370 



THE INDIA RUBBER WORLD. 



[July i, 1910. 



THE RUBBER TRADE IN SAN FRANCISCO. 



BY A RESIDENT CORRESPONDENT. 



IT is a question in the minds of many of the manufacturing 

 * and rubber supply men whether the real business conditions 

 in San Francisco and on the Pacific coast are not considerably 

 underrated. For the past three years the farmers all through 

 this western territory have raised immense crops and have been 

 getting good prices for their products. They have made money, 

 and have, to a certain extent, improved their holdings materially. 

 More than that, they have been living better than ever before, 

 and just at present the farmers are buying more automobiles 

 than the residents of the cities. But at the same time, although 

 the farmers have for the past few years been making the money 

 and spending some of it, the farmer is not a reckless spender. 

 He puts away a good part of his money, and in that he is differ- 

 ent from the wage earners of the cities, who, when they are 

 making money spend it lavishly. 



When money is spent in this fashion mechanical rubber goods' 

 houses, as well as other merchants, begin to think that they are 

 having splendid times, and so they most certainly are when 

 there is speculation and booming going on in a big city. But the 

 question is, whether the present conditions are not more healthy, 

 and whether they will not bring results which are of more 

 lasting benefit? The prosperity of the farmers comes to the 

 city more slowly, but it is bound to come there, and if the farm- 

 ers are well supplied with money, the city will enjoy the wave 

 of prosperity for many years. This is the condition upon which 

 the local merchants are placing their hopes. They are making 

 some complaint, 'but right now they are forced to admit that 

 they are doing a safe, substantial business, and their prospects 

 for the future certainly were never on a more sound basis. 



It is likely true that there are too many business houses here 

 in proportion to the population. The census has shown a great 

 increase in population in the country districts, but not so much 

 in the cities as had generally been expected. Nearly all of the 

 Pacific coast cities are built up to accommodate, by their numer- 

 ous and large stores, a third again as many people as they have 

 to wait upon. This is anticipation of the larger things that are 

 to come, but in the meantime it looks as though some of the 

 winker ones must retire from the field. Eight or ten years ago 

 the dealers did not have to pay so much rent, nor did they deem 

 it necessary to keep up such elaborate stores, nor did they have 

 the automobile for one of their competitors. 



It is estimated that there will be 30,000 automobiles sold in 

 California this year, and although it makes a big inroad upon 

 some luxuries, it has some certain drawbacks to the rubber busi- 

 ness, saving, of course, the tire departments. And when the 

 merchants compare their present business with some that they 

 enjoyed during the years of less expense and less competition, 

 they are apt to say that trade is quiet now, although when they 

 take the present business for what it is, all the live houses find 

 that they are doing well. 



* * * 



The many friends, both west and east, of Henry C. Norton, 

 manager of the American Rubber Manufacturing Co., are very 

 grateful to learn that he has passed the danger point of his 

 very serious attack of typhoid fever, and is now fairly on the 

 road to recovery. 



* * * 



A change has been effected with the Phoenix Rubber Co., of 

 San Francisco. Mr. Austin Kanzee, one of the founders of this 

 firm, has purchased the interest of J. D. Ralph and C. P. Over- 

 ton. Mr. Fred W. Burgers, a prominent member of the Olympic 

 Club and a well-known athlete, has become associated with Mr. 

 Kanzee as a member of the Phoenix Rubber Co., and this com- 

 pany, as reorganized, intends to specialize on tires. To that end 

 they will handle the "Republic" tires — pneumatic and solid. Air. 

 Kanzee will move his seat of operations to the district most suit- 



able to the automobile trade, and will secure a new store in a 

 fireproof building. The mechanical end of the business has been 

 disposed of to the Crandley Rubber and Supply Co., who will 

 handle the Republic Rubber Co.'s mechanical lines. 



* * * 



Mr. W. J. Gorham has been in Los Angeles supervising the 

 fitting up of the new branch store which the Gorham Rubber 

 Co. are preparing to move into in that city. They will be located 

 in the new store by the first of August. In Portland, Oregon, 

 the firm's branch is also moving into a new store, at No. 308 

 Oak street. The promised raise in the price of tires on July I 

 has created such a demand that the shelves of this firm, as well 

 as all the others, have been practically cleaned of tires, and if 

 they had more stock they could do all kinds of business. Mr. 

 Gorham will come to San Francisco for a week or two in a few 

 days, and then will take his family back with him to Los Angeles 



to stay a few months. 



* * * 



Mr. L. L. Torkey, formerly manager on this coast for the 

 Pennsylvania Rubber Co., has returned from his eastern trip, 

 where he secured the Coast agency for the Quaker City Rubber 

 Co., of Philadelphia. 



The Pennsylvania Rubber Co. have placed their tires with the 

 Regal Automobile Co. of San Francisco, leaving the coast branch 

 of the firm under the supervision of Mr. French, with the com- 

 pany's remaining lines to specialize on. 



Mr. Joseph V. Selby has returned from his trip to the east, 

 where he visited the headquarters of the Boston Woven Hose and 

 Rubber Co. 



Mr. C. C. Eichelberger, manager of the Pacific coast branch 

 of the Firestone Tire and Rubber Co., states that his firm has 

 closed a long lease for the premises on the northeast corner of 

 Van Ness avenue and Fulton street. A three-story structure of 

 the Mission type will be built for the firm. 



ADDITIONAL TRADE NOTES. 



' I 'RFNTON is arranging to have a "sane" celebration of the 

 *■ Fourth this year, to be in charge of a general committee 

 headed by Mr. Welling G. Sickel, a former mayor of the city 

 and an important member of the rubber trade. 



The Mexican Crude Rubber Co., engaged in the guayule rub- 

 ber business in Mexico and having headquarters at Detroit, 

 Michigan, have announced an initial quarterly dividend of 3 

 per cent., for the quarter ending June 30, and payable July 15. 



Mr. Hoskison Gates, of Riverbank court, Cambridge, Massa- 

 chusetts, has accepted a position as solesman with the Picher 

 Lead Co. Mr. Gates will cover the Eastern seaboard territory, 

 with headquarters at the office of the company, No. 100 William 

 street, New York. 



The Le Fort Rubber Cement Co. have begun the manufacture 

 of rubber cement for the shoe trade at Brockton, Massachusetts. 

 The location is at Mason and Standish streets. 



The Canadian Consolidated Rubber Co., Limited, announce 

 that the regular quarterly dividend of 1% P er cent, on preferred 

 shares will be payable on July 2. 



EASTHAMPTON RUBBER THREAD CO. 



At the animal meeting of this company (Easthampton, Massa- 

 chusetts, June 21) these officers were re-elected: William G. 

 Bassett, president; L. S. Stowe, treasurer; F. W. Pitcher, clerk 

 and general manager ; W. L. Pitcher, superintendent. 



AVIATION FOR RUBBER MEN. 



\ feature of interest novel on the program of the outings 

 of the Rubber Club of America has been arranged for the an- 

 nual event of this Club, which, as announced on another page, 

 is to take place this month. It is an exhibition of an aeroplane 

 glider by an expert. 



