192 



THE INDIA RUBBER WORLD 



March i, 1907. 



News of the American Rubber Trade. 



UNITED STATES RUBBER COMPANY MERGER. 



AT a mc-eling of the directors of the United States Rubber 

 Co.. in New York, on February 7, a committee was ap- 

 pointed to deal with the question of liquidating as a 

 separate corporation the Rubber Goods Manufacturing Co., of 

 which more than go per cent of the shares have been acquired 

 by the United States company under the merger plan of May 27. 

 1905. The ultimate liquidation of the Rubber Goods Manufactur- 

 ing Co. has been intended ever since it came under the control 

 of the United States Rubber Co., but the accomplishment of this 

 purpose has been postponed from time to time to afford to the 

 holders of any outstanding common stock the most ample oppor- 

 tunity to avail of the offer heretofore made by the United States 

 company. The object in bringing about a more complete merger 

 of the two companies is to institute econonMcs in the operating 

 and selling departments. Owing to the difference in the char- 

 acter of the products of the two corporations, distinct selling 

 agencies have existed Iiithcrto, and it is believed that 1)\- their 

 consolidation an important saving ma}' be accomplished. The 

 directors of the Rubber Goods Manufacturing Co. have also held 

 meetings bearing upon the same subject. The Rubber Goods 

 Manufacturing Co., incorporated in 1899, is a combination of 

 mechanical goods and rubber tire factories, capitalized at 

 $25,000,000. 



NEW FACTORY AT DETROIT IN OPERATION. 



The Detroit Insulated Wire Co. (Detroit, Michigan), the in- 

 corporation of which was reported in The Indl\ Rubber World, 

 November i, 1906 (page 58), have built and equipped a thor- 

 oughly modern plant for the manufacture of rubber-covered wire. 

 Those departments of the factory in which insulation is applied 

 to small sizes of conductors are completed and in operation. The 

 other departments are being placed in readiness as rapidly as the 

 present congested condition among manufacturers of machinery 

 will permit. Mr. J. H. Hunter, vice-president of the company, is 

 in charge of the manufacturing operations, and Mr. Arthur Hart- 

 well, the secretary-treasurer, of the department of sales. 



'FRICTION PLUG" PATENTS AGAIN SUSTAINED. 



The Foster Rubber Co. (^ Boston) and the Walpole Rubber 

 'Co. (Walpole, Mass.) have consolidated their rubber heel and sole 

 business. This will eliminate all litigation between the two com- 

 panies over the patents on "friction plug'' non-slipping heels and 

 Other specialties. Hereafter the goods covered by the Foster 

 patents will be made at the Walpole Rubber Works, which have 

 been enlarged for the purpose, while the entire selling of the 

 goods will be done by the Foster Rubber Co. The salesmen 

 employed formerly by the Walpole company have been taken 

 over by the Foster Rubber Co. Four brands of non-slip heels 

 will now be made under the Foster patents — Foster. "Catspaw" 

 (inade formerly by the Walpole company), "Tredair" (made 

 formerly by the Tredair Rubber Co.). and "Diamond." The 

 combined output of "friction plug" heels is now 8.000 to lo.oco 

 pairs a day. Mr. S. H. C. Minor, of the Canadian rubber trade, 

 is one of the largest shareholder^ in the Foster Rubber Co. 



. REVERE RUBBER CO. EMPLOYES' 'FIFTH ANNUAL." 

 The fifth annual banquet of the clerks and sak'snien of the 

 Revere Rubber Co. (Boston), at the Hotel Brunswick, on the 

 evening of January 25, as usual, was well attended, and proved a 

 thoroughly enjoyable affair. There were 45 present, exclusive of 

 entertainers. .\n appropriate tribute was paid to the memory of 

 the late George C. Shirts, a member of the association. G. Arthur 

 Gra> was toastuiaster. and was the recipient of a silver loving 

 cup from his associates in the Boston offices. Toasts were re- 



s|>onded to as follows: "Home Office," by C. H. S. Wetmore; 

 "Boston Store," by E. D. Lombard ; "Factory," by W. H. Tucker. 

 Mr. Philmer A. Sample gave an illustrated talk on Porto Rico. 



To the list of souvenirs of these interesting annual events is ' 

 added this year "The Chelsea Farmers' Almanac," by "G. R. 

 Thurgoray," a strikingly rich compendium of wit. 



STOUGHTON GOLF BALL FACTORY SOLD. 



The golf ball factory of the Stoughton Rubber Co. (Stoughton, 

 Massachusetts) has been purchased by A. G. Spalding & Brothers 

 (New^ York). The factory was erected several years ago, was 

 well equipped, and is in good condition. The introduction of the 

 rubber-cored golf ball, however, interfered with the sale of its 

 products, and the Stoughton company failing to secure a license 

 under the rubber-cored ball patents, whereas the Spalding com- 

 pany do hold such license, these facts led to the transfer of the 

 factory as stated. Meanwhile the Stoughton Rubber Co. are 

 reported to have done a good business in selling to the trade a 

 covering compound for golf balls, but the growth of the other 

 branches of their production has made it seem desirable to 

 dispose of their golf ball trade altogether. 



TWO NEW CROCKER RUBBER SHOES. 



The Salem Rubber Co. has been incorporated under the laws of 

 Massachusetts to conduct a general rubber store at Salem. 

 George I. Crocker, of Brockton, is president; Isaac Crocker, 

 treasurer, and Russell H. Weeks, clerk. The Worcester Rubber 

 Co., at Worcester, Massachusetts, has also been incorporated 

 with Albert H. Bloss, president ; Isaac Crocker, treasurer, and 

 Fred A. Jewell, clerk. The Crocker chain of wholesale and 

 retail rubber stores in Massachusetts and Rhode Island now 

 numbers six. 



MONOPOLY IN DISC SOUND RECORDS. 



The American Graphophone Co. (Bridgeport, Connecticut) have 

 won recently three cases in the United States court, which give 

 them a ruonopoly of the ni'anufacture and sale of disc sound 

 records in the United States. One suit was brought by the 

 Victor Talking JIachine Co.. as licensees under the Berliner 

 patent, for hard rubber records. It was their contention that 

 while disc records to-day are not inade of hard rubber, they 

 ;ire made of a substance so nearly resembling it as to be fairly 

 included in the scope of the Berliner patent. The court held that 

 the patent was limited strictly to hard rubber, and therefore did 

 not apply to the product of the American Graphophone Co. 



THE PARA IMPROVEMENT COMPANY. 



The president of Brazil has signed a decree granting the right 

 to operate in that republic of the company Port of Para, incor- 

 porated in September last under the laws of Maine (United 

 States), with $17,500,000 capital authorized, to improve harbor 

 conditions at Para. [See The India Rubber World, January i, 

 1907 — page 130.1 The Brazilian government guarantees the 

 undertaking by levying a special import tax of 2 per cent, 

 on imports at Para, or so much of the proceeds as may be 

 needed, until the company's income equals 6 per cent, on its 

 capital shares. The company's bonds have been placed in various 

 Furopean markets. The Port of Para has made contracts with 

 the firm of S. Pearson & Sons, Limited, for the work below 

 water, including dredging. and with H. Schneider et Cie. (Creusot. 

 France) for the work above water and material. The concession 

 on which this whole undertaking is based is that granted by 

 Brazil in 1905 to Percival Farquhar. an engineer, whose offices. 

 No. 80 Broadway. New York, are at present the headquarters of 

 Port of Para. Mr. Farquhar is president of the company. 



