596 



THE INDIA RUBBER WORLD 



May 1, 1921 



THE RUBBER TRADE IN RHODE ISLAND 

 B\ Our Rejiulur Correspondent 



MAY Day found little change in the industrial situation among 

 the rubber manufacturing concerns of lUiode Island. And 

 the same applies to textile concerns, whose products enter into 

 tire manufacture. Several of the rubber plants are entirely 

 closed, others are operating on shortened time schedules or with 

 curtailed wage, or both, and few are receiving any volume of 

 orders for production. 



While the situation has been very discouraging for several 

 months past, the immediate future does not seem to hold out 

 any very roseate prospects. Although there have been announce- 

 ments of an opening of some of the plants early in May, the out- 

 look is not especially reassuring to either the manufacturers or 

 the operatives. Some of the concerns that have been running 

 their plants without material curtailment report that, while they 

 are holding their own, they are not receiving many new orders. 



Official announcement was made on April 18 that the Alice mill 

 of the W'oonsocket Rubber Co. would reopen on May 9, when 

 the calender room resumes operations. The reopening, depart- 

 ment by department, as customary, is expected to brint; about 

 resumption of work in the making room about May 13. This 

 applies only to the .Mice mill, no plans having been decided upon 

 for the opening at that time of the Millville mill, which has been 

 shut down since before Christmas. The Alice mill has been closed 

 since February 19. 



It was announced that production would probably be limited 

 to from 60 to 75 per cent. At first a five-days-a-week schedule 

 will be in force, and the number of employes will be reduced. 

 It was stated at the mill that probably about 1,200 operatives 

 would be put to work. In normal times the plant gives employ- 

 ment to about 1,800. The schedule of wages will be the same 

 as was in effect at the time of closing on February 19. 



Bristol's small army of unemployed took courage the day 

 following the announcement at Woonsocket, when notice was 

 given that, beginning May 9, the output was to be substantially 

 increased in the Keds (shoe) division of the National India Rubber 

 Co. It is also said that with additional orders, work isi other 

 departments of the plant will also be gradually increased. About 

 3,200 persons are now on the pay-roll of the National company, 

 as against 4,600 during the rush periods of the war. 



The following appointments and changes have been made at 

 the factory of the National company during the past month: 

 George Fleck, to be assistant foreman in charge of all rack 

 system work, including machine lasting work and rack method 

 in men's making department, and to assist Mr. Edmonds in the 

 packing room ; James McGovern, to be section foreman in charge 

 of the stock room. 



A contract has been awarded by the joint standing committee 

 of the Woonsocket Fire Department to the Fabric Fire Hose 

 Co., of New York, of 950 feet of hose at $1.25 per foot. The 

 hose selected is double-jacketed and wax and gum treated. The 

 same company submitted bids on other grades at $1.15 and $1.08. 

 Other bidders were Bilateral Fire Hose Co., Eureka Fire Hose 

 Co., Rubber Combination of America, C. C. C. Fire Hose Co., 

 W. M. Farwell, American-LaFrance Fire Engine Co., and Com- 

 bination Ladder Co. 



The Manhasset Manufacturing Co., with main office at Provi- 

 dence, Rhode Island, manufacturer of tire fabrics and yarns, 

 announce that Robert W. Boys has accepted the position of 

 agent in Putnam, Connecticut. 



School of Drawing has been established at 457 Main street. Spring- 

 field, Massachusetts, by William Roberts, who has specialized in 

 such work, particularly in hard rubber and tires, as production 

 and efficiency engineer. 



A 



ENGINEERING SCHOOL OF DRAWING 



In rubber manufacturing practice there is constant need for 

 trained engineering ability and facilities for the development of 

 new ideas and inventions, designing new tools and machines, and 

 otherwise perfecting equipment for production from an engineer- 

 ing standpoint. To provide facilities of this sort the Engineering 



THE RUBBER TRADE IN MASSACHUSETTS 

 By Our Regular Correspondent 



CANVASS of the rubber goods manufacturing situation in 

 Massachusetts indicates that general business conditions 

 have not imprtned as rapidly as had been expected at the be- 

 ginning of the year. Since February there has been an increase 

 in orders and a more confident feeling regarding the future. 

 .\ marked improvement in most lines has been felt since April 

 1, and as jobbers' stocks are small, an increased volume is looked 

 for in all lines. The belief seems to be general that if Congress 

 promptly enacts an equitable and reasonably simple tax law 

 and a tariff bill protecting American capital and labor against the 

 low wages of Europe, business should gradually become normal 

 and be on a much sounder basis than it has been for the past 

 eight years. 



Proofed fabric manufacturers report that business is gradually 

 getting back to normal and some companies hope by autumn to 

 be running practically to capacity. While conditions in the rub- 

 ber heel, sole and molded goods trade are not yet normal, the 

 outlook appears much brighter than it did two months ago. 

 One company reports running on full time for eight weeks past 

 with business showing a decided improvement. Winter rubber 

 footwear is, of course, at a standstill with autumn orders coming 

 in late and in decreased volume. Canvas footwear, however, has 

 started very well. With dealers' stocks below normal and an 

 unusually early spring, dealers are ordering briskly to replenish 

 broken stocks. Tires are much less in demand than during the 

 past few years, but with greatly increased activity in the automo- 

 tive industry since April 1 a fairly good spring and summer tire 

 business is anticipated. 



MISCELLANEOUS MASSAOHTTSETTS NOTES 



The newly elected officers of the Acushnet Process Co., Inc., 

 New Bedford, Massachusetts, are as follows : Philip E. Young, 

 president; John S. Lowman, vice-president; Lothar E. Weber, 

 secretary and treasurer; Flora M. Stewart, assistant treasurer. 



The Stedman Products Co., South Braintree, Massachusetts, 

 lias been organized as a subsidiary of the Monatiquot Rubber 

 Works Co., maker of "Naturized" rubber, to market its sole, 

 heel and flooring products. 



The New England Tire & Rubber Co. has completed its new 

 factory at Holyoke, Massachusetts, which has a capacity of 1,000 

 tires a day. The Boston agent for Holyoke cord tires, the City 

 Rubber Co., 288 Cohunbus avenue, announces that the fire de- 

 partments of Boston, Cambridge and Somerville are using these 

 tires. 



Frederick N. Hamerstrom, for the past two years vice-president 

 and director of sales for the Essex Rubber Co., Trenton, New 

 Jersey, has been appointed sales manager for the Converse Rub- 

 ber Shoe Co., Maiden, succeeding E. B. Pearson, who has been 

 made manager of the finance department of the Converse com- 

 pany. 



The window displays of Converse tiro and footwear making 

 which have been attracting attention in Boston recently formed 

 one of the most interesting exhibits at the Maiden Industrial 

 Exposition, held under the auspices of the Maiden Chamber of 

 Commerce, an event in which some fifty different manufacturing 

 firms were represented. 



B. H. Pratt, general manager of the Federal Rubber Co., 

 Cudahy, Wisconsin, has just completed a business tour of the 

 New England states. 



