48 



THE INDIA RUBBER WORLD 



[November i, 1909. 



The Aluminum Flake Co., of this city, have let a contract 

 with an eastern manufacturing concern for the purchase of 

 sufficient machinery to double the output of the plant Work 



has also been started on tin- remodeling of the buildings, to 

 afford more room. Mr. Frank Reifsnider, general manager of 



the company, s;i_\s that he has orders already that will more 

 than double the sales of the company during the coming 12 

 months, one contract with an eastern concern being for 1,200,000 

 pounds of aluminum flake. 



* * * 



The Goodrich, Diamond, Goodyear, and Firestone companies 

 are preparing to have representatives at the Atlanta automobile 

 show, to be held November 6 to 13. This is the first .-•how of 

 the season, and the first large show to be held in the south. 



.Mr. E. I!. Williams, manager of the tire department of the 

 Stein Double Cushion Tire Co.. has resigned, to take a position 

 with the Swinehart Tire and Rubber Co. 



THE RUBBER TRADE IN SAN FRANCISCO. 



BY A RESIHENT CORRESPONDENT. 



T OCALLY, the business of the rubber goods houses has been 

 '—' interfered with to a considerable extent by the big Portola 

 festival, which opened on October 19 and continued for a week. 

 There had been so much preparation to make the celebration 

 a success, and so much time was taken up by it while it is in 

 progress, that it put a damper on the city trade. There were 

 big crowds in the city and the festival undoubtedly will have 

 good results for San Francisco. It was in a manner the open- 

 ing or coming ( ut day for this city, displaying to the world that 

 it has practically recovered from the effects of the earthquake 

 and fire of 19C.6, is a reconstructed city, and can accommodate 

 all .if the visitors who may care to come, with the best and 

 must modern cafes and hotels. 



Business conditions have not developed in a manner to greatly 

 elate the coast rubber trade. It is still the same story of waiting 

 for better times to turn up, with indications always favorable 

 for good business. There continues to be sufficient grounds for 

 a flourishing season, the country districts are prosperous, the 

 city is forging ahead in the building line, and there are no ob- 

 stacles in the way of progress, but the expected never quite 

 happens and the results each month shows a tendency towards 

 better commercial conditions without any great demonstration of 

 activity. Progress is sli w, but it is unquestionably sure and all 

 of the linns are doing enough to keep them from being dissat- 

 isfied with the trade. 



The first organization meeting of the Pacific Coast Rubber 

 Manufacturers' Association was held at No. 168 O'Farrell street 

 on September 21, and the organization was affected. It is in 

 reality a reorganization of the Western Mechancal Rubber Goods' 

 Association, which died with the old city. Mr. W. F. Bowers, of 

 the Bowers Rubber Works, was elected president ; Mr. Joseph 

 V. Selby, of the Boston Woven Hose and Rubber Co., vice- 

 president; Mr. H. C. Norton, of the American Rubber Co. treas- 

 urer; and George Didion, secretary. The executive committee 

 chosen is as follows : F. T. Sargeant, with the Gorham Rubber 

 Co.; C. F. Runyan, with the Goodyear Rubber Co.; W. D. Rig- 

 don, with the Revere Rubber Co.; and F. S. Winslow, with the 

 Pacific Coast Rubber Co. 



Mr. R. H. Pease, president of the Goodyear Rubber Co.. 

 states that tin- advance on all kinds of rubber goods looks seri- 

 ous for the consumer, and yet the only thing left for tin manu- 

 facturer is to raise his prices to correspond to the increased 

 cost of crude rubber. This the manufacturers on the coast have 

 generally done, and it looks as though the prices would con- 

 tinue, for the above reasons and also owing to the fact that 

 buying has become easier in keeping with the increasing pros- 

 perity, and all through the country the demand is strong for 



mechanical goods as well as for automobile tires. The busi- 

 ness of his firm is better than it has been for a long time, 

 and there is evident improvement in all lines. Like others they 

 are meeting with difficulty in placing goods at the high prices, 

 particularly miners' rubber boots, but they insist on maintaining 

 1 Ik present quality ami the consumers will gradually come over 

 to the increased price. 



Mr. W. J. Gorham. of the Gorham Rubber Co., has returned 

 from bis extended trip to Los Angeles. W. B. Heckman, with 

 this firm, has returned from his eastern trip. He came by way 

 of Seattle and spent some time taking in the exopsition there. 



Mr. W. Henry Sayen, Jr., passed through San Francisco last 

 week, on a tour of the coast. He is treasurer of the Mercer 

 Rubber Co., of Hamilton Square, New Jersey. He will be 

 through this way next April, not so much in the interests of his 

 firm, as it will be his honeymoon trip. 



Mr. E. E. Torrey, Pacific coast representative of the Penn- 

 sylvania Rubber Co., has returned from his eastern trip, and is 

 again at work with his usual optimism. He has been selling 

 a great deal of garden hose this season. 



Mr. Gregory, manager of the New York Belting and Packing 

 Co., Limited, No. 133 First street, states that the manufacturers 

 on the coast are generally raising their prices all along the line. 

 There is a better feeling noticeable in the trade. 



A report from the Pacific Mill and Mine Supply Co. shows 

 that the country business is very good, although they cannot 

 say much for the city trade for the past month. They are looking 

 for a gradual improvement in business 



The Gutta Percha and Rubber Manufacturing Co. report that 

 the past month has been a little quiet on account of the Por- 

 tola activities. Mr. C. H. Brown, with this firm, has been up 

 through the northern territory and met with very satisfactory 

 results, showing that business is picking up, especially from 

 the lumber mills. 



The Argus Co., a corporation at No. no First street, formed 

 recently for the purpose of recovering typewriter platens, have 

 completed their plant and are now actively at work. It is the 

 first firm of its kind on the coast which does this work ex- 

 clusively, as heretofore the business of platen covering lias been 

 conducted as a side line at the factories. Mr. Bill Reagan, the 

 practical man in charge, covered the first typewriter platens 

 that were covered on the coast, and he is well adapted to 

 accomplish the success which be has achieved for the firm. They 

 are now getting business from all of the coast cities from Seattle 

 to Los Angeles, and are doing very well. As an innovation 

 they are using three colors, green, maroon and a black, for 

 the different grades — soft, medium and hard, and this takes well 

 with the trade. 



Mr. C. A. Tracy, traveling for the Sterling Rubber Co., has 

 returned from the Nevada country, where he found business 

 fair, but not what it used to be. In San Francisco it is quiet, 

 but the surrounding country is good, especially through the 

 southern part of the state, where business has shown a remark- 

 able increase. 



Mr. E. B. Steers, manager of the Seamless Rubber Co., of 

 New Haven, Connecticut, is now visiting the coast in the interest 

 of his firm. 



Mr. J. O. Stewart, with The Diamond Rubber Co. in San 

 Francisco, has returned from a trip through the San Joaquin 

 valley, where he did a big tire business. E. L. Redding has 

 been sending in good reports to headquarters from Portland and 

 the north. 



Mr. U. S. Grant, with the Eccles & Smith Co., states that there 

 is reason to believe that conditions will be excellent for the 

 coming season, although as to the present business is only fairly 

 good. 



The West American Rubber Co. has been incorporated in Se- 

 attle. Washington, with a capital of $50,000 by V. C. and C. A. 

 Benjamin, W. T. Gothed. and J. D. and L. R. Works. 



