March 1, 1913] 



THE INDiA RUBBER WORLD 



307 



trie Lighting Co. of Providence, was recently operated upon for 

 appendicitis in a Boston hospital. Mr. Kelky has been in poor 

 heahh for some time, although he has shown considerable im- 

 provement since the operation. 



* * * 



Francis Munro, a veteran of the Civil War and for years an 

 employe of the National India Rubber Co., of Bristol, died at his 

 home in Bristol February 11, after a few days' illness, of heart 

 trouble. He was 73 years old. After serving in the War of the 

 Rebellion Mr. Munro returned to Bristol, where he obtained a 

 position with the National India Rubber Co. He was a machin- 

 ery belt maker in that plant for about 30 years, until he retired 



several years ago, owing to ill health. 



* * * 



Considerable interest has been awakened among the employes 

 of the Consumers' Rubber Co. in Bristol this winter over the 

 work of the basketball team, which is composed of men from 

 the plant. On February 8 the team defeated the second team of 

 the Bristol Naval Reserves by a score of 16 to 8. The officers 

 of the company are also taking an interest in the sport, and 

 are encouraging the employes in their loyalty to the team. 



THE RUBBER TRADE IN TRENTON. 



By a Resident Correspondent. 



LOCAL manufacturers of mechanical rubber goods, hard rub- 

 ber, automobile tires and sundries are much concerned re- 

 garding the attitude of labor in this city, and to judge from 

 the activity of labor organizers of the .\merican Federation 

 of Labor a general strike of workmen in the local plants is a 

 possibility of the near future. For weeks the labor organizers 

 have been working quietly among the more skilled men of the 

 rubber industry, and their efforts to form a union and have the 

 operatives affiliate with the A. F. L. appear to be bearing fruit. 



The labor leaders have already organized the operatives em- 

 ployed in the manufacture of hard rubber, and the employees 

 of several other rubber companies in this city and in Morris- 

 ville, across the river from this city, have formed a union and 

 applied to the Federation for a charter. Delegates have been 

 named to the Central Labor Union, a county organization affect- 

 ing practically all skilled labor in this section of the State. 

 .•\bout 400 men are employed in the hard rubber branch of the 

 rubber industry in this section. 



The labor organizers are holding meetings every Sunday for 

 the organizing of the rubber workers, a state of affairs which 

 naturally is not viewed with any great favor by the manufacturers. 



The memory of the strike of the rubber workers of this city 

 in the winter of 1904 is still fresh in the minds of the manufac- 

 turers, the majority of whom are not anxious to go again 

 through such an experience. In this strike, conditions become so 

 bad that the strikers were indicted by the county grand jury 

 and some sent to prison for assaults on men who replaced the 

 strikers in the plant of the United and Globe Rubber Co.. Home 

 Rubber and one or two other places. It was a long, drawn-out 

 battle, marked by fierce fighting on the part of the strikers, but 

 at the finish they were glad to go back to work. The strike 

 leaders were unable to secure employment in any of the plants. 

 * * * 



The Industrial Workers of the World members are taking an 

 active part in the rubber strike, and also in the strike of artisans 

 and operatives in other industries in the city. There are now 

 six different strikes on in the city, and business has become 

 affected to such an extent that the merchants and tradespeople 

 in general have appealed to the Chamber of Commerce to settle 

 the strikes. In the John .\. Roebling's Son's mills several thou- 

 sand employes are on strike with no immediate chances of a 

 compromise. 



General C. Edward Murray, treasurer of the Crescent Belting 

 and Packing Co., in discussing the strike situation said : ".^fter 



my experience in the general rubber workers' strike in 1904, 

 which it will be remembered ended with a tremendous loss for 

 both sides, I feel that everything should be done to arrive at 

 some definite conclusion without the necessity of either side 

 losing anything. I find, submitted by a committee of employeSr 

 a Statement containing a list of advances desired, and it is such 

 as would indicate that the committee has given very little thought 

 or possessed little knowledge of the earnings of the different 

 employes; for example, we have 43 girls employed on our 

 braider machines and spoolers. With an idea of making it pos- 

 sible for them to earn more money without additional labor, two- 

 or three weeks ago we increased the speed of our machines, and. 

 also made some changes to our take-offs which increased the 

 daily capacity of the machines while in operation, witli the result 

 that 26 of the 43 girls averaged 49 hours and received 12.7 cents 

 per hour, which would equal for a week of 55 hours $6.98, while 

 the amount asked for by the committee is 12^ cents per hour, or' 

 $6.88 for the week. 



"The management of the Crescent Belting and Packing Co; 

 hasn't any objection to organized labor, or to treating with any 

 committee representing their employes, but they feel that any 

 difference should at least be discussed before strike action is 

 taken, as was done in this case. It has been our policy to pay 

 the maximum amount of wage paid by our competitors, which 

 is all anyone can possibly do and compete successfully." 



George R. Cook, of the Acme Rubber Co., and J. L. Lambert, 

 also an officer of the concern, declare that the strike of the men in. 

 that plant has not seriously hampered business. 

 * * * 



President and General Manager of the Esse.x Rubber Co., C. H". 

 Oakley, announced in the week of February 17 a 10 per cent. 

 increase in the wages of all the employees of this rubber con- 

 cern, a piece of news which was enthusiastically received by the 

 200 or more operatives. If a strike is declared it is hardly 

 probable that this progressive concern will be affected, as the 

 best of feeling exists between employers and men. 



* * * 



The Delion Tire and Rubber Co., Inc., of this city and New 

 York, has contracted with Burton & Burton, builders of this 

 city, for the erection of a three-story fireproof building on East 

 State street, just outside the city boundary line. The building 

 is to be modern in every particular and will be of steel con- 

 struction, with reinforced concrete floors and other material cal- 

 culated to make it fireproof. The work of construction was 

 started February 19, and the contract calls for the completion of 

 the building by May 1, when the manufacture of high-grade 

 automobile tires will commence. The company is to make a tire 

 which it will guarantee for 5,000 miles' service. The building is 

 to cost in the neighborhood of $60,000. Freeman & Halstead, of 

 New York City, are the architects. R. S. Peale, of 111 Broad- 

 way, New York, is president of the corporation, and he has 

 interested local capital in the enterprise. Some of the Trenton 

 stockholders include : R. C. Manning, automobile dealer ; I. 

 Harper Clayton, contractor ; Newton A. K. Bugbee. civil engi- 

 neer and contractor, and Burton & Burton, contractors. Con- 

 tracts for the new building have been filed in the office of the 

 county clerk. 



* * * 



Thomas B. Holmes. Jr.. who covered the States of Pennsyl- 

 vania, Ohio and West ^'ir.ginia for the Empire Rubber Co., 

 has quit the rubber business and is traveling for a linoleum 

 concern, the Turford Co.. of this city. 



* * * 



Ihe M. & M. Tire Co.. with offices at 214 East State street, 

 was incorporated in this county a fortnight ago with a capital- 

 ization of $150,000. Seventy-five thousand shares of common 

 stock are placed at $1 a share, and 7,500 shares of preferred. 



