MEL - ROSE - GLEN
THE VOICE OF MELROSE AND GLENN MILLS
Volume 1
MELROSE HOSIERY MILLS
(Seamless and Fnll Fashion Plants)
HIGH POINT, N. C,
June Issue
GLENN HOSIERY MILLS
(Infants' and Misse#* Goods)
No. 10
THE STUDY OF MUSIC
AT WORK
CELEBRATING V-E DAY
The Birth of the Blues—
Walt Disney's Seven Dwarfs
weren’t the only ones who whis
tled while they worked.
Since the beginning of time,
men have worked to music. The
chant of the Volga Boatman, the
plaintive song of the cowboy on
the lone prair-i-e, and the chant
ey of the sailor man as he bent
his back to the halyard, were all
work songs.
They rose from the throats of
these working men spontaneous
ly. No one ever asked them why
they sang. Probably they them
selves never thought about it
very much. But today, knowing
what we do, we can hazzard a
pretty good guess. They sang be
cause it made them feel better!
They sang because it made their
work easier, because it relieved
fatigue and boredom, and be
cause it helped to lighten their
tasks.
No, there is nothing very new
about the subject of music at
work.
The Voice of the Machine—
As America felt the first grow
ing pains of industrialism, the
voice of the machine replaced the
voice of the worker. Man mov
ed out of the fields and shops into
great factories. Men and wo
men stood by their machines,
their benches and forges, with
nothing in their ears but the con
tinuous, monotonous, day-after-
day sounds that accompanied
their particular type of work.
The machine of the Industrial
Revolution has done more than
merely replace the skill of indi
vidual hands. They had taken
away the spontaneous song of
the working man, too.
The Re-Birth of An Idea—
Just before the turn of the
century, Thomas Edison had an
idea about music in industry. He
had already captured music on
a cylinder. The next step was
logical. Why not bring this “Me
chanical Music” to the men and
women who worked in mills and
factories? And others beside
Edison had the idea that music
might be substituted for the
“readers,” who provided diver
sion for the workers in a few
industries at that time.
Lessons Learned During The
Blitz—
In England, sound equipment
became compulsory in all plants
and factories during the early
months of war, for the simple
reason that sound systems proved
to be the quickest and most ef
ficient way to warn workers of
the danger of an air raid. But it
was discovered, too, that much
of this sound equipment could
also be used for the reproduction
of music in the war plants. The
British Broadcasting Company
cooperated with special programs.
And so, almost over night, music
at work became an established
fact throughout all of England.
In this country, the idea for
music for the worker was catch
ing on, too. The word began to
spread through management that
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REVIEW SUGGESTION
AWARDS REPORTS
Mrs. Eugenia Hall celebrated V-E Day in the above pictured
fashion. She has two sons in the European theatre, Sgt. Charles R.
Hall and Pvt. Bob Hall. She insisted on looping Army Socks but did
bring in the radio to the bench and fellow-workers affixed the flags
over her looper. Mrs. Hall has been an employee for Melrose for
six years.
IN REPLY TO YOUR LETTER, SOLDIER
You asked how things are going at home. Whether we’re in
this thing with you ... up to the hilt. And how you’ll find things
when you come back.
“Pretty plain English, son, when you wrote, ‘the U. S. A. had
damn well better be what we’re fighting for when we return’.
Most of us feel just that way about it. And we’re talking about
the same things.
“The big job of helping you get this fight over with . . . fast.
That comes first. And let no one tell you that isn’t the grim resolve
in the heart of every real American over this nation.
Millions of hands will keep on working to deliver into your
hands a safer, harder-fighting plane ... a faster, surer motor . . .
a stronger ship ... a better gun . . . until your enemy and ours
IS silenced.
P to you in plain
English. If the brains and hands and skill that have organized and
produced so successfully for death and destruction cannot turn with
equal skill to the bigger work of peace . . . then we shall have
hopelessly failed ourselves as well as you.
Its pretty simple, isn’t it, the thing you want when this is
done. A job—not charity. The privilege of returning to your place
in a free man’s world. This reward you will have earned, soldier
a reward we are working to guarantee you—the unfettered oppor-
tunity to build the kind of life you want to live—when you come back.”
THE -AMERICAN’S CREED
I believe in the United States of America, as a Government of
the people, by the people, for the people; whose just powers are de
rived from the consent of the governed; a Democracy in a Republic;
A Sovereign Nation of many Sovereign States; a pcrfect Union, one
and inseparable; established upon those principles of Freedom, equali
ty, justice and humanity for which American patriots sacrificed their
lives and fortunes.
"I, therefore, believe it is my duty to my country to love it, to
support its Constitution, to obey its laws, to respect its flag, and
to defend it against all enemies.”
1787: WE, THE PEOPLE —
We, the people of the United States, in order to form a more per
fect Union, establish Justice, insui'e domestic Tranquility, provide for
the common defense, promote the general Welfare, and secure the
Blessmgs of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and
establish this Constitution for the United States of America.”
the Preamble to the Constitution of the United States of America, drawn at the
Constitutional Convention held in Philadelphia, May 29, 1787, at which all the States
were represented except Rhode Island. Among those delegates present were George
Washington, Benjamin Franklin, Alexander Hamilton, and James Madison.) This is the
second of a series of paragraphs culled from various sources of Americanism
There follows tabulation of all
suggestions made since the sys
tem was installed in December;
The name of the suggestor and
the amount awarded in stamps
or bonds and the disposition of
the suggestion is briefly stated;
SEAMLESS;
The Supply Room has been
built and equipped ($25.00 each
to Milford Smith and Hurley Bliz
zard) Tickets on lots have been
modified with large rubber stamp
readily seen (Milton Setzer, $10.-
00). First Aid cabinets are being
built (Lois Browder, $5.00.)
Presentee charts, with recog
nition for employees not having
any absenteeism have been post
ed, (Hurley Blizzard, $5.00.)
These five suggestions are be
ing held for consideration;
Ns. 837936, No. 837955, No.
837942, No. 837921, No. 839741.
These deal with fixers, knitters
and loopers and suggest methods
for applying bonus award sug
gested by Roy Wayne of the F. F.
Plant.
The slide door is in operation
at Boarding Room No. 2, (J. D.
F aulkenberry ,$5.00.)
The safety platform has been
installed at the entrance of Per
sonnel Dept. (Jewel Bowers,
$5.00.)
The rest room for women is
now equipped and ready. (Mrs.
Clodfelter, $5.00.)
The device for lacing belt'- -is
in operation. (C. B. Nifong
Milford Smith, $5.00 each.)
The yarn bins are marked with
movable signs. (R. H. Blalock,
$5.00; Hurley Blizzard, $2.50.)
Suggestion No. 8520 and No.
8413, dealing with keeping rec
ords, are being held for consider
ation, if and when engineers in
stall complete system.
Suggestion No. 8557 is held
pending possible installation of
new system in the dye house. If
partitions in the trucks are prac
tical, suggestion will be recogniz
ed.
The morale posters have been
printed and posted. (Hurley
Blizzard. $10.00.)
The public address system is
in process of being installed.
(Hurley Blizzard, $25.00.)
New supervisory set-up has
been established in upper floor of
Mill No. 2. (Roy Yarborough.
$10.00. Ernest Patton, $5.00, and
Carl Barker, $5.00.)
The inspecting boards are be
ing painted black. (Mrs. Helms.
$5.00.)
The rack for placing throw-outs
is to be installed. (Roy Smith.
$5.00.)
The elevator is to be made
safe as soon as the contractor can
do the work. (Hurley Blizzard.
$5.00)
Checking of tardiness at the
gate has been installed. ($25.00
war bond has not been claimed.)
The dyeing of lot sacks green
is nearly completed. ($5.00 to
Milford Smith.)
FULL FASHION PLANT—
The suggestion to grant bonus
to the worker having the least
amount of bad work at the end
of a given period is approved. This
suggestion was subject to modi
fication and application in each
of the three plants. (Roy Wayne
$25.00.)
The suggestion for putting the
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