At a special meeting of the Argus Profit Sharing Fund Management Committee this morning, President Bob Lewis presented a check for $176,616.00 to employee representatives, Herman Bauer and Babe Peterson. The money represents the Company's profit sharing contribution for the fiscal year ending July 31, 1951 . The $176,616.00 amount is the largest ever presented to Argus employees in one year si nee the inception of the unique profit sha ring plan in 1941 . It is$7O,ooo.oo more than the highest previo us contribution which was made in the war boom year of 1944. At the presentation, Mr. Lewis said, uthe large sum of money we are able to turn over to the Profit Sharing Fund as a resultof our 1950-51 business isespecially

encouraging because it indicates what we can look forward to in the years ahead. The past year was a good one for Argus, but it did not depend on war conditions for the bulk of the profit which was realized." PRAISE FOR EMPLOYEES EFFORTS Mr. Lewis added, uOne of the major differences between profit and loss in any business operation is the cooperation and effort of the employees. During the past year, I believe every Argus man and woman pitched into the job 100%, and with that kind of attitude to help us meet competition, I am sure we can anticipa te a continued high level of profit sharing in the years to come."

The large company contribution for the past year will mean a sizeable increase in the individual accounts of each Fund member. Approximate figures now available, indicate that for each dollar contributed by an employee during the 1950-51 fiscal year, $2.70 will be added from the share of the Company's profit. In addition, relinquishments and interest realized during the past year will be divided among active members to add an additional amount. The specific individual credits will be shown in Profit Sharing Fund reports which will be delivered at the Annual Employee Banquet on November 12 to which everyone is invited. In the ten years of the Profit Sharing Fund many individual accounts are nearly $3000.00. The total assets of the fund, including employee and Company contributions and the earnings of these contributions is just short of $1,000,000.00

Argus Eyes

Argus Eyes is publlshed for the employees of Argus, Incorporated and thelr families. It is intended to be a means of friendly communication between them, and to provlde a reliable source of Information concerning the company's business. Beverly Bullis of the Personnel department makes sure that news is gathered and that pictures are obtained and arranged in readable fashion for publlcatlon about the lOth of each month. Charles A. Barker, Jlmmy" to all, Is Art Director and Art Consultant. The profiles are done by Harry Rookes. Sam Schneider of the Photographic Department furnlshes pictures. Reporters for this month 's Argus Eyes were: James Meidrum, Bob Wollam, Olin Robinson, Bill Courtright, Babe Peterson, Bob Isaacson, Jim Rohrbaugh, Bob Alian, Don Crump, and Betty Shattuck.

Argus Profiles

Gerstier, Arthur Edward Started here twenty years ago and has worked his way through several organizations, including the Arborphone Company, Kadette Radios, and International Industries. Spent eleven years as the entire trucking department and was on auxiliary military force during World War II. Has been in Raw Inspection for the remaining years. Helped build his own home at 520 Fountain Street, Ann Arbor, in 1933. Was married in 1917 and has a boy thirty-one years oíd and a girl twenty-six. Was born in Scio in 1896 and has spent thirty-three years in Ann Arbor. Most of his spare time activities seem to be confined to making garage and porch additions to his house with occasional fishing trips and vacations in Alpena. Any time left over is spent in keeping up with the activities of two grandchildren.

Reviewing Argus Progress

The big news this month is the yearly Company contribution to the Profit Sharing Fund. For both actual and prospective members of athe fund" its founding ten years ago has proved to be a wonderful thing. The plan is unique since only a small percentage of companies in the United States have anything to equal it. It has certainly provided substantial benefits to the current members and undoubtedly will continue to doso for many more people in the years ahead. As you all know, the Company contribution to the Fund is 10% of our profit bef ore taxes. This is an important thing to bear in mind because the high corporation taxes (ours is 69% of all we earn) do not have any effect on the contribution to the Fund. Also of great importa nee to us is the f act that the Profit Sharing is not at the expense of other employee benefits or at the expense of our high wage level. Argus has always been known for progressive benefit and wage policies. In addition to the benefits listed in our Andy Argus book, I think it is worthwhile to recall f rom my last month's column that a minimum increase of 23$ per hour has been added to the rates since early 1950. It all adds up to Argus being a good place to work.

Orders Continue At High Level

Orders for our cameras and projectors have continued at a substantially high level. The C3 still leads the 35 mm field by a considerable margin. In fact we have far more orders than can be filled in the face of material shortages and material controls. This is an unusual but enviable position because we understand that most other camera manufacturers are able to produce more than they can sell. The Argoflex 75 and thePBB 200 are also selling well. We anticípate the Christmas trade will absorb all of our production and increase our backorder position. As I mentioned last month, our production for military contracts is moving

forward. Each of the next few months will see continued increases in shipments to the government. The peak in production for our current contracts will be shortly after the turn of the year. Addition of new contracts and the continuation of current contracts will depend to a larger degree than ever bef ore on our efficiency. Most of this business will be very competitive as designs become set. The government will then be interested in quantity production at reasonable prices. We must keep our costs down in order to successfully compete for this business with Bell and Howell, Eastman Kodak, Graflex, American Optical, Bauch and Lomb and others who can and areanxious to produce precisión opties for the government.

New Plant Improvements Progressing

Our new plant addition is being laid out and equipment is coming in. We are looking forward to operating one of the most modern and efficiënt optical plants in the country. Tool room grinding has been settled in its new quarters. In the very near future. Engineering Inspection will move. As soon as the floor is back in the o ld locker rooms over the new oil tank, Optical Inspection will be set up there. The delivery of machinery and equipment will determine future moves into the new addition. In the meantime the installation of two modern boilers in Plant I is progressing. These boilers will replace the old one which has been in Plant I since it was built. They will be sa f er and f ar more efficiënt. The painting program begun in the punch press department has continued through the machine shops. We hope all departments will be completely repainted this fiscal year. All of these improvements in equipment, facilities and working conditions are to make Argus more efficiënt. There are many other improvements scheduled for the coming year. This money is being spent with the future in mind so that Argus can maintain its reputation of having the highest quality and most competitive cameras and projectors on the market.

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We Have A Dinner Date November 12

Another year has passed and we are looking forward to our Seventh Annual Company Dinner. Plans are being made to give you the f inest evening of entertainment we have had so f ar . That's November 12 - Plan To Be With Us -

A Tree Grows At Argus

Looking back to 1942, I guess you might cali that the "Springtime" for our Profit Sharing Fund--that was when the company and the fellows in the shop planted the seed of this plan. It was (and still is) a very simple idea, but one that's not found in very many factories. We decided to each contribute a small percentage of our earnings to a fund (like monthly savings) and the company offered to add a slice of the profit each year. That's all there was to it--personal savings - a share of the profit for each member--invest the money wisely--watch it grow year by year until it was time to retire. We weren't really sure back there in 1942, but we thought this seed we had planted might grow into real security Only time would teil. Now time has gone by--Profit Sharing Fund has been going for 10 years. It seems like I joined only yesterday, but now my own personal security tree is enjoying a kind of "Summer period--it's really growing fast. Tve put in just a little less than $1800.00 but my total credit as of right now is $6770.381 This includes my share of the Argus profits, relinquishments, and interest on fund investments. Am I making progress? You bet. One thing about this growth--it hasn't been a bed of roses every year. There have been big profits and no profits. It seems to me we can look forward to at least as much increase as the years go by. Man, that's something good to think about. In 1961 Til have been in the Profit Sharing Fund for twenty years--that means "Harvest Time." Til be eligible to draw out my whole sum and retire. My total credit should be about $13,500.00, figuring just twice as much as I have now at the 10 year mark. That's a good bit of cash to have available. But ril only be 50 years old, and frankly I don't think ril be ready to quit yet. Well, fortunately I won't haveto. ril be able to stay right on at my Argus job, and stay right on as a Profit Sharing member too. Til be able to retire anytime I want to, but if I keep enjoying my job and my buddies like I do today, I think Til keep right on working until 1'm 65. My idea is to let that Profit Sharing Tree grow until the shade of those dollar bilis will cover everything a fellow ever dreamed of having when the time comes to really take it easy. When I'm 65 (after 35 years of Profit Sharing) Til retire. But it certainly won't be a dull, dreary, Winter kind of retirement for me. The branches of my "Tree" are going to be loaded with greenbacks, and you'll probably find me taking my siesta in the Florida sunshine. Using the actual figures of my first 10 years of Profit Sharing to figure the future, it looks like Til have more than $20,750.00 in cold cash without any considera tion of relinquishments, if my money is paid out in a lump sum. If it is paid on a 10-year basis, 111 draw $315.00 a month between the Profit Sharing and social security for myself and my wife. Or, if the payments are on a lifetime plan, ril get a total of $245.00 a month as long as I live. Of course all of this loafin'g in Florida is a bit in the future - but the important thing is that it really is going to be there in my future, because that's the way the Profit Sharing Tree is growing here at Argus.

Anniversaries

Service Coops

Judy Estola is the new dictaphone operator in Service. She graduated from high school last year (Ironwood, Michigan) where she took the commercial course. She is living with her sister and family here in town. Service is very sorry to lose Mary Morgan. She is transferring to Cost Accounting, which conforms more nearly with her training than the dictaphone work she has been doing in Service. Service 's loss is Cost Accounting's gain, to be sure. Lea ving, too, is Dick Kelly who has been working here on a temporary basis during the summer. It's back to Albion and school for Dick. Jim Rohrbaugh's grin these days is due to the new daughter (Rebecca Ann) his wife has presented him. Becky was bom September 10 at the St. Joseph's Hospital: weight, 7 pounds and 4-12 ounces. Gertrude Guy spent her vacation keeping house for her daughter who was having a new baby girl. Torn Kentes worked on his vacation, too, painting his new house. Must have worked hard--wore out 4 paint brushes, he says. Vacation time for Thelma Burke and daughter Marge meant time to visit Thelma 's sister in Endicott, New York; also time to motor through the Poconos Mountains and Hyde Park. It was "Canada, here we come!" for Charles Murphy and wife who spent their vacation visiting and sight-seeing in Toronto, Ottowa, Montreal, and Niágara Falls. uDoc" and Mrs. Benson vacationed with friends and relatives in his home town of Rochester, Minnesota; besides visiting Conway at Steven's Point (see August "Argus Eyes") and spending a few days in Chicago where some of Mrs. B's relatives live. Old timers here at Argus will remember Everett Umphous who is living in Danfield, Illinois, now. Walter Purdy and wife dropped in to visit Everett while on their vacation jaunt to Clamus, Iowa where relatives live. Herb Pfabe, Jr. had great fun on his vacation in Chicago showing his father, Herb Pfabe, Sr. the sights. Their jaunt included Marshal Fields, Soldier's Field, Planetarium, ("Very educational," says Herb, Sr.), a speed boat ride on Lake Michigan (Very thrilling," says Herb, Jr.) and a barn dance where Dinah Shore put in an appearance ("Very very thrilling," says Herb, Jr.--or was it Sr.?).

Golf

The 1 95 1 Argus Golf ing season was successfully completed with the playing of the Argus Open. The tournament caught the fancy of the members of the league, and served as a fitting climax to this year's play. Most of the regular members of the leagues entered the tournament as well as others who had not played during the year,but who were anxious to get into the competitive spirit that this tournament offered. The committee of Joe Dobransky and Bob Isaacson wet up a very fair handicap arrangement, and the field was so closely bunched that the eventual winners had to battle through the final nine holes before they could be crowned champions. Ralph Parsons, perhaps the most improved player in the league, withstood the pressure of leading the pack from the opening round. In his last round Ralph had a shaky start but settled down to play fine golf and ca me in with a very good net score of 32. This gave him a four round total of 126 and a sparkling victoryin the tournament. Jim Cooprider, the personable redhead, had come in earlier and had posted the best net round of the tourney, a 28. This well played round had placed Jim in the leader's spot, but Parson's bid for the title was not to be denied and he edged Jim out by the slender margin of two strokes. Herb Pfabe, who had been on the 1 ionship team of the regular season, continued his steady good game and won the third spot of the tournament. Herb sa ved his best golf of the year for this event, and after a slow opening round picked up momentum in his final three rounds, but foundthe gap just a bit toomuch to close. Even though these three proved the winners, there were others who were very close, and could easily have moved into the prized winners circle. George Conn, Cari Chapman, John Shattuck and Jim

Brinkerhoff were bunched at the threequarter mark, but a wind swept course proved troublesome on their concluding nines. Congratulations to the winners and to all of those who played in this wellconducted event.

The entire membership of the Argus Golf League wish to extend to Florence Hallman their sincere thanks for a job well done. The membersof the golf committee should also like to thank the mem - bers for their very good sportsmanship and their excellent cooperation throüghout the year.

Statistics For Children's Christmas Party

Please fill out the form below, and urn it in to the Personnel Department. Children's Christmas Party Number of Children Boys Ages , , Girls Ages Name of Employee

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