November 1, 1913.] 



THE INDIA RUBBER WORLD 



79 



THE RUBBER TRADE IN SAN FRANCISCO. 

 By a Resident Correspondent. 



THE fourteen exhibit buildings at the fair grounds of the 

 Panama International Exposition have been commenced and 

 will be completed on or before the 14th of July, 1914, so that 

 there will be eight months at least for the installation of ex- 

 hibits; and President Moore of the Exposition states positively 

 that every feature of the fair will be complete in all details upon 

 the scheduled opening day, February 20, 1915. 



* * * 



The Gorham-Rcvere Rubber Co. made an application recently 

 to have its name changed to the United States Rubber Co. of 

 California, and the application has been granted. In conjunction 

 with this action, taken by the United States Rubber Co., which 

 owns the Gorham-Revere Rubber Co., the business of the United 

 States Tire Co., in this territory has been merged with the 

 United States Rubber Co. of California. The object is to avoid 

 confusion as to names and by means of the larger and more 

 compact organization to more efficiently handle the enormous 

 tire and rubber business of this coast. The following officers 

 were elected : C. C. Case, president ; J. B. Brady, vice-president 

 and general sales-manager; W. H. Gilbert, secretary and treas- 

 urer, and C. A. Gilbert, manager of the tire department. Follow- 

 ing this merger, the branches throughout the entire coast have 

 generally been enlarged to meet the new conditions, and two 

 new branches have been added, one at Fresno, California, and 

 the other at Phoenix, Arizona. This makes branches at Los 

 Angeles, Phoenix, Fresno, San Francisco, Portland, Oregon ; 

 Seattle and Spokane, Washington, and Osaka, Japan. In most 

 of these places both the Gorham-Revere Rubber Co. and the 

 United States Tire Co. had branches, and these have also been 

 merged. The merger makes this company one of the most 

 prominent tire concerns in the west. At the headquarters in 

 San Francisco, the general offices and wholesale department of 

 the United States Tire Co. have been moved down to the 

 old location of the Gorham Revere Rubber Co., on Fremont 

 street. 



* * * 



The Bowers Rubber Works report that the factory is now 

 being run at full capacity, under three eight-hour shifts. The 

 firm has recently placed an order for 32,000 feet of fire hose, in 

 San Francisco. Mr. Bowers is at present on a visit to the 

 east where he is getting in touch with eastern machinery and 



supplies. 



* * * 



The Pacific Mill & Mine Supply Co. has taken the agency 

 for the Rubber Filled & Covered Belt line. The agency for these 

 belts was formerly vested in the Electric Hose & Rubber Co., 

 of this city, which firm has discontinued its store on Howard 

 street and as it no longer carries stock has moved into an office 

 building, handling lines hereafter only as manufacturers' agents. 



* ♦ » 



Baker & Hamilton, large wholesale hardware dealers, have 

 added a new automobile tire department, and have been ap- 

 pointed western agents for the Savage tires. This concern has a 

 thorough selling organization covering the entire coast, and 

 W. S. Smith of the firm states that they are going into the 

 tire business on a large scale. 



* * * 



B. H. Pratt, manager of the Fisk Rubber Co.'s Pacific 

 Coast branch, has recently returned from an extensive trip of 

 two months in the east and states that while there may be a 

 tightness in the money market there he failed to note any in- 

 dication of hard times, the manufacturers certainly not experi- 

 encing any such condition and his own company enjoying not 

 only satisfactory but largely increased business. 



R. S. Pease, Jr., treasurer of the Goodyear Rubber Co., has 

 been chosen general manager of the business, besides holding 

 the office of treasurer. Howard Middleton has been appointed 

 manager of the sales department of the company. 



« • • 



The American Rubber Company's plant at Emeryville, Cali- 

 fornia, came very near being destroyed by fire a week or so ago. 

 .-\ fire started in the engine room and gained considerable head- 

 way before being discovered, and by the time the alarm was 

 turned in and the fire department responded there was a fierce 

 blaze which was extinguished with difficulty. The total damage 



was estimated at $500, fully insured. 



* * « 



W. J. Kent, manager of the horseshoe pad department of the 



Kevere Rubber Co., is now visiting on this coast. 



* * * 



The B. F. Wade Tire & Rubber Co. has been incorporated 

 in I-os Angeles, with a capita! stock of $50,000 by B. F. Wade, 

 C. F. Crozier and H. Newman. 



W. F. Simpson of Los Angeles has sold his vulcanizing plant 

 to E. W. Linn. 



The California Tire & Rubber Co. has opened a branch store 

 ill Los .Angeles, at 752-754 South Olive street, of which A. B. 

 Hu.'^h has been appointed manager. 



A store has been opened in Los -Angeles by George E. Bcnnie 

 for the distribution of Imperial and Pullman tires in the terri- 

 tory west of the Mississippi river. 



* * * 



The Santa .Anna Vulcanizing Works of Santa Anna, California. 

 has been sold to Drake & Pearce. 



* * * 



The Western Rubber & Supply Co. has removed from its 

 old location at 66 South Fair Oaks street, Pasadena, California, 

 to much larger quarters at 55 West Colorado street. This com- 

 pany has had the agency for Federal tires, but in the new 

 location another brand is to be handled. 



* » * 



C. C. Miller has been appointed manager of the branch at 

 Spokane. Washington, of The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co., of 

 .Akron, Ohio — succeeding W. C. Ruckert. Mr. Miller has been 

 for the past three years northwestern coast salesman for this 

 company. * * * 



Ed. Fleming, formerly connected with the San Francisco 

 branch of the United States Tire Co., has succeeded R. E. 

 Dougherty as manager of the company's Seattle section, the 

 latter becoming associated with the selling staff. 



THE RUBBER TRADE IN TRENTON. 



By a Resident Correspondent. 



THE .Ajax-Grieb Rubber Co. of this city has just completed 

 the sixth year of its business in this city and will shortly 

 submit to the board of directors of the concern a report show- 

 ing the most extensive operations in any single year in the his- 

 tory of the company. Not only has the Ajax-Grieb company 

 enjoyed its most prosperous year, but indications point to an 

 even greater success for 1914, and plans are being made 

 accordingly. During the past twelve months the company has 

 found it necessary to increase the working force of operatives 

 from three hundred to four hundred. The company expects to 

 add about fifty to the force during the next year. The past 

 month $15,000 worth of new machinery was installed. The daily 

 output of the tire department is 650 automobile tires. 



Because of the rapid growth of the business, William J. Grieb, 

 president of the company, recently disposed of his interests in 

 other ventures and now devotes his entire time to the manage- 

 ment of the Trenton factory. The company has offices in New 

 York City and other important trade centers of the country. A 

 branch was recenllv established at Dallas. Texas. 



