October i, igog.] 



THE INDIA RUBBER WORLD 



13 



THE RUBBER TRADE AT AKRON. 



HV A RESIDENT CORRESPONDENT. 



' I 'HE Firestone Tire and Rubber Co. have purchased a tract 

 ■*■ of 15 acre? in the extreme south end of the city, north of 

 Cole avenue, near South Main street. The new site was made 

 necessary by the desire for an increase of factory space. Plans 

 are new being considered for the construction next year of a 

 plant of large size, and of the most modern design, on the 

 newly purchased land. A chemical laboratory with complete 

 equipment will be included in the plan. When the new plant 

 cupied the "Id "lie "ii East Miller avenue will be vacated 

 and disposed of. The company have an option on land ad- 

 joining the tract purchased, which they are holding until fur- 

 ther developments. The 15-acre tract was bought from the 

 heirs of Moses Falor For something like $28,000. Speaking of 

 the purchase, Mr. H. S. Firestone, president of the company, 

 said: "This is only the first step in our plans for an expansion 

 of our business. We have long had in mind the erection of a 

 great modern plant, but have hitherto been handicapped by the 

 lack of land on which to build." This step by the company is 

 significant in view of the rapid growth since it was started in a 

 tile building, eight years ago. by Mr. Firestone. The chief 

 growth in the business of the company has been in pneumatic 

 tires, which were added to the output five years ago. 



Harvey S. Firestone. 



[President Firestone Tire and Rubber Co.] 



The annual meeting of the Firestone Tire and Rubber Co. 

 was held at the close of August, when the following directors 

 were re-elected: H. S. Firestone, Will Christy, L. E. Si-lcr. 

 A. C. Miller, and R. J. Firestone. These met and elected as 

 officers the following: H. S. Firestone, president and general 

 manager; Will Christy, vice-president; L. E. Sisler. treasurer; 

 S. G. Carkbuff, secretary. "Our business has increased nearlj 

 100 per cent, during the past year over the year before." was 

 Mr. Firestone's statement after the meeting. 



The annual convention of the salesmen and branch man- 

 agers of the Firestone company was held during the second 

 week of September in Akron. Seventy men were present and 

 the convention closed September 11. with a banquet at the Por- 

 tage Country Club. Among the branch managers present were : 

 T. J. Glenn. Boston ; D. C. Swander, New York ; W. R. Walton. 

 Philadelphia; C. E. Jackson. Pittsburgh; O. O. Petty, St. Louis; 

 F. H. Martin. Chicago ; W. A. Harsbaw. Cleveland, and J. V. 

 Mowe. Detroit. 



Since the reorganization of the Swinebart Clincher Tire and 

 Rubber Co. some radical changes have been decided upon by 

 the directors. Two new factory buildings, one 40 x 100 feet. 

 one story high, and the other 60 x 125 feet, and three si 

 high, will lie added to the plant. The smaller building will 

 contain the mill room and a part of the solid tire department, 

 and the large building will be used to house the new branch of 

 manufacture into which the company will launch — the making 

 of pneumatic tires. The type of pneumatic tire to be mad' 

 not been announced. Mr. W. A\'. Wuchter, general manag 

 the plant, -aid. however, that the tire will have featun 

 distinguish it from the standard types. Clinchers and quick 

 detachable in all sizes will be made. To market the incn 

 product of the plant, it is announced that branches will be 

 established in Boston, Philadelphia and Buffalo, in addition to 

 the present branches at New York and Chicago, and selling 

 agencies will be started in all the trade centers. Mr. J. A. 

 Swinebart. president of the company, spent September in 1 

 Rico on company business and at the end of the month sailed 

 for Europe, where lie will spend the next two years in looking 

 after the foreign interests of the company. 



Tnr. Star Rubber Co. have filed a certificate of increase of 

 i stock from $100,000 to $250,000. Owing to the increased 

 demand for their seamless rubber druggists' sundries they have 

 found it necessary to increase their capacity. An additional 

 building, three stories, and 50 x too feet, is being erected, to 

 be devoted to making pneumatic automobile tires and inner tubes, 

 except the third story, which will be used for the dipping de- 

 partment of the supplies line They are also about to add a 

 line of pre-- goods, and hope to have the new factory in readi- 

 ness h\ January 1. 



Following the fires at the plant of the Buckeye Rubber Co., 

 1 thorough investigation of city fire-fighting facilities was made 

 by the director- of the chamber of commerce, acting as a com- 

 mittee of the whole. The finding of the board, after sessions 

 lasting two weeks, was that the complaints made following the 

 fires were not justified, that the city's fire-fighting facilities, both 

 ts to water and equipment, were adequate, and that as a matter 

 of fact the annual fire loss is small, being only $120,000. For the 

 -ake of providing further safeguards, the board made several 

 recommendations for more thorough fire inspection, for the 

 adoption of a building code modeled after that of Cincinnati, and 

 an increase in the number of city firemen. The city council is 

 taking steps to carry out these recommendations. 



* * * 



The B. F. Goodrich Co. succeeded in acquiring, by purchase 

 early in September, a piece of land on Soutb Main street at the 

 southwest corner of their plant, which now makes them owners 

 of all the land facing on Main street for several hundred yards. 

 The property was purchased from the heirs of Mary Abler, and 

 the purchase price was more than $16,000. Mr. E. C. Shaw, 

 general manager of the Goodrich works, says that the land will 



be used for a new building. 



* * * 



Mr. O. C. Barber, a director in The Diamond Rubber Co. 

 was banqueted on September g by the business men of the city 

 of Barberton, which be founded 18 years ago. The function was 

 given on the occasion of Mr. Barber's return from Europe. He 

 is planning to make bis home on a farm of 2.500 acres near 



Barberton. 



* * # 



The output of high-wheeled automobiles in the plant of the 

 International Harvester Co., in this city, is about to be in- 

 creased from 10 a day to 15 a day. This type of car is being 

 -old by the company chiefly to farmers on the western prairies. 

 The demand for the high-wdieeled auto buggy, as well as for 

 the delivery wagon of similar construction, has increased so 



