GASTONIA • NORTH CAROLINA
VOLUME X-NUMBER 12
NOVEMBER, 1961
Tir»$ton» W
Rubber • Chemicals • Textiles
Synihelics • Metals • Plastics
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Toward Support Of 24 Agencies
face of harvest
Fred J. Watts is an apple
salesman from the hills of
Alexander County. For sev
eral years he has been mak
ing weekly trips from early
September into the Christ
mas season, driving his truck
down from Taylorsville to
share his treasure-trove of
red and yellow apples with
Piedmont folks. His cus
tomers are people who stop
at the Dalton street and Sec
ond avenue corner beside the
Firestone plant.
On an afternoon in late
October, Oscar Jacobs of the
Firestone Shop couldn’t re
sist a roiintry-boy desire to
fix up an apple just right for
enjoyable eating, while his
daughter Nancy purchased a
take-home supply of the
golden harvest.
Promising Future Seen For Tire Industry
Company president Ray
mond C. Firestone spoke of
a promising outlook for the
transportation industry and
particularly the tire industry
when he addressed the
American Trucking Associa
tion annual convention in
Washington recently.
The president noted that by
the end of this year, 9,380,000
replacement truck-tire units are
expected to be shipped, and in
1962 the figure is expected to
increase to 9,550,000 units. Re
placement truck-tire shipments
are predicted to reach 10,000,-
000 by 1965.
“Similar increase is seen for
sales of truck-tire retreads,” he
said. By the end of this year the
total is expected to reach 8,-
419.000 and increase to 8,470,000
next year. By 1965 it should
reach 8,850,000.
“We in the transportation in
dustry have a tremendous chal
lenge,” Mr. Firestone said. “With
our country's population growth
in recent years and continued
growth promised, our job of
serving this ever-increasing
market will become even great
er.” Among Mr. Firestone’s ob
servations:
® There are 11,664,000 trucks
on the nation’s streets and high
ways today, an expected rise to
11.912.000 next year — 12,823,-
000 by 1965.
• Similar growth is seen in
passenger tires. The rubber in
dustry will ship an estimated
70.500.000 passenger tires this
year for replacements, 73,250,000
units in 1962, and 80,000,000
units in 1965.
• New-tire shipments for the
industry will be 118,800,000 units
by the end of the year, 127,000,-
000 in 1962, and 140,000,000 in
1965. The industry also will sell
29,500,000 passenger-tire retreads
in 1961, climbing to 34,000,000 in
1965.
“We at Firestone have been
preparing for the growth in
transportation through our mod
ernization and plant expansions,
and have been increasing our
sales and service outlets to bet
ter serve the passenger-car and
truck owners,” Mr. Firestone
said.
“Our research and develop
ment has been stepped up to pro
vide the transportation industry
—More on Page 2
Johnson On NSC Committee
Ralph Johnson, safety supervisor at the Gastonia Fire
stone plant, is serving as Education and Training chairman
of the Textile Section, National Safety Council.
Mr. Johnson’s election was part of the business session
of the National Safety Congress which convened in Chica
go, Oct. 16-20. His selection to serve the Textile Section
Executive Committee was in recognition of his abilities as
a safety specialist in the textile industry, said the NSC
news release.
The National Safety Council is a federally-chartered
nonprofit association dedicated to safety in all fields of acci-
dent-injury prevention.
‘Golden 500’
In Circulation
A 16mm movie on the 1961
Golden Anniversary Indianapo
lis 500-mile auto race has been
produced for Firestone. In color
and sound, “The Golden 500”
captures the drama of the
qualification runs, the pre-race
activities and the spectacular
duel between A. J. Foyt and
Eddie Sachs which provided one
of the most exciting finishes in
race history.
$15,549.98 Gift
To United Fund
For the ninth consecutive
year, Firestone people at the
Gastonia plant have extend
ed a generous hand — this
time, to make a record con
tribution to the Greater Gas
tonia United Fund. Joining
in the community-wide pro
gram of giving The United
Way, employees pledged a
total of $15,549.98, which rep
resented an average gift of
$11.39.
Contributions of “one gift—
one time’' for support of 24
health, welfare and recreation
agencies will be at work during
1962, combating disaster and
disease, helping prevent juvenile
delinquency, strengthening and
preserving family life, and help
ing to solve problems of the
aging.
Increase Over Last Year
This year’s giving at Firestone
shows an increase of $1,956.45
over the Firestone contribution
of last year. The solicitation
here was conducted on the pay-
roll-deduction system during the
first half of October. In past
years the UF drive here had ex
tended into early November, cli
maxing simultaneously with the
Greater Gastonia campaign.
The community - wide effort
sought a goal of $184,105 in a
three-week period ending Nov.
3.
Those persons making a Fair-
Share contribution were repre
sented in a numbers-drawing
for six prizes which the com
pany provided from the local
Firestone Stores.
P. R. Williams, cotton division
manager; and F. S. Martin, syn
thetics manager, were chairmen
of the fund effort here. Serving
with them were volunteer solici
tors throughout the plant and
offices.
Production manager F. B. Gal-
ligan headed the industrial col
lections for the community-wide
—More on Page 3
PRIZEWINNERS—Lucky ones in numbers-drawing for United
Fund fair-share giving, their department and prize (from left):
Arnold Robinson, Shop; electric blanket; Reid A. Deal, Spinning:
stereo phonograph; Jim Bates, Carding: portable television receiver;
Vauda Clark, Weaving (cotton): automatic washing machine; Lewis
R. Clark. Spinning: electric wafflemaker; and (not in picture)
James C. Smith, Twisting (synthetics): AM-FM radio.
Theme of the 28-minute film
is fierce competition. It stars 33
drivers with a cast of pit crews,
race officials and spectators. The
film includes glimpses of the
evolution of automotive equip
ment at the speedway with
scenes from the first Indian
apolis race in 1911, and of the
1925 competition.
“The Golden 500” is available
as a public service without
charge to schools, churches, club
groups, and civic and communi
ty organizations. Association
Films, Inc. is distributing the
film through its offices in Ridge
field, N. J.; LaGrange, 111.; San
Francisco, Calif.; and Dallas,
Texas.