February i, 1909.] 



THE INDIA RUBBER WORLD 



185 



THE RUBBER TRADE AT AKRON. 



BY A RESIDENT COKKESl'ONDEN T. 



AT an informal meeting of tire manufacti:rers, including rcprc- 

 ^"^ scntatives of the Akron trade, held during the progress of 

 the Grand Central Palace automobile show in New York, views 

 were exchanged on the outlook for the coming season, and the 

 conclusion was reached that all the tire factories of the United 

 States cannot supply the demand for tires that 1909 promises. 

 This conclusion was based on the estimate reached by automobile 

 manufacturers that their output during 1909 will exceed 70,000 

 cars. This, of course, means that 70,000 sets of tires will be 

 required, in addition to the equipment needed for replacements 

 on old cars. This conclusion, it is believed, will have a whole- 

 some effect in preventing the present tendency toward price 

 cutting, which has caused some apprehension among manufac- 

 turers during the last year. It is in anticipation of this enlarged 

 demand that Akron manufacturers have been hastening to in- 

 crease their factory capacity. An estimate made by a representa- 

 tive of a rubber company who is closely in touch with the trade 

 situation places the output of automobile tires in Akron factories 



during 1909 at more than $15,000,000. 



* * * 



At the annual meeting of shareholders of The B. F. Goodrich 

 Co., on January 20, the following directors were reelected : 

 George W. Crouse, George T. Perkins, B. G. Work, Frank H. 

 Mason, Elmer Shaw, Charles C. Goodrich, and H. E. Raymond. 

 All live in Akron with the exception of Mr. Goodrich, whose 

 home is now in New York. The directors on the seme date re- 

 elected the following officers: George T. Perkins, chairman of 

 directors ; B. G. Work, president ; Frank H. Mason, first vice- 

 president ; H. E. Raymond, second vice-president; Charles B. 

 Raymond, secretary; Walter Folger, treasurer; W. A. Means, 

 assistant treasurer; Elmer Shaw, general manager of works. 

 The meeting was formal in its nature, and, according to the 

 policy of the company, no financial statement was made public. 

 A large increase of business is expected during the present year, 

 to correspond with the extensions in the factory. 



W. E. Hemenovcr has been promoted from the position of 

 manager of the boot and shoe department (No. 25) of The B. F. 

 Goodrich Co., to that of assistant general superintendent of the 

 factory. The latter position has been vacant since over a year 

 ago, when H. E. Joy, then assistant general superintendent, was 

 advanced to the position of general superintendent, to succeed 

 C. C. Goodrich, who then retired from active participation in the 

 industry. Mr. Hemcnover was secretary and superintendent of 

 the Banner Rubber Co. (St. Louis) until January, 1904, when he 

 disposed of his interest there and came to .'\kron to establish the 

 Goodrich boot and shoe department. 



Though the fine weather conditions in the early part of the 

 winter have made it necessary to cut down the production of 

 rubber shoe factories in the East, the Goodrich company have 

 made no change in its working force in their shoe department, 

 and have received orders sufficient to talcc care of the product of 



the shop. 



* * * 



Information from Ashland, Ohio, is to the effect that the 

 volume of business at the plant of the Faultless Rubber Co. has 

 increased so rapidly that further expansion has been made neces- 

 sary. The construction of large additions to the factory is an- 

 nounced for the early spring. The Faultless plant was moved 



to .Ashland from Akron several years ago. 



* * * 



Some of the rubber manufacturers are seeking to put a stop to 

 the operations of certain organizations, among which are the 

 "International Automobile League" of Buffalo, "The Cooperative 

 Auto Association of .America," New York; and the "Bureau of 

 Automobile Auditors," New York. These concerns are said to 

 advertise that they are able to supply tires and other accessories 



to consumers at dealers' prices. To be able to sell tires at such 

 prices it is necessary to obtain trade discounts from manufac- 

 turers. The latter are attempting to detect, by means of the 

 serial number of tires sold, through what channel they left the 

 manufacturer, with the intention of cutting off discounts from 

 any dealers who sell tires in this manner. 



* * * 



Okfiiers of the Swinchart Clincher Tire and Rubber Co. 

 planned to double the output of the factory during the coming 

 year, at the annual meeting, held on January 20. The following 

 officers and directors were reelected : President, J. A. Swine- 

 hart ; vice-president, B. C. Swinehart; secretary and treasurer, 

 C. O. Baughman ; directors, J. A. Swinehart, B. C. Swinehart, 

 C. O. Baughman, J. W. Beck, W. J. Frank and M. S. Rudgers. 

 The usual dividend of 8 per cent, was declared. 



The Swinehart company have granted the Canadian rights for 

 the use of their patents to the Durham Rubber Co., of Toronto. 

 J. A. Young, general manager, and J. C. Sterns, superintendent 

 of the Durham company, were in Akron on January 11 to close 

 the contract. Royalties are to be paid to the Swinehart com- 

 pany. The tires will carry the names of botli companies. 



* * * 



Charles B. Raymond, secretary of The B. F. Goodrich Co., 

 on January 12 was elected to the presidency of the Akron Cham- 

 ber of Commerce. This comes as a recognition of Mr. Ray- 

 mond's standing as a manufacturer in the community, and of 

 his activity in the organization of the chamber. Mr. Raymond 

 is a comparatively young man, and h^s risen rapidly in the 

 rubber industry. He was formerly manager of the Akron plant 

 of the American Hard Rubber Co., and is now a director in 

 that organization. 



What promises to be a substantial benefit to the rubber com- 

 panies of this city is the freight auditing system now in the 

 process of development by the Chamber of Commerce. -An in- 

 spection department is also to be established and other steps 

 taken to give the city superior shipping advantages. 



* + + 



The .Aluminum Flake Co., wliose successful past year was re- 

 ferred to in the January issue of this paper, are understood to 

 be in a position to do even more business this year. They are 

 stated to have in hand orders and requisitions for 1909 delivery 

 of more tlian 3.000,000 pounds of aluminum flake, which is com- 

 ing into such general use in rubber factories in both America 

 and Europe. The company are making arrangements to enlarge 

 their plant to three times the present capacity, or to build anew 

 on another site. * * * 



The organization of the Mansfield Rubber Co. (Mansfield, 

 Ohio) was completed on January n. The officers were named 

 in Thk India Ruhuer World January i (page 150). 

 The directorate consists of these officers, with L. TIautzcnroeder, 

 II. Homberger and W. H. Bissman. The new factory will be 

 located in the buildings occupied formerly by the National Vehi- 

 cle Co., in Mansfield. Three carloads of machinery have been 

 installed, and it is expected that operations will be started before 

 March i. The equipment is to include a 500 HP. Ilarris-Corliss 



engine power and four boilers, each 200 HP. 



* * * 



Byron W. Robinson, a director in the Goodyear Tire and Rub- 

 ber Co.* though more prominent as the president of the Robinson 

 Clay Product Co. and as head of the Akron Chamber of Com- 

 merce, died in Lakeside Hospital, Cleveland, on December 30, at 

 the age of 48 years. His death was caused by arterial sclerosis. 



* * * 



Christopher E. Wilson, aged 41, recently a tire salesman 

 with the Denver Rubber Tire Co., and formerly with the India 

 Rubber Co., of Akron, died at his home in Denver, Colorado, 

 on January 5. He had long been suffering from tuberculosis. He 

 was widely known as an expert salesman. He leaves a wife. 



