98 



THE INDIA RUBBER V/ORLD 



[December i, 1902. 



CONCENTRATION IN THE TIRE TRADE. 

 A VERY decided step has been made in the policy of concen- 

 tration toward which the management of the Rubber Goods 



Manufacturing Co. has 

 been working for some 

 time past, by the plac- 

 ing under a single man- 

 agement the various fac- 

 tories owned by the 

 company devoted to the 

 production of rubber 

 tires. During the last 

 week of October, at 

 meetings of the direct- 

 ors of Morgan & Wright 

 (Chicago) and the In- 

 dianapolis Rubber Co. 

 (Indianapolis), Mr. 

 Lewis D. Parker, presi- 

 dent of the Hartford 

 Rubber Works Co., was 

 elected to the same po- 

 sition in these compa- 

 nies, the resignations of 

 their former presidents 

 having been accepted. 

 LEWIS D PARKER. The Hartford Rubber 



Works Co. are the makers of the " Hartford " and " Dunlop " 

 tires; the Indianapolis company manufacture the "G & J " 

 tires; while Morgan & Wright make the tires so well known 

 under that name. The three corporations will retain their 

 identity, but will all be operated on a community-of-interest 

 basis under President Parker's supervision. Mr. Parker has 

 made arrangements with J. C. Wilson, formerly secretary and 

 treasurer of the Hartford Rubber Works Co., to be general 

 business manager under his direction, and Mr. Wilson will, 

 therefore, again be located at Hartford. Mr. Parker, of whom 

 a portrait is presented herewith, and who is not yet 40 years 

 of age, has fairly won his spurs by his capable management of 

 the Hartford factory, which has become perhaps the most suc- 

 cessful tire manufacturing plant in this country. 



James How, manager of the local branch of the Hartford 

 Rubber Works at Buffalo, New York, was quoted in the En- 

 quirer, of that city, as saying that the only way in which the 

 consolidation would affect the local trade would be in the fact 

 that his concern would now handle the products of all mem- 

 bers of the combination. The Hartford people are the only 

 ones in the combination having a branch in that city, and Mr. 

 How was of the opinion that eventually the other firms con- 

 nected would withdraw their traveling salesmen, cease to do 

 business directly with the retailers there, and reach their trade 

 through the already established branch of the combination. 



A correspondent at Akron, Ohio, writes: " Regarding the 

 move recently reported in the papers about a consolidation in 

 the Rubber Goods factories, several of the smaller factory 

 managers claim that their business will be conducted as here- 

 tofore and assert that their factories will not be closed down. 

 There is an impression that some of the small factories, never- 

 theless, will be shut down ; outsiders seem to think that the 

 company could save money by so doing. There are very few 

 combinations m these days that still keep up all the individual 

 plants in the manner that the Rubber Goods company has 

 done." 



The approaching retirement of President Wheeler, of The 

 India Rubber Co. is reported on another page. 



AMERICAN BICYCLE CO. 

 The receivers have filed a report with the United States cir- 

 cuit court in the New Jersey district, showing $43,000 deposited 

 in various banks and $19,500 in the hands of agents. An un- 

 used factory in Wisconsin has been sold for 837,500, cash. 

 Economies of management introduced are expected to save 

 $250,000 a year. The sales department is now conducted 

 through only two branches, with headquarters at Hartford and 

 Chicago respectively, each in charge of a manager. The offices 

 of the American Bicycle Manufacturing Co., a subsidiary con- 

 cern, have been removed from Chicago to New York, and the 

 services of many officials dispensed with. The old slock of 

 wheels has been disposed of and the company are limiting the 

 production of new wheels to the demand in sight. There has 

 been an improvement in trade and bicycles are being exported. 

 — =-There have been conferences recently of manufacturers of 

 bicycles, both independent and members of the trust, looking 

 to an increase in the prices of wheels. While nothing definite 

 has been announced, it is generally believed that higher prices 

 will prevail for the next season. Reports of better conditions 

 in the bicycle industry in Europe lead to the hope of similar 

 improvement in the trade in this country.==The contract ex- 

 isting between the American Bicycle Co. and the Rubber Goods 

 Manufacturing Co., by which the latter company agreed to pay 

 $200,000 in November of the years 1902, 1903, and 1904, as part 

 payment on the purchase price of certain properties previously 

 transferred to the Rubber Goods Manufacturing Co., and also 

 on condition of fulfillment of certain other stipulations by the 

 American Bicycle Co., is referred to in the receivers' report 

 above mentioned. The Rubber Goods Manufacturing Co. sent 

 a letter to the receivers abrogating the contract, on the ground 

 of the bicycle company's insolvency. In the receivers' report it 

 is stated that so far as legal counsel has advised them the con- 

 ditions on the part of the bicycle company have been fulfilled 

 and that the contract is still valid. 



INDIANA RUBBER AND INSULATED WIRE CO. 

 An additional building of several stories is being added to 

 the premises at Jonesboro, Indiana, in which will be placed fa- 

 cilities for increasing their output of insulated wire. A good 

 business has been done in a medium grade bicycle tire. 



TRADE NEWS NOTES. 



An error was made in the November issue of The India 

 Rubber World, in giving the name of the president of the 

 Diamond Rubber Co. (Akron, Ohio), who is Mr. F. A. Hardy, 

 a prominent business man of Chicago. He will continue to 

 make his home in Chicago, visiting Akron frequently. The 

 former president, Mr. Walter B. Hardy, brother of the present 

 incumbent, takes the title of managing director of the North 

 Western Rubber Co., Limited, Liverpool, and will hereafter 

 reside abroad. He left for England on Novembers. 



= The new plant of the Eureka Manufacturing Co., (Tren- 

 ton, New Jersey), is located just opposite the great works of 

 the Trenton Oil Cloth and Linoleum Co., most of the stock of 

 which is owned by the Cook brothers, one of whom, Mr. 

 George R. Cook, is at the head of the Eureka company. 



= The Faultless Rubber Co. (Akron, Ohio) are erecting a 

 four story brick building, 35 X no feet, and within a week or 

 two will break ground for still another building, 32 54 feet 

 and four stories in height. 



= W. C. Coleman, a Boston dealer in old rubber, reports a 

 transaction in old rubber boots and shoes during November 

 amounting to 100 tons. 



= The American Chicle Co. have declared a monthly divi- 

 dend of I per cent, on its common stock payable December 10. 



