September i, 1910.J 



THE INDIA RUBBER WORLD 



44^ 



TRADE NEWS NOTES. 



On the twenty-fifth anniversary of the organization of the 

 Apsley Rubber Co. (Hudson, Massachusetts), every employe 

 at the factory was presented with a handsome silver mounted 

 leather pocketbook, containing a small sum of money. The 

 pocketbooks were inscribed "Best Wishes. Apsley Rubber Co. 

 1885-1910." The presentation was made in person by the presi- 

 dent of the company, the Hon. L. D. Apsley, who had just 

 returned from a vacation in Europe. 



The Peerless Rubber Manufacturing Company (Goodell Rub- 

 ber Company, distributors), have recently removed from No. 

 704 Arch street, Philadelphia, to more commodious quarters at 

 No. 19 North Seventh street, in that city. 



A fire in Boston on August 17 destroyed rubber goods in the 

 store rooms of the Standard Tire and Rubber Co., No. 102 Port- 

 land street, of the estimated value of about $10,000. 



The St. Louis Rubber Cement Co. report that most of the 

 large jobbers in bicycle, automobile and findings cements are 

 contracting for 191 1 goods now. It is very early, but the jobbers 

 appear anxious to contract before another possible advance in 

 manufactured goods. 



PERSONAL MENTION. 



Mr. Herman Reimers, formerly of the crude rubber trade in 

 New York and now a member of Heilbut, Symons & Co., rub- 

 ber merchants in London, is chairman of the board of The 

 Anglo-French Mercantile and Finance Corporation, Limited, 

 registered recently in London, with an authorized capital of 

 £1,000,000, for the purpose of financing or buying or selling or 

 amalgamating suitable estates, and particularly rubber planta- 

 tions. The board includes also some of the most prominent 

 British investors in rubber planting. 



Dr. David Spence, who for some time past has been connected 

 with the Diamond Rubber Co. (Akron, Ohio), recently enjoyed 

 a brief holiday at his home in England. 



THE RUBBER TRADE AT AKRON. 



BY A RESIDENT CORRESPONDENT. 



AT the annual meeting of the shareholders of the Firestone 

 Tire and Rubber Co. (Akron, Ohio), on August 24 the di- 

 rectors were reelected, as follows : H. S. Firestone, Will Christy, 

 R. J. Firestone, A. C. Miller, and L. E. Sisler. The election of 

 officers resulted : 



President — H. S. Firestone. 

 Vice President — Will Christy. 

 Secretary — S. G. Carkhuff. 

 Treasurer — J. G. Robertson. 



It was stated after the meeting that the business of the com- 

 pany during the year had exceeded expectations, especially in 

 the manufacture of their new quick detachable demountable 

 rims. The shareholders were told that the new $1,000,000 fac- 

 tory, which has been under construction since early this year, 

 is expected to be ready for occupancy by March 1 next. The 

 new plant, located some distance south of their present quar- 

 ters, consists of a long narrow and main building with four 

 wings on each side, so planned that more room can be had 



when needed by extending the wings. 



* * * 



The annual picnic of the employes of the B. F. Goodrich Co. 

 American Hard Rubber Co., and Alkali Rubber Co., held on 

 Saturday, August 6, at Silver Lake Park, near Akron, was 

 attended by 18,000 persons. The companies gave all their em- 

 ployes tickets entitling them to transportation on special trains, 

 and many of the privileges of the park. A baseball team cap- 

 tained by H. K. Raymond, tire department manager in the 

 Goodrich plant, was defeated by a team headed by E. C. Shaw, 

 general manager of works. 



* * * 



The population of Akron, by the last United States census, 

 is given at 69,067, against 42.723 ten years ago — the increase 

 being about 61 per cent. The increase is credited principally to 



the growth of the rubber industry. It is estimated that one- 

 fourth of the population of the city is employed in the various 

 rubber factories. The combined capitalization of the rubber 



factories of Akron is now calculated to be $42,000,000. 



* * * 



The capital of the Miller Rubber Co. has been increased from 

 $250,000 to $500,000. Within the past year the plant has been 

 greatly enlarged, and plans are being made for still more 

 extensive facilities, which the officers say will permit of the 

 doubling of the output next year. The company started twelve 

 years ago with a working capital, it is reported, of only $300. 



* * * 



The B. F. Goodrich Co. will shortly finish another reinforced 

 concrete and brick building, three stories high, with a front- 

 age of 185^2 feet, and extending back 260 feet, so planned as 

 admit of two floors being added later. The ground floor 

 will accommodate the maintenance department and the garage 

 for tire testing cars, the company's trucks, and the automo- 

 biles owned by officials and employes. The second floor will 

 house the machine shop, where the finer grades of molds will 

 be made, and the carpenter shop and painting shop. The 

 third floor will be devoted to rubber manufacturing. 



* * * 



The annual outings of the Diamond Rubber Co., the Good- 

 year Tire and Rubber Co., and the Firestone Tire and Rubber 

 Co. were held in June last. 



* * * 



Mr. Harvey S. Firestone, president of the Firestone Tire 

 and Rubber Co., left during the middle of August for an ab- 

 sence of a month in Europe. 



* * * 



Mr. H. E. Riker, of Alliance, Ohio, formerly connected with 

 the rubber trade in Akron, has been appointed auditor for the 

 Firestone Tire and Rubber Co. 



* * * 



At a meeting of shareholders of The B. F. Goodrich Co., held 

 011 August 24, the proposals of the directors for increasing the 

 capital from $10,000,000 to $20,000,000 [see The India Rubber 

 World. August 1, 1910 — page 401] were agreed to. On that 

 day the asking price for Goodrich stock was $285 for shares 



of $100. 



* * * 



A meeting of officers, branch managers, and salesmen of the 

 Buckeye Rubber Co. was held during the week beginning 

 August 22. The officers of the company, it is understood, are 

 considering plans for the enlargement of their plant. 



* * * 



Mr. H. C. Tibbitts, advertising manager for The B. F. Good- 

 rich Co., is so firm a believer in the benefits of such events as 

 the Glidden tour in developing the tire business that he hopes 

 that these tours will not be discontinued. 



* * * 



The employes of the Goodyear Tire and Rubber Co. who 

 have been with the company for ten years have been granted a 

 ic per cent, increase in wages, in accordance with the custom 

 of the concern. 



* * * 



The Swinehart Tire and Rubber Co. have established two 

 new agencies — one each in St. Louis and Kansas City, Missouri. 



The Stein Double Cushion Tire Co. have made tentative 

 plans for a new factory building, for which ground probably 

 will be broken early in the spring. 



* * * 



William C. State, mechanical engineer of the Goodyear 

 Tire and Rubber Co.. narrowdy escaped falling 250 feet through 

 a new smokestack the company has just built. The bucket in 

 vvhich he was riding tipped, and the man saved himself by 

 hanging to the cable. 



