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THE INDIA RUBBER WORLD 



[May I, 1906. 



THE NEW JERSEY RUBBER INDUSTRY. 



BY A RKSrnENT CORRESPONDENT. 



TO Tiir-: Editor of the India Rubber World : A rather 

 remarkable condition exists in the rubber industry of 

 Trenton. The falling off in trade vvh ch has usually occurred 

 about this time of the year has not been experienced this 

 season. Instead of the usual slump, orders have come with- 

 out cessation, and the increase of business has been so great 

 that some factories are compelled to run five nights in the 

 week and even then are unable to keep up to date on ship- 

 ments. Manufacturers are complaining of the scarcity of 

 help of the better class. 



Mr. W. H. Harding, of the Consolidated Rubber Co. 

 (Trenton) said to The India Rubber World correspondent, 

 that he had never seen the rubber business apparently so 

 prosperous. The volume of business done by his company 

 in the first three months of this 3-ear was larger bj' 40 per 

 cent, than for the same months of 1905. The amount, he 

 said, would have been even greater had the company been 

 able to get the goods. 



The constant additions to the list of articles made of rub- 

 ber is given as one reason wh}- the factories all along the line 

 are so busy. New things are continually making their ap- 

 pearance and new uses found for rubber articles. One fac- 

 tory is running an all night force turning out croquet balls 

 and roller skate wheels. 



The rubber trade of Trenton responded promptly to the 

 call for aid for the victims of earthquake and fire in San 

 Francisco. The rubber trade committee of the general citi- 

 zens' relief committee is composed of the following : Wat- 

 son H. Linburg (chairman), General C. Edward Murray, 

 Welling G. Sickel, William S. Hancock, George R. Cook, 

 Edmund D. Cook, John S. Broughton, W. J. B. Stokes, and 

 H. Oakley. At this writing the various rubber companies 

 in the city have subscribed about §2500 to the San Francisco 

 relief fund. 



The Stockton Rubber Co., of Stockton, Hunterdon 

 county, which was burned out Januar}' 1, has resumed opera- 

 tions and is now working to full capacit\-. The company 

 was organized and started the reclaiming of rubber by the 

 acid process about December i. The new buildings now be- 

 ing completed are fireproof. Mr. D. J. Price, the superin- 

 tendent and general manager, was superintendent for the 

 New Jersej' Rubber Co. (Lambertville) for 14 years. 



Articles of incorporation have been filed in Trenton of the 

 Metropolitan Rubber Co., with registered office at No. 240 

 Orient avenue, Jersey City ; agent in charge, Edmond G. 

 McKinley. The authorized capital is §250,000. The incor- 

 porators are William F. Ackerman, H. K. West'ervelt, and 

 Edward A. Westervelt. The company is to manufacture and 

 deal in rubber goods of all kinds. 



Mr. F. M. Hamerstrom, general manager of the Trenton 

 Rubber Manufacturing Co., whose brother is a reporter on 

 the San Francisco Examiyier, received a telegram from him 

 on April 20 announcing that he was safe in Oakland. 



The report that the Hamilton Rubber Manufacturing Co. 

 (Trenton,) had absorbed the Combination Rubber Manufac- 

 turing Co. (Bloomfield), was substantiated on April 20. 

 when the Combination company filed a certificate in the office 

 of the secretary of state at Trenton increasing its authorized 

 capital stock from $150,000 to 5500,000. The consent to the 



increase was signed by the following stockholders : Hamil- 

 ton Rubber Manufacturing Co., by E. D. Cook ; Edmund D. 

 Cook, Charles Howell Cook, Edward H. Garcin, W. L. 

 Blodgett, and William II. Servis. William L. lilodgett was 

 named as registered agent. 



The Guardian Rubber Manufacturing Co., a New York 

 state corporation, filed a certificate with the secretary- of state 

 at Trenton, April 20, under which it secured permission to 

 transact business in New Jersey. The capital of the com- 

 pany was given as $25,000, of which $21,000 is actually is- 

 sued and outstanding. The New Jersey office will be at its 

 manufacturing plant in the factory of A. J. Ellis & Co., at 

 West New York. 



The factory of the Ra3-mond Rubber Co., at Titusville, was 

 partially destroyed by fire of an unknown origin on April 2. 

 The blaze was discovered shortly before 4 o'clock v. M. Aid 

 was asked from Lambertville and Trenton, and a steamer 

 was sent from each place. Before they had succeeded in 

 checking the flames the upper section of the mill was in 

 ruins. The engine rooms and its machinery e.scaped dam- 

 age. The plant is owned by the Agnew family- and it is un- 

 derstood plans for a larger factory are under way. 



Trenton is to add one more rubber concern to its already 

 large list. The club house of the Trenton Athletic Club, on 

 Prince street. East Trenton, has been purchased bj' Newman 

 London, of New York, and the large arena once the scene of 

 many prize fights, will be devoted to the rubber reclaiming 

 business. Alterations will be made in the building and a 

 thoroughly up to date outfit for the reclaiming operations 

 will be installed. 



The Lambertville Rubber Co. are operating their plant on 

 full time. The company have just added a new department 

 to their business — the manufacture of ladies' overshoes — and 

 the new line has given sufficient work for all the employes 

 to go on full time. Orders for the next season's wear are 

 also coming in and they anticipate a busy summer. 



Contracts have been given out for the erection of a new- 

 wash mill and cook house on ground recently purchased by 

 the New Jersey Rubber Co. at Lambertville. The growth of 

 business has been so rapid with this company that they have 

 outgrown their quarters, making more room necessary. 



The United and Globe Rubber Manufacturing Cos. continue 

 to make improvements in their equipment, to better take care 

 of increasing trade. Six large new double deck presses are 

 being set up and will greatly facilitate production in this 

 line. A fire brigade has also been organized and equipped 

 with hose reel, extinguishers, etc., in addition to the other 

 factory fire fighting appliances. 



MATTSON RUBBER CO. GO TO NEW JERSEY. 



The Mattson Rubber Co. (New York), who were recently 

 burned out of their home at No. 26 West Broadwaj-, have 

 taken a ten years' lease on a portion of the plant of the 

 Hardman Rubber Co. (Belleville, New Jersey), and removed 

 their business to the latter location. The new premises 

 have been remodelled to meet the requirements of the I^Iatt- 

 son company. 



The Hardman Rubber Co. (Belleville. N. J.) have discon- 

 tinued their soft rubber goods department, and will confine 

 their attention hereafter to the manufacture of hard rubber 

 goods — a branch in which they have had verj' satisfactory 

 results. Otherwise no change is being made in the conduct 

 of the Hardman Rubber Co. • - ■ 



