I'JO 



THE INDIA RUBBER WORLD 



[Jantarv 1, 19H. 



for a reorganization. According to this committee, the net 

 earnings of the W'alpole concern for the three months, .\u- 

 gu.st to October, were approximately $20,000 per month, or 

 al the rate of $240,000 per year. This income, reached after 

 cliarging off $15,000 for interest charges and $32,000 for de- 

 preciation, the cotiimittee declares is ample to pay seven per 

 cent, on all present outstanding preferred and common stock. 



* * * 



The announcement has been made that the Universal Wind- 

 ing Co. is soon to move its plant from 99 Stewart street, 

 this city, to the city of Cranston, where an exemption from 

 taxation for ten years has been voted. The concern has just 

 purchased property on the banks of the Pawtuxet river com- 

 prising about twelve acres, with 21 buildings, all of modern 

 construction. The new plant is considerably larger than the 

 present one and will allow of a general expansion in all de- 

 partments. The firm now employs upwards of 400 hands 

 and it is expected that this number will be increased to 750 

 in a short time after the company is settled in its new 

 location. 



* * * 



Surveys of the grounds at the factory of the Consumers' 



Rubber Co. at Wood Street, Bristol, were recently made by 



parties from Boston and Pittsl'ield, Massachusetts, who are 



. seeking a new rubber mill site. Xo definite information could 



be obtained from any of the parties concerned. 



On December 18 a dividend of 30 per cent, was declared by 

 the referee'in bankruptcy and this is being distributed amon.g 

 the creditors of the concern. It is expected that another 

 dividend will be declared in the near future. 



* * * 



Extensive changes are being made in the office arrange- 

 ments at the plant of the Davol Rubber Co., Point street. 

 Providence. The new offices are to be located on the secon<l 

 floor of the old building, directly over the present office. 

 There will be several rooms in the new suite and all will 

 be handsomely linished in paneling in natural woods. 



* * * 



A cylindrical tank, eight feet in diameter and weighing 15 

 tons, which is to be used in connection with the new method 

 of vulcanizing the product of the factory of the National 

 India Rubber Co., at Bristol, and which came from Buffalo, 

 X. Y.. was placed in position early in the month. 



The plant of this company closed on December 24 for the 

 regular annual inventory of stock and will reopen January 5. 



THE RUBBER TRADE IN SAN FRANCISCO. 



By a h'csidciit Correspondent. 

 'T'HERE is some difference of opinion concerning the gen- 

 ■*• eral business situation. Collections are rather slow, and 

 this is traceable directly to the financial disturbance through- 

 out the entire country. Hut there has been too rnuch pros- 

 perity in this state to permit anything like that to hold busi- 

 ness back to any considerable extent. The production of 

 fruit, minerals and oil last year was exceptional, and these 

 are the things on which the state depends for its general 

 prosperity. 



Some of those who follow the rubber business take the 

 attitude that it will require mure than general prosperity to 

 specifically improve this industry. One reason advanced 

 is that in the first place there are so many firms here 

 to divide up the business that it would be practically impos- 

 sible for any one rubber establishment to enjoy a great in- 

 crease of trade. Another reason is that until there are many 

 more factories in the state there can be no large market for 

 mechanical rubber goods. This is in no sense a manufactur- 

 ing state, altho people who study conditions say that within 

 five years great factories will be established, and that cheap 

 labor, augmented by cheap electric power in unlimited 

 abundance, will enable the state successfully to compete with any 



other in the Union in respect to manufactures. 



* * * 



It is apparent that the days of the independent jobbing 

 house for the handling of rubber lines in San Francisco are 

 numbered. Perhaps this is true everywhere, but it is certain 

 that the great firms which manufacture have made up their 

 minds to handle their business on this coast direct from the 

 factory. This results in forcing the jobbers out. It is also 

 being followed by a consequence which the big firms did 

 not anticipate, and that is: The local jobber has an estab- 

 lished trade along certain lines, and rather than lose that 

 trade he has in some instances started into the manufacture 

 of those particular articles himself; and with the strong asset 

 to commence with that he already has the customers, he can 

 come very near holding them, because it appears that even 

 under present conditions a local factory, however small, can 

 specialize and nearly, if not quite, meet the prices of the big 

 houses. In other words, the consolidation of the big factories 

 and their direct representation is resulting in the springing 

 up of small factories which take the place formerly occupied 

 by the jobbing houses. 



.'\rthur H. Emerson, secretary-treasurer of the National 

 India Rubber Co., of Bristol, was married to Miss Adele 

 Deming, of Chicago, at St. Paul's Episcopal church, on No- 

 vember 18. Tlie brother of the bridegroom, Robert S. 

 Emerson, who is receiver of the Consumers' Rubber Co., of 

 Bristol, was best man. A reception followed at the home of 

 the bride's mother. Mr. and Mrs. Emerson, on their return 

 from an extended wedding trip, will take up their home on 

 High street, Bristol. 



C. .\. Ostby, for .several years draughtsman at the factory 

 of the National company, has been recently promoted to the 

 position of master mechanic, succeeding r)liver H. Blaisdell, 

 who has been master mechanic and chief engineer for 28 

 years. Mr. Blaisdell will continue in the capacity of consult- 

 ing engineer, while Frederick G. Blaisdell becomes the chief 

 engineer. 



The Cataract Rubber Co.. of Wooster, Ohio, announces the 

 appointment of H. C. Gentry as special factory' representative, 

 with headquarters in New York, at 1608 Broadway, from which 

 location the Cataract tire is distributed by Meyers & Grayson, 

 representatives for New York City. 



A hornet's nest has been stirred up in Oakland, owing to 

 difficulties arising from a bid to the city for fire hose. It seems 

 that the bid made by the B. F. Goodrich Co. was 71 cents, 

 and of the American Rubber Co. and the Bowers Rubber 

 Works 75 and 76 cents, respectively. The fire chief recom- 

 mended that the contract be let either to the Bowers or the 

 American company. Both of these are local concerns having 

 local factories, and the B. F. Goodrich Co. filed a strong 

 protest, claiming that their bid, altho lower and for exactly 

 the same kind of hose, had been completely irnoged. But the city 

 council has voted to uphold the fire chief's recommendation, and 

 the courts may be resorted to before the matter is finally settled. 

 * * * 



The western branch houses of the B. F. Goodrich Co. 

 and the Diamond Rubber Co. are now located together 

 under one roof in the big building at the corner of Fremont 

 and Mission streets. Both of these companies have a large 

 number of branch stores throughout the entire coast, and 

 these will be consolidated, and it can be readily seen what 

 a saving in expense this will mean, with practicallj' the same 

 convenience to the automobile owner, and a benefit by way 



