284 



THE INDIA RUBBER WORLD 



I M vy i, 1910. 



been rumored to exist constitutes a "combination in restraint of 

 trade" within the meaning of the Sherman anti-trust law. The 

 ills of all the leading rubber manufacturing companies in 

 Akron, when interviewed for The India Rubber World, denied 

 any knowledge of such a "rubber trust" as has been charged to 

 exist by District Attorney Sims in Chicago. The branch of the 

 trade mainly involved is the manufacture of fire hose, and it 

 was testified at the Chicago hearing that the trade was in the 

 hands of a combination which had decided not to bid on 

 municipal contracts where specifications are required. By the 

 way, several of the important Akron rubber concerns do not 



make fire hose. 



* * * 



The Miller Rubber Co. have filed with the secretary of state 

 of Ohio a certificate of increase of capital from $.250,000 to 

 $500,000. The company have more than doubled their manu- 

 facturing capacity within twelve months, new buildings having 

 been erected to take care of their increasing business in tires. 

 In addition to their pneumatic tire output, the company are 

 making a specialty of solid tires for heavy trucks, under a 

 license from H. A. Palmer, the patentee. The directors of the 

 company are Jacob Pfeiffer (president), Charles P. Grant (vice- 

 president), Frank Tithes, John M. Doran, and William F. 

 Pfeiffer. 



* * * 



Another rumor which was prevalent early in the month, was 

 that the great financial firm of J. P. Morgan & Co., of New 

 York, had made overtures to important Akron rubber tire manu- 

 facturers to become incorporated in a proposed great combination 

 of automobile factories. The B. F. Goodrich Co., The Goodyear 

 Tire and Rubber Co., and The Firestone Tire and Rubber Co. 

 were mentioned particularly as having been approached in this 

 connection, but officials of all of them authorize a denial of the 

 report so far as their companies are concerned. 



* * * 



Indianapolis appears to be coming rapidly into importance as 

 a rubber tire trade center. The B. F. Goodrich Co. have opened 

 a branch in that city, with Henry Little as manager. The 

 Swinehart Tire and Rubber Co. have also appointed a repre- 

 sentative in Indianapolis. Likewise the Swinehart company have 

 opened a branch in Boston, with A. G. Green resident manager. 



* * * 



A moving picture exhibition is the latest means of advertising 

 adopted by The B. F. Goodrich Co. The series show the tapping 

 of rubber by natives in Para, the distribution to the commercial 

 centers, and the transformation of the crude gum into manu- 

 factured articles. The company's factory in Akron by night is 

 also shown. 



* * * 



At a meeting of the directors of The Diamond Rubber Co. 

 on April 19 Mr. O. S. Hart resigned his position as cashier. 

 Mr. Hart had been with the company for twelve years, and while 

 now severing his active connection, he remains a director. 



THE RUBBER TRADE AT TRENTON. 



BY A RESIDENT CORRESPONDENT. 



HP HE rubber manufacturers of Trenton intimate that about the 

 ^ first of July, unless there should be a break in the raw 

 rubber market meanwhile, the trade may look for new price 

 lists on their products. The Trenton mills, particularly those 

 engaged in the manufacture of automobile tires and supplies, 

 still are stocked to some extent with rubber purchased at lower 

 prices than now prevail, but as the supply is diminishing rapidly, 

 new stocks will have to be taken from the open market at the 



ruling rate. 



* * * 



The Whitehead Brothers Rubber Co. have awarded contracts 

 for the erection of a new two-story brick office building 25 x 40 



feet, on the site of the old office, in Whitehead road. The old 

 office is being demolished, and the completion of the new build- 

 ing is expected within two months. 



* * * 



The Hon. William S. Hancock, former state comptroller of 

 Xevv Jersey, and one of the directors of The Acme Rubber 

 Manufacturing Co., returned about the middle of April from a 

 twelve weeks' trip to South America, which included a visit to 

 Para, where he made an investigation of the condition of the 

 crude rubber market. 



The extensive addition to the Acme Rubber Manufac- 

 turing Co.'s plant has been completed, and work is now being 

 carried on in the huge building. The first floor is devoted to 

 the manufacture of carriage cloth and matting, and part of it 

 is used for shipping purposes. On the second floor automobile 

 and other tires are made. The third floor is used for a hose 

 shop. 



* * * 



Mr. John S. Broughton, of the United and Globe Rubber 

 Manufacturing Companies, will go to his summer home at 

 Spring Lake about the middle of June, after which he expects 

 to spend a few weeks along the Maine coast. Mr. Brough- 

 ton's handsome new home in Trenton, near the state capitol 

 building, will be ready soon for occupancy. 



Mr. Watson H. Linburg, of the United and Globe companies, 

 will go to Spring Lake about June 1, closing his Trenton home 

 for the summer. 



"Business with us is better by long odds than it was a year 

 ago at this time," says John S. Broughton, of the United and 

 Globe companies. "We are working a large force of men in 

 some of the departments until 10 o'clock every night." ' 



* * * 



The Thermoid Rubber Co. are advertising their automobile 

 tires by the use of replicas of the bronze tablet, showing the 

 winning cars at the last Vanderbilt Cup race, and presented 

 to The Lozier Motor Co. [See The India Rubber World, Feb- 

 ruary 1, 1910 — page 190.] 



* * * 



C. H. Semple, manager of the Empire Tire Co., states that in 

 future the company's fine red rubber automobile tubes will be 

 enclosed in waterproof tube bags. This innovation was decided 

 upon in order to render the tubes safer during periods of non 

 use. Another advantage is that a tube can be carried about in 

 much less space in a car than formerly, when it w-as packed 

 in a box. 



* * * 



Mr. Harry E. Evans, treasurer of the City of Trenton, and 

 of the Consolidated Rubber Co., has let a contract for the erec- 

 tion of a brick garage on East Hanover street, this city, to cost 

 $3,000. It is explained that in addition to housing his own cars, 

 Mr. Evans intends going into the garage business on a small 

 scale. 



* * * 



The Ajax-Grieb Rubber Co. have awarded a contract for the 

 erection of a one-story brick building, an addition to its plant on 

 Breunig avenue, to be used as a blacksmith shop and carpenter 

 shop. It will cost $1,000. 



THE RUBBER TRADE IN SAN FRANCISCO. 



BY A RESIDENT CORRESPONDENT. 



""THERE is a better report from the merchants this month, 

 * and all unite in saying that business is improving materially. 

 The mechanical lines, which have been very quiet for two or 

 three months, have taken a big advance comparatively, and all 

 of the houses find that the present volume of business is very 

 satisfactory. The automobile tire business is perhaps the live- 

 liest of all, and sales of the various makes have been remark- 



