quality
FIRST
THEN
quantity
NOT
HOW MUCH
BUT
HOW WELL
Februairy, 1945
7; No. 2
PISGAH FOREST, N. C.
President Harry Straus Highly Nsed
HUNDREDS OF nNE
LEHERS RECEIVED
FROMOURFRIENDS
W)NUS REQUEST IS
DENIED BY BOARD
To Continue Effort
Gpt 5 Percent Five-
**ar Bonus Approved
have received notice from
dst . War Labor Board,
j)lj ^'■^ebruary 14th, that the ap-
i^Uon for the 5 per cent 5-year
^ has been denied,
fin^ denial, however, did not
bee. the Board on the case
the Board stated that the
5t Wight renew this petition
®stahv going rates were
th, T^hed for the paper indus-
,\«thk area.
Djv, "®ve instructed our attor-
cj. consultants to refile the
gu •'^mediately with the Re-
% t ill Atlanta, in an ef-
tljj Persuade that Board to
Th
ptg ® ^'ecessary papers are now in
K».,V^&tion anfl will hp filpH for—
its decision.
"»aini
We
®tion and will be filed for-
'vith the Board during the
8 Week.
ouj ^'^ve /pledged this bonus to
evj ®^Ployees and intend to do
thij in our power to keep
o{ ti, ®*^8e. We believe the ruling
Hot i ®*>ard is unfair, and we do
“^nd to take it “lying down.”
«ARry H. STRAUS, Pres.
AOSTA’S CAGERS
ENTERED TOURNEY
[ .
' A To Semi-Final*
I Lost To Gradegg
^••ies Friday Night
'*'48 ri girls basketball team
, He ]^^®^ted in the semi-finals of
! Piedmont area basketball
5 B’rjj ®®i®nt in Greenville, S. C.,
I aX ®^8ht They lost to Gradegg,
' a team that they had
h score ^^=ked 27 to 25. The
evej night was 20 to 11, how-
a night they won over
to ^derson, S. C., team 37
to a while the men’s team lost
''iUe
Du,
the score of 28 to 38.
J army team of Green-
the month of February,
tourney, the girls
*®d lost 2 games. The men
losijj even, winning three and
On I contests.
l)unp. ®'^niary 2 the girls licked
H»ei, p Mills 27 to 24, but the
oV??t 43 to 36.
% college quint 32 to 27.
Seated 6 both teams de-
KHj ‘“6 Sylva all-stars with the
^9 tn 44 to 20 and the men
® fUary 10 the girls licked
—Turn To Tagc Thlrte*«
M,
afj ^®hruary 3 the men lost to
Message From The President
Many employees have asked me to give a state
ment bf our position with respect to the hearing which
is sclieduled to take place in Brevard before the Na
tional Labor Relations Board on March 13th.
This case arose because charges were filed by Mr.
L. P. Williams, representative of a union, attempting
to organize the employees in our plant. It is charged
that Ecusta has interfered with, restrained and co
erced, and> otherwise discriminated against its em
ployees because of union activities.
The company welcomes the opportunity to bring
the charges of Mr. Williams out in the open. We be
lieve a full disclosure of the facts will show that all
employees of Ecusta Tiave been treated fairly, that
their working conditions are good, that their rate of
pay is above the average of the industry in this area,
and that the great majority of our people are happy
and contented in their work. We intend to show that
these charges involve the same type of loose state
ments which have characterized so many of Mr. Wil
liams’ attempts to make an impression on this com
munity.
It has always been the policy of Ecusta in the past,
and will be in the future, to give all our employees an
equal and square deal.
Every employee is entitled to the same treatment,
irrespective of his race, religion, politics, or niember-
ship in any organization, so long as he or she per
forms their work in a satisfactory manner.
We are confident that all the charges will be dis
missed if this company is given a fair hearing. If they
are not dismissed by the Board, we will prosecute our ,
case to the highest court in the land.
You will be interested to know that the company
has secured the services of the ablest counsel avail
able, who are now preparing our case and who will
use every legitimate means to disprove the charges
of Mr. Williams.
Our case will be in charge of Mr. Kester Walton,
Mr. Ralph H. Ramsey and Mr. Austin M. Fisher. Mr.
Walton is a member of the law firm of Harkins, Van
Winkle & Walton, of Asheville, and an outstandmg
trial lawyer in this section. Mr. Ramsey is the leading
member of the Bar of Transylvania County, a prom
inent citizen of Brevard and a man known to all of
you. Mr. Fisher is a consultant on labor relations, who
enjoys a nation-wide reputation as an expert in these
matters.
We regret that at this time when our production is
so important in the war effort, when we can ill afford
to take time off from our prime job—the manufacture
of cigarette paper—and when we should devote our
full interest and time to this end, that it is required
that we devote our time and interest to answer the
charges of Mr. Williams, who is not an employee of
this company. However, we have no alternative and
we will take such action as may be necessary to pro
tect Ecusta and no effort will be spared to bring the
true facts of this entire situation before the authori
ties concerned.
We want our employees to know that, irrespective
of the outcome of this hearing, we will continue our
efforts to provide jobs for all employees, and to give
everyone working an equal and honest deal.
I shall keep you fully advised, froin time to time,
concerning all developments of any importance in
this matter.
HARRY H. STRAUS,
President.
Congratulate Ecusta On
Fifth Anniversary And The
Progress Accomplished.
During the past month, hun
dreds of letters have been received
congratulating Ecusta, President
Harry Straus, other officials and
employees upon the fifth anniver
sary of this new American indus
try that has saved the cigarette
industry during this critic^ war
period and brought employment
and prosperity to this section of
North Carolina.
Today letters are still pouring
in and the total number is ex
pected to reach the one thousand
mark before the next issue of The
Echo is published.
These letters are from state and
national public officials, bankers,
judges, la w y e r s, manufacturing
executives, librarians, newspaper
editors, teachers, doctors, labor
officials, and people in other walks
of life from all parts of the United
States and Canada.
All of them are high in their
praise of the beautiful “Fifth An
niversary Book” which was recent-
—Turn To Page Five
ANNUERED CROSS
APPEAL IS MADE
Company To Match Contri
butions Made By Employ
ees. Drive Starts Now.
The response of the Company to
the current appeal of the Ameri
can Red Cross was disclosed last
night in an interview with Mr.
Harry Straus.
The Company has promised the
Red Cross that for every dollar
contributed by the employees of
Ecusta, the company will make an
equal contribution.
This program of matching con
tributions on a dollar-for-dollar
basis is believed to be a unique
one, since the quota for the em
ployees of Ecusta is apt to be
quite large.
“Regardless of how much money
is involved,” Mr. Straus said, “we
will keep our pledge. The Red
Cross has served humanity with
unswerving devotion, and I hope
that everyone in the Ecusta or
ganization will dig down deep and
contribute as much to the Red
Cross as he possibly can. The more
money this pledge costs us, the
better I’ll like it.”
The annual drive starts on
March 1.