226 



THE INDIA RUBBER WORLD 



[February 1, 1914. 



it from a piirt-ly srjcial to a Imsincss and social organization, Jenks spoke of the vital questions of the day, one of whicli 



with more emphasis on the business. While it is not my purpose is the currency problem which is before the American people 



to go into detail as to what has been done under this new for solution. He suggested that if we are to have an elastic 



regime (as it is my intention to take this up more fully at our currency, which many are advocating, it shoidd liy all means 



annual meeting in .XpriH, I do wish to say that I feel that much be made of rubber. 



Robert L. Rice. 



WlLLI.\M E. B.ARKER. 



Members of the Dinner Committee. 



Robert B. B.mrd. 



good has been already accomplished, and the work so ably in- 

 augurated by my predecessor, Frederic C. Hood, has been broad- 

 ened and carried on through the hearty co-operation of your 

 executive committee, and the efficient work of our secretary, Mr. 

 Vorhis. We have established our office in New York, at 354 

 Fourth avenue (where any of you will be welcome at any time), 

 and have now the proper facilities for the further carrying on 

 of our work. 



"We have before us a number of propositions which are to be 

 worked out for the benefit of the rubber trade of the United 

 States, but as I have before stated, I do not intend to elaborate 

 upon these now, as this is not a business, but a social occasion. 

 I do, however, ask the co-Operation of all our members, in all 

 our efforts, for the good of our industry. 



"The fifteen years which have passed since the founding of 

 this organization as the New England Rubber Club, and par- 

 ticularly the past five, have been years of tremendous progress. 

 It is unfortunate that we cannot have at our command statistics 

 which will show how greatly our industry has grown, for if we 

 had the figures I feel quite sure that we would all be surprised 

 at what they would reveal. While the general public may not 

 realize it, the rubber manufacturing business of the United 

 States is now one of the great industries of our country and 

 of the world. Our future possibilities are unlimited, and in 

 the further development of our great opportunities the Rubber 

 Club of .America should perform a useful service." 



That everyone agreed with President Hodgman's sentiment 

 w'as indicated by the hearty applause which followed. He then 

 introduced Justice Almet F. Jenks, of the Appellate Division of 

 the New York State Supreme Court. 



THE SUBSTANCE WITH A "COME BACK." 

 During his brief remarks. Justice Jenks paid high tribute to 

 rul)ber and defined it in such new and amusing terms that he 

 kept his hearers laughing continuously during the ten minutes 

 of his speech, .\fter stating that he hailed from Brooklyn, 

 which is reputed to be the home of the rublier plant, Judge 



In giving a new definition to this universally essential sub- 

 stance which we all have to depend upon for one purpose or 

 another at frequent intervals of our existence, the speaker said : 

 "Rubber is the epitome of life. Life begins with a rubber ring 

 and ends with a rubber trust. Rubber is protection ; rubber is 

 resistance ; rubber is restoration ; rubber is the repartee of 

 Nature, for it is the only thing that can always come back. 



"One old Greek philosopher said : 'Give me a lever long 

 enough and a place to rest it, and I can move the world.' This 

 old philosopher w'as not up-to-date. He should have said : 

 'Give me a block of rubber and a place to rest it and the 

 world can move on it.' " 



EX-CONGRESSMAN LITTLETON ON OUR REPUBLIC. 



Hon. Martin W. Littleton, former member of Congress, was 

 next introduced by the chairman and expressed his opinion of 

 the manner in which some things are done in this country. 

 He paid a tribute to the head of our government by saying: 

 "When a man is president of the United States, he is my 

 president and yours — and we ought to stand by him." He illus- 

 trated the difference between a monarchy, a democracy and our 

 own republic as follows : 



"A monarchy is like a ship that floats safely until it strikes 

 a reef; and then it sinks. A democracy, on the other .hand, is 

 like a raft; it never sinks, but your feet are always wet. We 

 are living in a republic and the republic is on trial." Mr. 

 Littleton made it clear to his hearers that, in his opinion, busi- 

 ness in general is anxiously awaiting the outcome of the several 

 momentous questions which are before the people today, and 

 conveyed the impression that he referred partly to the Mexican 

 situation and the apparent inclination of certain foreign powers 

 to dictate what our own policy should be. He said : "In 

 time of peace prepare to maintain it. I believe in a large navy, 

 and if I had my way in the matter I would build a navy so 

 large that no foreign power would try to dictate our policies, 

 nor would they even dare to look across the water in our direc- 

 tion with any but peaceful motives." 



