422 



THE INDIA RUBBER WORLD 



[May 1, 1913. 



not only with the growth of his company, but with that of the 

 entire rubber industry. 



WILLIAM J. CABLE. 



The death in announced of William J. Cable, who passed away 

 in Seattle. Washington, He was the son of Wheeler Cable, who 

 founded ihe Cable Rubber Co. and who died in 1899, William J. 

 succeeding to the presidency of the Cable Rubber Co. This 

 company failed in 1905, since when 'Mr. Cable had various rubber 

 connections, chiefly in the West. He is survived by a widow and 

 two daughters. 



JOHN BEOWN. 



John Brown, who was associated with the Boston Rubber Shoe 

 Co. for 32 years, during the last few years being connected with 

 its New York warehouse, on Thomas street, died in New York 

 about the ISth of April. 



THE RUBBER TRADE IN AKRON. 



By a Resident Correspondent. 

 ""P HE directors of the B. F. Goodrich Co. met on .April 23. tor 

 * their regular quarterly session. According to their earlier 

 plans, as announced at the annual meeting, the dividend on the 

 common stock was passed. Mr. Work, president of the com- 

 pany, says that the general condition, so far as the Goodrich 

 company is concerned, is much improved, and that the Akron 

 plant is running closer to capacity than six months ago, and 

 that the outlook is excellent. 



In connection with the cut in prices of tires, Mr. Work says: 

 "All the larger manufacturers have followed our lead, although 

 I understand that one of the smaller companies has announced 

 that it will not order any cut. It should be borne in mind in 

 the talk of slashing tire prices that the price of crude rubber 

 to-day is much lower than it was a year ago. High grade Para 

 is now selling close to eighty cents a pound, and a year ago 

 it was one dollar a pound." Mr. Work expressed the opinion 

 that as a result of the lower price of crude rubber, a 5 per cent. 

 tire price cut ordered the first of the month will leave prac- 

 tically the same margin of profit to the manufacturer as obtained 

 a year ago. The actual consolidation of the Diamond and 

 Goodrich plants did not become operative until April 1, 1912. 

 Mr. Work did not wish to commit himself as to the length of 

 time he thought the common dividend would be suspended, al- 

 though he is inclined to be optimistic. He made it very plain 

 among the Board of Directors as to the advisability of passing 

 the common dividend, it being the common desire of the Board 

 that a good-sized surplus be built up before resuming payments 

 on the common stock. 



At a meeting of the directors of The Miller Rubber Co., held 

 in .Akron, April 17, the $200,000 treasury stock was placed on 

 the market, present stockholders of MilKr stock being allowed 

 to subscribe for 25 per cent, of their present holdings at par. 

 It was also decided to submit at an early meeting of the stock- 

 holders the question of doubling the capital of the company, 

 thus increasing the present one million capital to two million; 

 said increase of stock to consist of 5.000 shares of common 

 stock at the par value of $100 each, and 5.000 shares of pre- 

 ferred stock at the par value of $100 each. 



The company is just completing buildings which will practically 

 double the floor space of the factory, and with the machinery 

 already delivered or ordered, the company will be in a position 

 to manufacture approximately 1.000 automobile tires per day, 

 and also to increase the output of other departments. 



The following is a summary of the report made by the Probe 

 Committee selected by the Ohio State Senate about April 15: 



That the Industrial Workers of the World teach among other 

 things the following doctrines : 



All employes shall belong to one general union. 



No contract providing for wages or conditions of employment 



shall be entered into for a definite length of time between em- 

 ployer and employe. 



That the doctrine of sabotage is a matter of grave public con- 

 cern, not only to the state of Ohio but to the nation at large, and 

 that the line of distinction between this doctrine and anarchy is 

 so indistinct as to be almost imperceptible. 



That the leaders of the I. W. W. instead of helping the strik- 

 ing employes of the rubber factories of Akron, did them much 

 injury, and arc largely responsible for their failure to secure a 

 redress for any wrongs which may have existed and the adjust- 

 ment of any grievances. 



That the testimony of the employers and employes shows that 

 the wages paid by the rubber companies generally compare 

 favorably with those paid in other industries, and that the wages 

 paid in the tire building and tire finishing departments are higher 

 than the amount paid in other industries where like skill and' 

 effort arc required. 



That tlic strike which originated in the tire department of the 

 Firestone Tire & Rubber Co. and spread to other companies, 

 could have been averted had there been a reasonable amount of 

 time between the date on which the notice for readjustment of 

 prices was posted and that fixed when it would take effect, so as 

 to insure due deliberation and conference. 



That analysis of the conflicting testimony concerning the so- 

 called "speeding-up" system would seem to justify the conclusion' 

 that it could be wisely dispensed with, because it is fraught with 

 danger both to employers and employes. 



That few violations of the state law regulating the hours for 

 women employes were developed in testimony taken ; but that in- 

 view of the genera! tendency toward shorter hours of employ- 

 ment in all industries, the complaints regarding the long hours of 

 employment at night are justifiable. 



That as the most striking feature of the evidence was the fact 

 that the employes refrained from submitting grievances for ad- 

 justment, because of fear of discharge, the committee suggests 

 that notices be posted in the factories advising employes that 

 they may submit any complaint with the assurance that they will 

 not be discriminated against. 



That no evidence was adduced showing that a list was kept by 

 the factories for "blacklist" purposes. 



That the evidence taken showed that the earnings of the rubber 

 manufacturers have been and are such as to justify the payment 

 of high wages to employes and the maintenance of good condi- 

 tions in their factories. 



That the buildings of the rubber companies are practically fire- 

 proof, well lighted and so constructed as to provide for good' 

 ventilation. In closing, the committee reports that the investi- 

 gation has proven of great value to the rubber manufacturers, the 

 employes and tlie general public. 



"The publicity," observes the report, "attending the investiga- 

 tion and the facts collected are of great value to the general 

 public. In addition, the data collected will prove to be of in- 

 calculable value to the industrial committee and also the Legis- 

 lature and succeeding ones which may give consideration to ques- 

 tions affecting the relations of capital and labor." 



The committee acknowledges the co-operation and courteous 

 treatment accorded it by the rubber manufacturers, the repre- 

 sentatives of the companies and the people of Akron as a whole. 

 * * * 



Dr. C. M. Knight, who has spent much time in rubber research 

 and in building up the rubber chemical department of Buchtel 

 College, has resigned as Professor of Chemistry in that institu- 

 tion. Professor Knight has been actively engaged in chemicat 

 research for the last thirty-eight years. He will continue with 

 the college in an advisory position, but will retire from active 

 labor. Prof. H. E. Simmons has been elected by the trustees to- 

 fill the vacancy. 



Dr. Knight was born in Dummerston. Vermont, in 1848. He 

 graduated from Tufts College with the degree of A. B. in 1873, 

 and received his master's degree in '78. He also took graduate 

 work at Harvard and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. 



In 1875 he came to Buchtel and was the instructor in natural 

 science until 1883, when he was transferred to the work of the 

 physical science department, which position he held until his 

 recent resignation. 



For a number of years Dr. Knight has been dean of Buchtel, 

 and for one year. '96-'97, he was acting president of the college. 

 .About two months ago. the trustees conferred upon him the de- 

 gree of Professor Emeritus of chemistrv- and dean emeritus of 

 the faculty. 



Professor Simmons, who will takt Dr. Knight's place as the 

 head of physical science department, was graduated from Buch- 

 tel in 1908. with B. S. degree, and for four years was a student 

 under Dr. Knight. 



