256 



THE INDIA RUBBER WORLD 



News of the American Rubber Trade. 



[Mav 1, 1907. 



UNITED STATES RUBBER CO.S AFFAIRS. 



THE net earnings of the United States Rubber Co. for the 

 fiscal year ended March 31 (March partially estimated), 

 after payment of all interest charges, were approximately 

 $4,405,873.84, which included dividends amounting to $684,308.32 

 received upon stock of the Rubber Goods Manufacturing Co. in 

 this company's treasury. This sum received does not represent 

 the total earning power of the Rubber Goods company, which, 

 besides paying 7 per cent, on the preferred stock, has been show- 

 ing a large balance on its common stock. The earnings for the 

 last quarter of the United States Rubber Co.'s fiscal year were 

 considerably larger than for the average for the first three- 

 quarters of the year, which is attributed to the improved trade 

 in rubber footwear since January i. 



The board of directors of the United States Rubber Co. on 

 March 4 declared the regular quarterly dividend of 2 per cent. 

 upon the first preferred stock and the regular quarterly divi- 

 dend oi I'A per cent, upon the second preferred stock, for the 

 quarter beginning January i. from the net earnings of the fiscal 

 year, payable April 30 to stockholders of record April 15. 



The annual meeting of the shareholders for the election of 

 directors and the transaction of any other business which may 

 properly be brought before the meeting will be held at the regis- 

 tered ofiice of the company in New Brunswick, New Jersey, on 

 Jklay 21. at 12 o'clock w. 



ANOTHER RUMORED RUBBER MERGER. 



Referring to certain reports published during the month, an 

 official of the first company named here advises The India. 

 Rubber World: "There is no announcement to be made at 

 the present time about the proposed merger of the United States 

 Rubber Co. and the Intercontinental Rubber Co., the same being 

 principally newspaper talk." The rumors in question were to 

 the effect that the two companies would join interests with a 

 combined issue of $150,000,000 in securities. The Intercontinental 

 company was incorporated recently in New Jersey with $40,- 

 000,000 capital, and is the holding company of the Continental- 

 Mexican Rubber Co. and the American Congo Co. 



THE HOODS TO MAKE MOTOR TIRES. 



The Shawmut Tire Co. have begun the manufacture of auto- 

 mobile tires at East Watertown, Massachusetts. They start 

 with a very full factory equipment, the result of experiments and 

 testing carried on for five years past. The tires will be mar- 

 keted under the brand "Shawmut." The company was regis- 

 tered as a Massachusetts corporation on February 4. 1907, under 

 the name Meteor Tire Co., which was changed later to the 

 Shawmut company. Frederick C. Hood is president and A. N. 

 Hood treasurer, these gentlemen being officers in the Hood 

 Rubber Co. The offices are at No. 97 Bedford street, Boston. 



DUNLOP TIRE INFRINGEMENT SUITS. 



The two suits filed by the Hartford Rubber Works Co. in 

 the United States circuit court for the southern district of 

 New York, on March 12, 1907, against the Goodyear Tire and 

 Rubber Co. and the Firestone Tire and Rubber Co., allege in- 

 fringement of patent No. 488.492, grated December 20, 1892, to 

 Brown and Stillman. The invention covered is identical with 

 that under the British patent to C. K. Welsh and the patent is 

 that under which the Dunlop tire has had protection in the United 

 States. 



DIAMOND RUBBER CO.S NEW YORK BRANCH. 



The Diamond Rubber Co. of New York, who for several 

 years past have maintained two selling depots in New York 

 city — one for mechanical goods, in Reade street, and one for 



tires, at No. 1717 Broadway — are consolidating them, from May i, 

 at No. 1876 Broadway. The new premises are larger than both 

 the old locations combined by 4,200 square feet. The manage- 

 ment will be in the hands of Mr. H. J. Woodard, who has been 

 identified with the Diamond company's interests in New York 

 for nearly two years. The business of the company here is 

 so large that it has been incorporated under the laws of New 

 York state as a separate concern. 



DUNLOP TIRE PATENTS IN CANADA. 



The extension of the factory of the Dunlop Tire and Rubber 

 Goods Co. (Toronto, Canada), noted in the last India Rubber 

 World, has for its reason in part the favorable result of the 

 company's eff'orts in regard to certain legislation. The company 

 manufacture Dunlop cycle and automobile tires under two 

 Canadian patents — one granted to Fane and Lavendar in Feb- 

 ruary, 1892, and one to C. K. Welsh in October, 1892. Previous 

 to June, 1892, the life of a Canadian patent was 15 years, in 

 three terms of 5 years. In that month the law was changed to 

 extend the duration of a patent to 18 years, in three terms of 

 6 years. The Dunlop company applied to the Canadian parlia- 

 ment to make the term of the Fane and Lavendar patent of 

 equal length with that of the Welsh patent, and to give to the 

 patent office the power to revive the Welsh patent, which, owing 

 10 the non-payment of the fee for one term, had been allowed 

 to expire. The Dunlop company were successful on both points, 

 though the bill in parliament was strongly opposed by other 

 manufacturers, who were planning to make Dunlop tires. The 

 patents will now hold good until October, 1910. One reason 

 advanced for the special legislation referred to was that two 

 patents having been granted for one invention, litigation re- 

 sulted, on account of which no benefits were realized for the first 

 three years. 



FAULTLESS RUBBER CO.— REMOVAL. 



The Faultless Rubber Co. announce that in view of the re- 

 moval of their factory and general offices from Akron to Ash- 

 land, Ohio, all mail matter intended for them should be ad- 

 dressed to the latter place. They will maintain a branch office 

 at AkroiL 



THE "PEERLESS" FACTORY STILL GROWING. 



The Peerless Rubber Manufacturing Co. have broken ground 

 for a large three story factory building at their plant at New 

 Durham, New Jersey. This, with other improvements, when 

 finished will give the Peerless company the distinction of having 

 the largest mechanical rubber plant in existence. 



There will be several new calendering machines, a large num- 

 ber of presses for mold work, besides a new installation of 

 washers, grinders, mixers, etc. These improvements, when 

 completed, will add to the capacity of the plant about 30 per 

 cent. For the last four years this company has been running 

 both a night and day force, and it is hoped that the new im- 

 provements will do away with this necessity. The department 

 in which the "Rainbow" and "Peerless" packings and the 

 "Eclipse" gaskets are manufactured will also be greatly enlarged 

 and improved. 



BALATA TARIFF CASES FINALLY SETTLED. 



The secretary of the treasury advises that no further pro- 

 ceedings will be directed by the government in the matter of 

 an import duty on balata in view of the recent decision in 

 the United States court for the southern district of New York. 

 declaring this gum to be properly included as "india-rubber, 

 crude." under paragraph 579 of the Tariff act. [See The India 

 Rubber World, April i, 1907— page 216.] Importers who have 

 paid duties on balata are entitled to a refund. 



