168 



THE INDIA RUBBER WORLD 



[February i, 1903. 



elsewhere at higher prices, instead of meeting their contract 

 obligations. Some factories have been obliged to shut down, 

 but none of the rubber concerns reached this point, and the 

 famine is now virtually over." 



THE OHIO RUBBER CO. (CLEVELAND, OHIO). 

 This company on January i purchased the Cincinnati branch 

 of the Cleveland Rubber Works (of the Mechanical Rubber 

 Co.). Under the new arrangement they have a much larger 

 territory. They have increased their capital to $175,000. They 

 will employ three or four traveling men with headquarters at 

 Cincinnati, and ten at Cleveland, including city salesmen. H. 

 B. Hallock, who had been manager of the Cincinnati branch, 

 will continue in charge there. Tht />ersonnel oi the company 

 is about the same as before, the directors being : W. E. Byrnes 

 (president and manager), H. B. Hallock (vice president). W. 

 D. Hunt (secretary), E. C. McKay (treasurer), and W. E. Crofut. 



FAILURE OF A SUIT FOR DAMAGES. 



A SUIT for damages against The B. F. Goodrich Co. (Akron, 

 Ohio), which was in many respects a test case, was won by that 

 company on January 23, alter a trial which lasted more than 

 two days. David Davis, an employe of the company, was in- 

 jured while working at a calender in their factory on April 10, 

 1899, with the result that his left arln had to be amputated. 

 He sued for $30,000 damages, early in 1900, and the case came 

 to trial on January 21 last. Davis alleged that it was through 

 the negligence of the company and defects in the machinery 

 that he was hurt. The defense was that he knew the nature 

 of his work and of the machinery on which he was employed, 

 and was hurt by his own negligence. Davis preferred a con- 

 test to a settlement out of court, but failed to prove to the jury 

 that the machinery was defected. 



UNITED STATES RUBBER CO. 



According to a New York financial paper, the earnings of 

 this company (including subsidiary companies) for twelve 

 months ended November 30, 1902, were $1,284,320; interest 

 paid, $772,214 ; depreciation charged ofif, etc.. $351,131; total 

 charges, $1,123,345 ; surplus, $160,975. The company reported 

 for the regular business year ended March 3i,i;)02,net earn- 

 ings of $1,182,596 ; all interest, $1,063,100; surplus, $1 19,496, 



MR. PLACE AND THE METROPOLITAN RUBBER CO. 

 [See The India Ruuber World. January i, 1903— paRe 135 ] 



The Connecticut superior court, at New Haven, on January 

 2, granted the motion of attorneys for Charles A. Place, of 

 New York, for permission to withdraw the suit of Place to re- 

 cover $27,000 from the Metropolitan Rubber Co. (in liquida- 

 tion), alleged to be due him as salary as president of that com- 

 pany for three years, and unpaid. The suit of Mr. Place was 

 brought originally in New York, but was transferred to New 

 Haven as part of the legal'proceedings incident to winding up 

 the company's affairs. It is reported that Mr. Place's claim has 

 been settled outside the courts. 



RUBBER WORKERS' UNION. 

 Boston has been selected as headquarters for the Amalga- 

 mated Rubber Workers' Union of America, organized on Nov- 

 ember 6, 1902, at Washington city, under a charter from the 

 American Federation of Labor, authorizing the organization of 

 persons engaged in making " rubber footwear of every descrip- 

 tion, hose, tires, drug and surgical articles, tapes, capes, hats, 

 cloaks, clothing, mechanical goods, and every other article in 

 the manufacture of which rubber is included." Thomas J. Ed- 

 wards, president of the rubber workers' union already existing 

 at Cambridge, Massachusetts, and president of the Cambridge 

 Central Labor Union, is the general president of the new na- 

 tional rubber workers' union, Clarence E. Akerstrom, of the 



rubber workers' union at Concord Junction, Massachusetts, 

 has been elected general secretary-treasurer. A national con- 

 vention of the new union is talked of for Akron, Ohio, prob- 

 ably in lune next. 



LAST OF THE MODEL RUBBER CO. 

 Thk plant formeily o>*'ned and operated by this company at 

 Woonsocket, Rhode Island, has been purchased by the Mac- 

 rodi Fiber Co., who will manufacture a pulp bobbin. The 

 Model Rubber Co. were incorporated July 14, 1899, under 

 Rhode Island laws, with $100,000 capital, to manufacture rub- 

 ber footwear, by Patrick J. Wren, Thaddius B. Brennan, and 

 Frederick Hadfield. A factory was erected and equipped at a 

 cost of $43,000, and the making of third grade shoes was begun 

 early in January, 1900 — daily capacity 1800 pairs. The factory 

 was leased May 24, 1901, to the Empire Stale Rubber Co., who 

 went into bankruptcy before the end of the year. The factory 

 and its contents were purchased August 21, 1902, by Fred L. 

 Smith, and afterward remained idle. 



THE people's Hard rubber co. 



At Akron, Ohio, on January 24, suit was filed by Jennie E. 

 Cobuin against the American Haid Rubber Co. and Friiz Ach- 

 elis; George G. Allen, J. J. Fieeman, H. E. Andress, L. D. 

 Blown, and F. H. Waieis, as directois of the People's Haid 

 Rubber Co. ; James W. HofTert. the assignee of the company ; 

 and Colonel George T. Perkins, trustee of certain stock in that 

 company. T he plainlifl al leges owners hip of 14 ol the 1395 smarts 

 of the People's Hard Rubber Co. which have been issued, 1270 

 shares of which are alleged to have been sold to Fritz Achelis, 

 She alleges further that the American Hard Rubber Co. is or- 

 ganized to control the hard rubber trade restrict competition 

 and exact exorbitant prices, and further alleges in regard to the 

 recent change of control of the People's Hard Rubber Co., its 

 subsequent reorganization, and the assignment on December 

 31, that these proceedings were unnecessary and illegal, and in 

 pursuance of a policy of restricting trade by shutting out the 

 competition of the People's company. The plaintiff asks 

 judgment for $2800, under the anti-trust law of Ohio, that sum 

 being twice the par value of the stock she holds, and which she 

 is entitled to collect in the event of winning the suit. Musser 

 & Kohler. attorneys for the plaintiff, state that they are prepar- 

 ing to begin other similar suits against the same defendants. 



On November 11, 1902, a contract was signed under which 

 I. C. Alden and George C. Kohler, directors of the People's 

 Hard Rubber Co., agreed to deliver 1270 shares of that com- 

 pany's stock to Fritz Achelis. at a value to be fixed by ap- 

 praisement. The American Appraisal Co. (Chicago), being 

 employed, reported assets amounting to $279,501.32, from 

 which was deducted the liabilities, and the holders of 1270 

 shares were paid something like 55 per cent, of their par value, 

 an additional 10 per cent, being withheld pending the collec- 

 tion of accounts receivable. Mr. Achelis being a non resident, 

 it was agreed that the transfer should be made through Colonel 

 George T. Perkins, a director in the American Hard Rubber 

 Co., as trustee. The factory was taken in charge by J. J. Free- 

 man, of the New York ofiice of the American Hard Rubber 

 Co., and has since remained closed. On November 29 H. E. 

 Andress was elected president of the People's Hard Rubber 

 Co., F. H. Waters vice president, and J. J. Freeman secretary 

 and treasurer — the first two being members of an Akron law 

 firm — to whom one share of stock each had been transferred. 

 On December 31 James W. Hoffert, of the same law office, pre- 

 sented to the directors demand notes for $100,000, and a deed 

 of assignment was filed the same day, Hoffert being named as 

 assignee. Following the assignment appraisers were ap- 

 pointed, who made a report on January 19, and the assignee 



