Health authorities have these additional points to make about carbon monoxide danger: With small amounts present, there are usually warning signals: Nausea, dizziness, headache, muscular weakness. But in large amounts CM can produce unconsciousness quickly —and without warning. Keep these simple safety measures in mind: Watch out for defective gas stoves and furnaces. Never run auto or other gas powered engines in closed places. Wherever there is possibility of gas, always have plenty of ventilation. See that heaters are in good working order and that they have fumes out lets. Check autos to safeguard against faulty mufflers or exhaust pipes that could cause a deadly leak of fumes.
Firestone News (Gastonia, N.C.)
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Dec. 1, 1959, edition 1
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