J KikitUtj Jf
J Wpitj (
/*! Uiitel Stitis 1
Pit tut Bonis J
Discovers Old Well
Ends Water Shortage at Cooleemee
Jack Ridenhour's W and
Points To Well Capped 25
Year* Afro Under Concrete
Floor of Grev ('loth Room.
Old-timers lit Coolceince failed to
find the capped well under the
floor of the Grev Cloth Koom when
a water shortage developed this
suimiier. Mr. Jack Kidenhour who
lias been with Krwin Mills for
fifteen years was asked to try out
his newly found powers as a water
finder with a peach divining rod.
Discovered Powers 2 Years Ago
About two years ago Jack bought
a home outside* of Cooleeinee. Well
diggers went down 220 feet but
found no water. Mr. Ridenhour
remembered reading about people
finding water with peach twigs, and
he decided to try it. It worked.
The twig pointed down close to the
dry well. The drillers tried that
spot and brought in a good well.
.Tack says he uses no pattern
when hunting for water. He just
wanders back and forth until the
twiz zooms downward.
He works in tin* Shop. For seven
years he was manager of the
theatre. He is married and has a
six year-old son, Monte.
m I
The old, 330-foot well discovered by
Mr. Ridenhour, now in operation.
Note thickness of concrete floor. Tom
White, Duke Daniels and Burt Vick
stand by.
New Equipment
Deliveries Soon
(sood nows came to No. 5 Weave i
Kootn in Krwin this month when
.Mr. K. 11. Host, manager, was noti
fied that i»ir-«-haiijrinjr equipment
installation would begin in S«*pt«Mii
ber nit her than in October. and
tliiil the new X' 2 Loom deliveries
would start in early October rather
tlinn November.
Aiinouiieement of the $1,2;>0.000
investment in new equipment and
better working conditions was made
hist month. The prolonged, in
tense heat wave bus made the news
of early delivery doubly welcome.
Zeb Stone Promoted
Mr. Zeb .T. Stone's i»r«»nu»ti«m to
Director of Systems ami Procedures
was announced in July bv Mr.
Carl K. Harris. Mr. Stone will be
under the supervision of Mr. John
McArthur. Controller, and will de- j
vote his attention to the stream
lining of our clerical work.
For example. Mr. Stone was re
cently working on the most efficient
system for writing our paychecks.
"Systems" involves the method of
keeping all records on work, pay,
taxes, life insurance, hospitaliza-
THE ERWIN CHATTER
Vol. VIII, No. 7
Mr. Itidenhour shows how he held
peach twig.
Company Ends
CIO Conlract
Official notice to the Textile
Workers Union of America CIO
that Erwin .Mills Inc., is ending the
contract in Durham, Krwin and
Cooleemee, was sent out in a letter
dated August 7. The contract ex
pires October 11.
Company officials felt that this
was the only way to clear the field
so that Krwin employees could
choose exactly what they wanted.
Under the present conditions. Un
contest between the CTO and AFL
Unions has complicated matters for
employees and Company alike.
Check-off Dues
Last May when the controversy
between the Unions began, some
employees asked the Company not
to pay to the CIO the dues checked
off from their pay. The dues have
been held in escrow since. Mean
while check-off dues of employees
who did not withdraw are being
paid to tin* CIO according to the
terms of the contract.
If the National Labor Relations
Hoard orders an Election, our em
ployees will b» able to vote for one
of three choices:
NO UNION
UTW (AFL)
TWUA (CIO)
Regardless of what the employees
decide —whether they want no
Union, the AFL, or the CIO —they
can be certain that the Company
will continue to do the very best
it can for them. If they should
pick one of the Unions, the Com
pany, of course, will, as it always
has, bargain in good faith. It the
employees decide on no Union, they
can be sure that the treatment will
be equally as fair.
The present contract will remain
in force until October 11.
tion and other deductions before a
paycheck can be issued.
Systems and Procedures became
increasingly important during
World War II when there was an
unwieldy amount of red tape to be
handled throughout the Company;
now the department continues to
be important in our organization.
Mr. Stone works closely with all
the mills, both in North Carolina
and Mississippi. Mr. lister Ijove.
formerly Assistant Payroll Super
visor in Durham, is now Mr. Stone's
assistant in Systems and Proce
dure*.
AUGUST, 1952
Water! Tht* twig swings down, strip
ping Itiirk in Jack's hands.
jfn
s\ 1 B m
'
Trio of acrobats, Les ('liaml>ert,vs. pause for applause.
NLRB Still To
Decide About
Elections
If In ion Elections are
Ordered They Probably
II ill lie lleld in fall:
Em/tloyces at Durham.
Eruin and ( ooleetnee
Ire Involved.
The National Labor Relation
Hoard in Washington. I). ('.. has.
by now. probably received all the
papers pertaining to the hearings
held in Durham late in July.
The Hoard will study the testi
mony and. it' the usual procedure is
followed, will deeide whether or not
elections should be held in Durham.
Cooleemee and Krwin. Normally
an election is held within 3ft days
of such decision.
Because the contract at Neusc
expires in March 1953. the question
of an election presents a different
problem and the Hoard will possibly
have to give a separate decision
about an election in that case.
6,000 at Erwin Barbecue
Daredevils Thrill (Greatest Crowd of
Employees ami Families Ever
Assembled in Erwin
t.mployees Hear Speech by Mr. Kiijflin
Although the thermometer hit
104 tin- Barbecue Dinner at Krvvin.
July 1!' was a suiwss
Visitors from Durham included
.Mr. Win. 11. Kuftin. President who
made tin* featured address of tlie
day, Mr. Carl Harris. Vice Presi
dent. Mr. K. M. Holt, (ieneral Man
ager and Mr. X. A. Gregory. As
sislant Secretary. Mr. Robert Har
rett. Training Dim-tor. and Mr.
(> L«*NII I'enliind. Safety Director also
attended.
Committees Praised
Mr. K. 11. Host. Manager, made
the speech of welcome and intro
duced th«* visitors and Mr. Kuflin.
In his opening; remarks. Mr. Kultin
praised the work of the committees
who had worked so hard to make
tin- l»i «r affair run smoothly. He
111 ; m11 - special mention nt tlu- mem
bers nt Tin* Yard wlin worked dur
ing the time everybody was enjoy
ing themselves.
Textile Slump Cited
Mr. liutfin explained 111- reason*
tor tin- textile slun:|». ami helil out
hopes that the bottom had heen
reached. Krwin's Mill*. No. "J all 1
r"' !
• I -i
Billy Barton, l«»fore his sensational "Cloud Swing." lianas by his neck.
SEE FULL PACE OF ERWIN PICTURES PAGES
Circulation 6,000
Xo. fi had weathered the KIUIIIJ
better than most, lie said: "Oui
mills are known as high wag
mills." he pointed out.
Better Working Conditions
Speaking of the million and i
(juarter dollar investment in Xo. i
Weave Koom. for air changing
eijuipmi ut and new looms, he said
"We either keep improving an
modernizing or j ose ou j_ Sucl
investments in the Erwin Mills
future means steadier jobs and con
stantly improved working condi
tions."
Fight Between Unions
"The fight between the tw
I nions seems to be a bitter one
with sharp differences of opinion,'
Mr. Kuftin went on, "I want t
urge you to not let these sharj
differences of opinion cut apan
families, or groups of friends, t
u r;re you not to become bittej
against each other."
Everyone Urged to Vote /
.Mr. Juffin said that if an electioi
is called by the National Labor Re
lations Board. that Krwin employ
ees shouldconsider thi
questions that will be raised just a
you consider the questions in poli
tics. Look everything over careful
ly. and don't be pushed around
Decide the questions for yourselves
i You have the right to vote fa
whatever you want, the CIO. AFI
or No I'nion. Let's don't have ou
employees getting mad at eac*
' other. It is important for eveni
one to go and vote."
Assurance Given
Mr. Hutfin said. . . Times lik
these create confusion in people'
minds, arguments, claims, rumor
false statements, truths, all g«
mixed up. This seems to be th
proper occasion to {five you peop]
assurance about the future . .
Whatever happens. CIO, AFL c
N» I'nion your Company is go in
to do the best it can for its eir
ployees at all times. It cannot d
more than it* best, and it certainl
does not want to do less than it
best. 1 mean that from the bottoi
of n:y heart. You may be told b
one I'nion that if tlie other I'n-io
vvin> von arc going to lose a lot
your benefits. The other Cnio
may >a\ the same tliinjr about ii
opponent* and both l"nion> ma
try to tell you that if you vote l
no 1 liion you will lose all ot yen
benefits. That i> not so! |{egar
i(' tilllX (I 0)1 2
r Ktki lt*»1 i
J wpi U I
/to/ Uiitei Stttes \
I Ptleist Bute I