364 



THE INDIA RUBBER WORLD 



[July i, 1909. 



THE RUBBER TRADE AT AKRON. 



BV A RESIDENT CORRESPONDENT. 



V/IR. ARTHUR H. MARKS, vice-president of The Diamond 

 ^'■^ Rubber Co., authorizes your correspondent to make the 

 announcement that his company are about to engage in the man- 

 ufacture of rubber footwear on a large scale. The new depart- 

 ment will be located in a new factory building now under con- 

 struction, on property adjoining the main plant. It is five stories 

 high and affords about four acres of floor space. Not all of this 

 will be used at first for the footwear department. Mr. Marks 

 said he was unprepared to make any statement as to the extent 

 of manufacture of the new product, except that it will be on the 

 same large scale and with the same thoroughness that has 

 characterized the other departures of the company. He was 

 also unprepared to say anything as to the personnel of either 

 the factory or sales management of the new department. A 

 full line of rubber boots and shoes will be manufactured. The 

 Diamond Rubber Co. are rapidly widening their scope. They 

 have just completed the establishment of an extensive insulated 



wire and cable department. 



* * * 



Officials of The B. F. Goodrich Co. deny any knowledge of 

 plans of the company to establish a branch factory in Paris, 

 France. The story was sent out from Paris early in June by a 

 correspondent to the effect that Mr. B. G. Work, president of the 

 Goodrich company, who is traveling in Europe, was in Paris 

 making plans for the establishment of an automobile tire factory 

 near that city, to be operated by American experts from the com- 

 pany's factory in Akron. If this is true the Goodrich company 

 will be the first American tire-making concern to start a factory 

 in Europe. They have already established a selling office and a 

 repair shop in Paris. French sizes are kept in stock for French 

 machines, as well as American sizes for American tourists. Both 

 Mr. Frank H. Mason, vice-president, and Mr. C. B. Raymond, 

 secretary of the company, say they know nothing of the de- 

 parture. 



* * * 



The Goodyear Tire and Rubber Co. will make a hard fight 

 for a reversal of the verdict against them awarded to Barney 

 Oldfield, the noted motor racer, in the Detroit (Michigan) 

 court on June 19, by which the full amount of Oldfield's claim 

 for services, $6,709.16, was allowed. The company made a con- 

 tract with Oldfield, August 15, 1905, by which he was to repre- 

 sent them, partly for advertising purposes and partly as sales- 

 man. A common agreement between companies in the Clincher 

 Tire Association, at that time in existence, interfered with the 

 contract with Oldfield, and made the Goodyear company liable 

 to a heavy fine. Accordingly it was cancelled nine days later. 

 Oldfield's claim was that there was a secret understanding that 

 his salary was to continue and in the verdict he was allowed $50 

 a week with interest from August, 1905, until January i, 1909. 

 The company's claim, on the other hand, is that the contract was 

 cancelled in good faith and that there was no understanding or 



side agreement of any kind. 



* * * 



Though officials of the company have announced no definite 

 plans, it is expected that the Marsh rim factory of The Diamond 

 Rubber Co., at present located in Columbus, will be moved to 

 Akron during the present year. It was the intention of the 

 Diamond company, when the Marsh plant was purchased, to 

 remove it at once to Akron, but the demand for a constant output 

 forbade a cessation of operations long enough to make the 

 change. The Diamond company are at work on two new 

 factory buildings, and it is expected that the rim factory will be 



placed in one of these. 



* * ♦ 



Directors of the Aladdin Rubber Co., of Akron, are contem- 

 plating a consolidation with another rubber company, and the 



formation of an entirely new corporation, with a new name. Mr. 

 James Christy, president of the Aladdin company, said late in 

 June that the plans were still so uncertain that no definite 

 announcement could yet be made. He said, however, that the 

 location of the plant, which is now in Barberton, Ohio, will not 

 be changed. New buildings will be erected, and the manufacture 

 of mechanical rubber goods will be added to the present re- 

 claiming business of the Aladdin company. Mr. W. W. Wild- 

 man, who was until recently assistant manager of the Federal 

 Rubber Co. (Milwaukee), has been selected as general manager 

 of tlie company. He is now in Akron attending to matters per- 

 taining to the reorganization. 



* * * 



The demand for e.xtra sized tires for smaller rims to fit the 

 case of "the fool that overloads his car" has increased so that 

 the Firestone Tire and Rubber Co. are manufacturing several 

 sizes in that type. A new list of these has recently been issued. 

 The annual outing of the employes of the Firestone Tire and 

 Rubber Co. was held at Myer's Lake, between Akron and Can- 

 ton, on June 26. More than 1,000 attended. A large addition to 

 the Firestone factory which was hinted at some months ago is 

 now positively announced by oflicials of the company. So far, 

 however, they have no details ready for publication. 



* * * 



The B. F. Goodrich Co. announce two victories for the new 

 "Haskell White Streak" golf ball. It was used by the winners in 

 both the Southern championship meet at Memphis, Tennessee, 

 and in the Northern and Southern amateur championship meet 

 at Pinehurst, North Carolina, 



* * * 



Local companies, especially the Firestone and the Diamond, 

 took a keen interest in the Crown Point (Indiana) automobile 

 races. H. S. and R. J. Firestone, together with their advertising 

 manager, J. F. Singleton, attended in person, and J. A. Braden 

 was the chief representative of the Diamond company. 



THE RUBBER TRADE IN SAN FRANCISCO. 



BY A RESIDENT CORRESPONDENT. 



TP HE gradual improvement which has been noticed in com- 

 ■^ mercial conditions in and about San Francisco since the 

 first of the year has continued during the past month, and collec- 

 tions are slowly but surely getting better. But the rubber houses, 

 among others, say that trade could be from 25 to 50 per cent, 

 better without overtaxing their capacity. With the season done 

 as far as the rubber shoes and clothing and belting for the mills 

 is concerned, there is not a great deal to anticipate until fall. 

 There is a steady demand for druggists' sundries, but the con- 

 sumption is below the normal and collections are not lively from 

 the druggists. The automobile tire business is the only line 

 that is really active, and the enormous increase in the automobile 

 trade in California during the summer has caused an unusually 

 big business on tires, so that there is no complaint from the 

 tire houses. 



Most of the local rubber establishments in San Francisco have 

 exhibits at the big Mechanics' fair and sixth annual convention 

 of the National Association of Stationary Engineers, which is 

 being held out at the Auditorium Pavilion. Very attractive 

 special displays have been made by the Pacific Coast Rubber Co., 

 Bowers Rubber Works, the Sterling Rubber Co., the Eccles & 

 Smith Co., the Plant Rubber and Supply Co., and the Gorham 

 Rubber Co. Edward Garrett, formerly connected with the Gor- 

 ham Rubber Co., has also on exhibition a good show of his 

 Callahan boiler compound. All of the rubber houses have spent 

 considerable money in making their displays attractive and the 

 rubber exhibits are proving to be one of the most interesting 

 lines at the show. Large crowds have been in attendance and 

 the show has proved a marked success. 



Mr. Edward R. Rice, sales manager and also a director of the 

 United States Rubber Co., is now visiting in San Francisco. He 



