ARTURO BASSI VISITOR
Arturo Bassi (left) of the United
States Information Agency in Milan,
Italy, was a recent visitor in our plants.
Shown withMr. Bassi is Gordon Weath
ers, member of the High Point Jaycees,
who sponsored Mr. Bassi's visit here.
Mr. Bassi was amazed at the de
signs and colors of the socks he saw in
our Plant #1. He stated that in Italy,
there were no designs nor gay colors in
the men's socks. He indicated that when
he returned wearing the argyleshe was
presented at Adams-Millis, he would
probably create a spectacle. Mr. Bassi
was wearing a pair of hose similar to
our ribbed sock made on the Komet
machines.
The purpose of Mr. Bassi's visit
with Adams-Millis was to learn the
employ er-employee relations of Ameri
can industry. He was particularly in
terested in the system of paying em
ployees according to their production
or the piece-rate pay system. He stat
ed that in Italy, the employer cannot
demand standards of production from
the employee. "This is the reason our
prices are so high in comparison to our
pay in Italy," Mr. Bassi stated.
Our visitor was impressed with the
friendly relationships between the su
pervisors and employees. He was in
terested to learn that in many industries
in America, the worker shares in the
profits of the company, such as our
Profit Sharing Plan and other similar
plans.
There is much unemployment in
Italy; however, economic conditions
in and around Milan are on the upgrade,
but advances in other parts of Italy are
not as great, according to Bassi.
Bassi's tripto the United States is
considered normal procedure and is a
part of the orientation program which
has been established for foreigners who
have been appointed to USIA overseas
posts. This is a part of the effort made
for European industry to imitate Ameri
can industry in their human relations
programs andalso in considering work
ers not only as producers, but as con
sumers as well.
One phase of the American human
relations program that Bassi was at
tempting to discover is the manner of
inspiring the worker in industry to do
his job because he wants to do it and to
feel that he is a part of his company.
As Bassi visited our Knitting and
Finishing Departments, he was more
and more amazed at the multiplicity of
designs and colors. He could hardly
believe that we could supply him with
1, 700 pairs of socks, no 2 pairs alike.
We explained to Bassi that competition
in America keeps every industry on its
toes and that every worker must be made
to realize he has a part in meeting that
competition.
"Your employees certainly look
happy at work. They seem to enjoy it, "
Bassi observed.
This is our message that Bassi will
take back to Italy as what makes Ameri
ca great, and as an answer to the com
munistic element in Italy.
The man who brags about running
things at home usually refers to the lawn
mower and the vacuum cleaner.
Open air, open hands and open minds
are all desirable, but there's too much
open mouth.
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