Mav 



1905] 



THE INDIA RUBBER WORLD 



269 



THE LEYLANI) WORKS AND ITS MANAGER. 



AN important ICnglish rubber works that has not in the past 

 had more than an occasional mention in these pages is 

 that of The Leyland and Birmingham Rubber Co., Limited, 

 situated in the village of Leyland, on the main line of the Lon- 

 don and Northwestern railway (west coast line), about five 

 miles from Preston, in Lancashire. In point of age this factory 

 is exceeded by few rubber concerns in the Kingdom, its begin- 

 nings having been made over 40 years ago by the late James 

 Ouin, who, having become a proficient rubber worker in the 

 establishment of Charles Macintosh & Co., left their employ to 

 engage in the industry on his own account. After a number of 

 years, during which the business had acquired considerable 

 proportions, it was converted into a public company, under the 

 style James Quin & Co., Limited, with /loo.ooo capita), and 

 devoted to the production of mechanical rubbers and water- 

 proof goods. 



In 1883 another reorganization became desirable, when the 

 plan was adopted of reducing the capital stock, and forming a 

 new company. The name adopted was The Leyland Rubber 

 Co., Limited, and the business was placed 

 under the management of Mr. James E. 

 Baxter, who at the age of 21 years had 

 begun his business career in the capacity 

 of junior invoice clerk in the Ouin factory, 

 and had gradually made himself familiar 

 with many details of the business. It was, 

 in fact, upon his suggestions that the reor- 

 ganization plans were largely based, and 

 during the succeeding 22 years Mr. Baxter 

 has remained in charge of the manage- 

 ment. 



From the beginning the new company 

 conducted a profitable business, gradually 

 extending the scope and volume of its 

 trade, and in 189S an important event oc- 

 curred, in the incorporation with it of two 

 other well established concerns. One was 

 Stanley Morrison & Co., Limited (prior to 

 1896, A. S. Morrison), of London, extens- 

 ive traders in mechanical rubbers includ- 

 ing the " Bear '' and other widely known 

 packings, and also asbestos goods on a James e, 



large scale. The other was the Birmingham Rubber Co., estab- 

 lished for over 50 years, as a selling rather than a manufact- 

 uring concern, and having imp3rtant connections. This was 

 owned by the family of Byrne, well known in connection with 

 the British rubber trade. The amalgamation, under the style 

 of the Leyland and Birmingham Rubber Co., Limited, repre- 

 sented a capital of ^300,000, and embraced a well established 

 trade in all branches of the rubber industry, with the exception 

 of rubber footwear and rubber thread. 



The balance sheets which the new company's board have 

 been able to submit year after year have been extremely satis- 

 factory to the shareholders, while the rate of dividends has 

 placed the company in a particularly enviable position, as evi- 

 denced by the rating of its shares in the stock exchange quota- 

 tions of London, Birmingham, Manchester, and Liverpool. The 

 dividend rate since the formation of the amalgamated company 

 has been as follows : 



1899. 1900. iqor. 1902. 1903. 



6''4^ (>Hri 1%% 1%% %%% 



The capital of the company is wholly in ordinary shares, and 

 there are no debenture issues; the reserves are ample, and 



a liberal writing ofl for depreciation has always been made. 

 However devoid of beauty the manufacturing district of 

 South Lancashire may be in general, a more attractive coun- 

 tryside could hardly be found than that which forms a setting 

 for the village of Leyland, where are located the works of the 

 company here referred to. There are even pheasant pre- 

 serves and rabbit warrens within almost a stones' throw of the 

 eight blocks of buildings, roughly in the form of a square- 

 spacious, lofty, specially designed, and scientifically ventilated 

 —which form the present plant of the company, having grad- 

 ually supplanted the structures originally used. The fine ofli- 

 ces especially deserve mention, less for their attractiveness and 

 fitness for their purpose than for the efficient system which 

 exists there of supervision of the company's work of produc- 

 tion and supervision. Besides having branches in London and 

 the leading provincial towns, the company carries on a very 

 extensive export trade, particularly with China, India, Japan, 

 Australia, Turkey, Sweden and Norway, Mexico, South Amer- 

 ica, and lately with South Africa. A branch has been estab- 

 lished in Johannesburg, which Mr. Baxter is disposed to be- 

 lieve is the coming center of a highly developed community. 

 Mr. Baxter, whose protrait is presented 

 herewith, is chairman of the board of the 

 Leyland and Birmingham Rubber Co., 

 Limited, being assisted in the control of 

 its affairs by co-directors, all of whom are 

 practical men in their respective depart- 

 ments of the company's work, to wit : 

 Messrs. Arthur Stanley Morrison, in 

 charge of the London business; Robert 

 T. Byrne, in charge of the Birmingham 

 trade; S. Whitehead, the works director; 

 and Jonathan Shutt, the financial director. 

 Mr. Baxter was one of those active in 

 the organization of the India Rubber Man- 

 ufacturers' Association of Great Britain, 

 the influence of which in the industry in 

 that country has been most salutary. Dur- 

 ing the year 1901-02 he filled the position 

 of its chairman and he has since been 

 treasurer. In this connection it may be 

 mentioned that Mr. Baxter's particular 

 forte has been that of an organizer, as has 

 been shown in his success in the man- 

 agement of the Leyland company, as well as in certain other 

 businesses in which he is interested. Mr. [Baxter is a director 

 in the William Rose Hose Co., Limited (Manchester), large 

 manufacturers of fire brigade supplies, and in various other 

 companies having a less direct connection with the rubber trade. 

 Outside of his business associations, Mr. Baxter is an enthu- 

 siastic automobilist, being a member of the Automobile Club 

 of Great Britain, and the owner of several cars, of which he 

 makes an extensive use in traveling between " The Oaklands " 

 — his home near Preston — and the various towns, as far away 

 as London and Liverpool, to which his business may call him. 

 Last year, on making his second visit, on business and pleasure 

 combined, to British South Africa, he took with him a 20 HP. 

 motor car, on which, accompanied by his wife and son, he trav- 

 eled 3500 miles, starting from Durban, and taking in Johannes- 

 burg. He plays golf, of course, and has found time now and 

 then for a good deal of shooting and yachting, though he con- 

 tinues to devote the greater part of his time and energies 

 to the company at Leyland which figures most largely in this 

 sketch. In politics, in which Mr. Baxter takes an active 

 interest, he is an ardent supporter of Mr. Chamberlain. 



BAXTER. 



