January 1, 1914. 



THE INDIA RUBBER WORLD 



191 



of reduced prices. It is estimated that the companies will 

 effect a 20 per cent, saving in expense. Harry Miller will 

 continue as Pacific Coast manager for the B. F. Goodrich 

 Co. and C. Ii. Cook will act as Pacilic Coast manager of the 

 company's mechanical ruliber goods department, while C. E. 

 Mathewson will continue as Pacific Coa.st manager for the 

 Diamond Kuliber Co.. having charge of both the tire and me- 

 chanical lines. 



* * * 



The Firestone Tire & Rubber Co. has opened a direct fac- 

 tory branch in Oakland, the city just across the bay from 

 San I-'rancisco. In order to provide suitable accommodations 

 the store formerly occupied by Holmes & Olson at Twelfth 

 and Jackson streets has been taken over, improvements have 

 l>een made in the building and a complete equipment is being 

 installed, which will enable the lirm to duplicate the excellent 

 service afforded by the San I'rancisco branch. Mr. W. H. 

 Bell, the San Francisco manager, says that it is the com- 

 pany's intention to give just as good service on the Pacific 

 Coast as is given to automobilists and truck owners on the 

 .Atlantic Coast by this company. The manager of tin- new 

 branch is H. E. Esterly, who has been connected with the 

 San Francisco branch during the past year. He has been 

 with the company since its organization and ha-; held posi- 

 tions at St. Louis. Chicago and Xew York. 



* * * 



Wakefield Baker, head of the iirni of Baker & Hamilton, 

 and a millionaire, dropped dead one evening last week of 

 heart failure. He was 47 years of age and is survived by a 

 widow and three children. His firm recently entered the auto- 

 mobile tire business, having taken the agency for Savage tires. 



* * * 



Harry Kenyon. general manager of the C. Kenyon Co., 

 clothing manufacturers, is now visiting on the coast, and he 

 is accompanied by Max Magnus, the Chicago manager. 



THE RESULT OF MK. TUCKERS PRIZE OFFER. 



In the December number of The India Rubber Worlii, Mr. 

 •Quincy Tucker, of Boston, offered two prizes — one of $5 for 

 the best description of Wickham-smoked sheet and Da Costa- 

 smoked sheet in contra.st with the superficially smoked sheet 

 coming from the East, and a second prize of $2 for the best 

 article on immature or weak plantation rubber — neither article 

 to exceed 250 words. Mr. Tucker writes that there was no 

 winner of the first prize, but that the second prize was taken 

 hy Mr. George B. Bradshaw, manager of the Bradshaw Rubber 

 Co., Roselle Park. N. J. Here is Mr. Bradshaw's paragrapli 

 on immature plantation rubber: 



"The properly smoked sheet from mature trees can be im- 

 mediately distinguished by the tear. Xo matter in what direc- 

 tion torn, the edge will be ragged and will display stringers as 

 it is being torn. This property persists throughout the making 

 up of smoked sheet into goods and shows up in the finished 

 article if it has high enough percentage of rubber. Only smoked 

 sheet displaying a ragged tear is fit for high class goods and 

 for rubber cement." 



Mr. Tucker adds his own description of the Wickbam and 

 T)a Costa smoked sheet rubber, which is here reproduced : 



"Wickham-smoked cured rubber is intended to imitate the 

 Brazilian method of film after film of smoked rubber, but 

 mechanically smoked in a hollow revolving cylinder (or 

 modified apparatus). Da Costa-smoked rubber is coagulated 

 l)y forcing smoke into a large receptacle of latex by the aid of 

 a steam jet. whereupon in about twenty minutes a large clot of 

 spongy rubber is formed. To make any rubber into sheet form 

 it is then necessary to put it through rollers revolving at the 

 same speed. The present day Plantation smoked sheet is 

 coagulated with acetic acid first, and having been made into 

 sheet form as previously described, it is superficially smoked.'' 



AUTO SHOWS AND THE TIRE MAKERS. 



AS the time for the annual automobile shows draws near (the 

 ew' York show being held in the Grand Centra! Palace 

 from January 3- 10, and the Chicago show in the Coliseum and 

 .Armory from January 24-31). the trade is wondering what ef- 

 fect the withdrawal of a number of the more prominent tire 

 manufacturers will have on future exhibits. Manufacturers 

 claim that returns are not commensurate with the exi)cnditure 

 necessary for obtaining suitable floor space, for shipping ex- 

 hibits, etc., and for all tlie incidentals that usually accompany 

 such an enterprise. 



The highest price for floor space at the .\'ew ^'llrk show is 

 $1.50 per square foot, and at the Chicago show $1.25 per square 

 foot. Tire exhibitors seldom have more than 200 square feet, 

 so that this item of expense is generally kept well within $300. 

 In most cases the business done pays for the floor space and 

 shipping expenses many times over, so that there must be an- 

 other reason for this general withdrawal. 



.\s a matter of fact the actual cost of making the exhibit is 

 not even a small part of the total expense that is often incurred 

 by many exhibitors during the time of the show. A very large 

 item of expense is the great amount of advertising space taken 

 in local newspapers and in magazines, besides the enormous 

 ;inioum of advertising matter wastefuUy distributed to souvenir 

 siekers and catalog collectors. The seat of the trouble, however, 

 cannot be laid at the door of advertising — if this department is 

 conducted properly. 



Rut probably the chief cause of the withdrawal of so many 

 former tire exhibitors is the great expense involved in having 

 so large a part of the sales force in the exhibition city during 

 the time covered by the show and the necessary preparations, 

 with all tlie incidental entertainment — the banquets, dinners and 

 parties that seem an inevitable accompaniment of these gather- 

 ings, and which when conducted with a free hand reach in the 

 aggregate very large sums. 



-Among the tire manufacturing concerns which will not exhibit 

 at the National Automobile Shows this year are the Goodyear. 

 Goodrich. Diamond, Swinehart, Firestone, Fisk, Kelly-Spring- 

 field, Ajax-Grieb, Federal, United States, Michelin and the 

 Knight Tire & Rubber Co. The present withdraw^al of these 

 tire interests follows that of the motor truck manufacturers, and 

 the results will be closely watched. If no falling off in busi- 

 ness results from this move, it is safe to predict that the auto- 

 mobile shows will have fewer tire and rubber exhibitors in the 

 future, and this will mean a saving of many thousands of dol- 

 lars to the manufacturers. 



Notwithstanding the withdrawal of the tire companies men- 

 tioned above, a number of companies will exhibit in one or 

 both of these shows. They are as follows: Bracnder Rubber 

 & Tire Co., Cataract Rubber Co., Columb Tires Import Co., 

 Dayton Rubber Manufacturing Co.. Double Fabric Tire Co., 

 Empire Rubber & Tire Co., Miller Rubber Co.. McGraw Tire & 

 Rubber Co., Xewmastic Co., Overman Tire Co., Pennsylvania 

 Rubber Co., and Thermoid Rubber Co. In addition there are 

 a number of rubber companies making certain auto accessories 

 that also intend to exhibit, as given below : .Asbestos & Rub- 

 ber Works of -America, F. S. Carr Co., Essex Rubber Co., Howe 

 Rubber Co., L. J. Mutty Co., National India Rubber Co., Stand- 

 ard Woven Fabric Co., United & Globe Rubber Manufacturing 

 Cos., and the \'oorhees Rubber Manufacturing Co. 



Should be on every rubber man's desk — Crude Rubber and 

 Compounding Ingredients: Rubber Country of the .Amazon; 

 Rubber Trade Directory of the World. 



