January 1, 1914. 



THE INDIA RUBBER WORLD 



189 



The Gutta Percha & Rubber Co. reported that business was 

 good and that they expected it to remain good. They have 

 recently received several tine orders fpr belting from large 

 contracting firms building grain elevators in the west and report 

 that they expect more building of mills and clevator.s in that 

 section the coming spring than for many years. This company 

 makes a specialty of furnishing combination rubber belting for 

 grain elevators and flour mills. 



The rubber belting business generally has been suffering from 

 labor troubles at the copper mines in Michigan and in Mexico. 

 Chicago firms have in the past had an excellent trade in these 

 sections, but have abandoned these fields for the present, until the 

 trouble is permanently adjusted. Of course the trouble in Mex- 

 ico is not labor, strictly speaking, but the conditions in that 

 country are so chaotic owing to the civil wars that not enough 

 labor can be secured to operate the mines. In Michigan the 

 trouble between the guards and the strikers continues to make 

 the working of the mines impossible. Many thousands of dol- 

 lars worth of belting has been bought by the mines in these 

 regions every year, and Chicago, owing to her advantageous 

 commercial position, has secured most of the orders for large 

 shipments. * * * 



There is one branch of the trade that has not suffered any 

 depression — and that is tires. Following the announcement in 

 November by the B. F. Goodrich Co. of a reduction averaging 

 about IS per cent, in the price of their tires, the Chicago branches 

 of this company became centers of great activity. Other com- 

 panies soon followed in the price reduction. Another feature 

 that has tended to increase the sale of tires has been the ab- 

 normally open winter that has been enjoyed in this part of the 

 west, making it not only possible but agreeable to use automo- 

 biles long after they would normally be put away for the winter. 

 * * * 



The W. D. .-\llen Manufacturing Co., the cnterpri.sing brass 

 manufacturers of this city, have just purchased the patterns, 

 tools, stock and good will of the lawn sprinkler business of 

 the Hotchkiss-Peck Mfg. Co., of Bridgeport, and are now 

 the only manufacturers of the full line of lawn sprinklers in 

 the United States. They make over fifty-seven varieties, thus 

 giving the jobber an opportunity if he so elects to buy his 

 entire line from one factory. Some of the goods formerly 

 made by the Bridgeport concern will be perpetuated by the 

 Allen company, which will continue to make the Eureka, 

 Universal and Newport sprinklers. 



.•\mong the new goods being brouglit out by the Allen com- 

 pany might be mentioned the U. S. A. nozzle, the operation 



in cut No. 1, while a further pressure develops a straight 

 stream, as shown in cut No. 2, and a variety of sprays and 

 streams can be obtained by varying the pressure. 



Another new article which this company has recently 

 brought out is a steel clamp, shown in cut No. 3. The com- 

 pany carries a full line of samples — both at its Chicago head- 

 quarters at 133 West Lake street and also at its New York 



branch at 69 Warren street. 



* * * 



The Fiberoid Rubber Co. is putting out a new rubber mat in 

 lots of 500, at $20 per hundred. They are so constructed that 

 they can be rolled up and sent by mail as premiums. The com- 

 pany has received orders for several thousand. 



* * * 



Mr. Curwen, Chicago manager of the Boston Belting Co., re- 

 turned from a trip in Wisconsin about the middle of December. 

 He found the paper milling men quite optimistic, for all mills 

 were running. Hence the outlook for the New Year, in the 

 belting line at least, looks promising. 



* * * 



Mr. S. F. Denny, the western sales manager for the Home 

 Rubber Co., recently returned from a trip through the west and 

 southwest, and reported prospects for 1914 in these sections of 

 the country, especially in the mechanical line, to be quite favor- 

 able. 



Fig. 2. 

 Straight Stream. 



Fig. 3. 

 Steel Clamp. 



of which is shown in the two accompanying cuts. A slight 

 pressure on the thumb piece produces a fine spray, as shown 



THE RUBBER TRADE IN RHODE ISLAND. 



By a Resilient Correspondent. 

 TPIIE rubber manufacturers throughout Rhode Island are 

 ■*• closing the season with satisfaction and are especially 

 i)l)timistic regarding the coming year. Practically all of the 

 plants are preparing for a greater business year than the one 

 just closing, tho 1913 is acknowledged to have been generally 

 prosperous. Prices, apart from tires, have held firm through 

 the entire twelve months, and as a whole the factories are 

 returning good profits. Most of the plants throughout the 

 State are running over time, or w'ith two shifts in different 

 departments, and there is said to be enough work on hand to 

 warrant the starting of additional departments on the two- 

 shift basis. 



Much interest was manifested in the pledgee's sale of a 

 large amount of the stock of the Walpole Rubber Co. in this 

 city on December IS, which had been held as collateral by 

 tlic defunct -Atlantic National Bank as security on notes. 

 This stock was given to the bank as collateral for loans, and 

 when the notes came due and were not paid the stock was 

 placed at auction by Receiver Curtis of the bank. The com- 

 mon stock, of which 691 shares were disposed of — which sold 

 eight months ago for $6S a share and which is supposed to 

 have a par value of $100 — brought less than half a cent a share. 

 Seven blocks of the preferred stock of the company were 

 sold for a total of $S,405. One block of SCO shares of pre- 

 ferred Walpole stock was continued to a later date and the 

 same disposition was made of 1,300 shares of common stock 

 of the same concern. The highest price paid was $2,250 for 

 ISO shares of Walpole preferred, purchased by Ernest W. 

 Tinkham. Louie D. Pierce paid $1 for one lot of 293 shares 

 of Walpole common. Michael J. Houlihan, vice-president of 

 the Walpole Tire & Rubber Co., without any opposition, 

 bought 250 shares, with a par value of $25,000, for $1, and 

 Percy W. Gardner, attorney for Receiver Curtis was the 

 purchaser of several blocks of the preferred stock. 



Notwithstanding the burden of expense imposed upon the 

 stock of the Walpole Tire & Rubber Co. by the present 

 receivership, the stockholders' committee declares that the 

 corporation is making big money and the stockholders are 

 urged to retain their stock pending the outcome of plans 



