June 1, 1921 



THE INDIA RUBBER WORLD 



681 



contains a total floor space nearly equal to that of the factory 

 proper. 



The tire departments of the Revere Rubber Co. at Eagle street, 

 Providence, are quiet, but in the other departments, especially 

 in the commercial sections, there is a moderate activity that will 

 probably continue for some months to come. There is no rush 

 demand but a consistent run of regular orders. 



On the same date that the National plant at Bristol began 

 operations, the Alice Mill of the Woonsocket Rubber Co. re- 

 sumed operations after being idle since February 19. The calen- 

 der room reopened on May 9, and the other rooms followed 

 in regular sequence so that by the end of the week the entire 

 plant was in operation. The plant is to run on reduced produc- 

 tion with only 60 to 70 per cent of the normal output. The 

 Millville plant of the same company, which has been closed since 

 last December, however, will remain closed: 



The plant of the Moimt Hope Spinning Co., at Warren, pro- 

 ducing tire yarn, was opened Monday morning. May 16, and about 

 250 are now being employed there. This number is to be increased 

 until the plant, both the old and the new mills, is running to ca- 

 pacity. There were more than 300 persons at the plant looking 

 for work when operations were resumed, but preference was given 

 to the former employes and the necessary number taken on to 

 make up the desired number for starting. The plant, which was 

 closed last September, after doing a rushing business since before 

 the war, has been running only a few hands on small orders for 

 several months. The new addition to the plant, which was erected 

 when business was booming, but which was not used because of 

 the sudden slump in business, is now to be put into operation. 

 During the period when the mill was practically at a standstill the 

 machinery of the entire plant was rearranged so that now there is 

 a perfect continuity of operations from the raw cotton as it en- 

 ters one end of the mill until it emerges, after a continuous per- 

 formance from one* machine to another, the finished product — fire 

 yarn. 



The United States Finishing Co., whose plants include the 

 Silver Spring Bleachery and the Queen Dyeing Works in Provi- 

 dence and the big Dunnell works at Pawtucket, shows $10,600,000 

 gross, but only $172,059 net profits for the year ended December 

 31, 1920, according to the statement that was made public a few 

 days ago. This net (after all charges and taxes) is equal on the 

 $3,600,000 preferred stock, to $4.77 a share. Full seven per cent 

 dividends on preferred, amounting to $252,000, were paid during 

 the year; likewise three quarterly dividends of \3/^ per cent each 

 on common stock, amounting to $143,937. Detailed income account 

 for the year ended December 31, 1920, follows (no comparison 

 with previous calendar year being possible) : gross income, 

 $10,616,128; cost of operation, $10,278,813; net, $337,315; other 

 income, $144,939; general taxes. $143,858; bond interest, $99,142; 

 loss on Liberty bonds, $57,637 ; Federal income tax of 1920, 

 $9,558; net profit, $172,059. Balance sheet as of December 31, 

 1920, shows quick assets of $1,871,234 and quick liabilities of 

 $313,596. leaving net working capital $1,557,638. 



Francis Sage, of Hastings, Michigan, has been selected by the 

 officials of the United States Rubber Co. to succeed M. I. Bowes 

 as superintendent of the Lawrence Felting Co. at Millville and be- 

 gan his new duties early in the past month, Mr. Bowes' resignation 

 taking effect May 1. Mr. Sage has been with the United States 

 Rubber Co. for many years, and in charge of the Hastings Wool 

 Boot Co. for the last several years in the capacity of factory 

 manager. He will continue to serve in that capacity besides 

 taking over the management of the Millville plant. 



MECHANICAL RUBBER GOODS MANUFACTURER 



THOMAS G. Richards, a native of Boston, Massachusetts, was 

 educated in the Boston public schools and at the Massachu- 

 setts Institute of Technology, from wliich school he was graduated 

 in 1894. Immediately following this, Mr. Richards began his 

 rubber manufacturing career in the 

 engineering department of the Bos- 

 ton Woven Hose & Rubber Co., 

 Cambridge, Massachusetts. He was 

 chief of this department for two 

 years in charge of plant develop- 

 ment, and later he held both the 

 positions of purchasing agent and 

 assistant superintendent for a year, 

 respectively. The essential ele- 

 ment controlling his rapid advance- 

 ment was conspicuous ability, which 

 gained him the post of factory 

 manager in 1899. His selection by 

 the company management was am- 

 ply justified by his record as a 

 competent executive and plant en- 

 gineer. 



In 1906, jointly with Charles 

 Beebe, then of the Boston Woven Hose & Rubber Co., Mr. 

 Richards organized the B. & R. Rubber Co., North Brookfield, 

 Massachusetts. Some years later he reorganized this concern 

 as the Quabaug Rubber Co. He served both of these companies 

 a combined period of fourteen years as president and manager, 

 resigning in November, 1920. 



Competition in the mechanical rubber goods manufactured at 

 North Brookfield led Mr. Richards to specialize in factory costing 

 and compounding and to develop an original system of factory 

 operation for maintaining production at the rated maximum. His 

 club connections are with the M. I. T. Chapter Delta Upsilon 

 and the Engineers' Club of Boston, Massachusetts. 



Thoma.s G. Richari).s 



Don't throw away your valve caps. Screw them on firmly 

 and prevent air leakage here. The valve plunger, a little 

 mechanism inside the stem, serves as an air lock during inflation, 

 but the valve cap is the secondary air seal during usage. Tire 

 men advise using the valve to inflate the tire and using the cap 

 to keep it inflated. — ^fi!lcr News Service. 



THE RUBBER TRADE IN MASSACHUSETTS 

 By Our Regular Correspondent 



P OLLowiNG the reduction of 20 per cent in Goodrich tire 

 prices on May 2, many other tire manufacturers throughout 

 the country have readjusted their price schedules as a stimulant 

 to larger retail sales, better stocking by dealers and increased 

 production. These revisions bring tire costs to the consumer 

 during the biggest buying months of the year down to or below 

 the pre-war level as represented by the 1913 schedules. It 

 practically means that a car owner may now buy five tires for 

 the former price of four, or get his spare tire free of charge. 

 Taking into consideration the fact that tires today give from 

 SO to 100 per cent greater mileage than they did eight years ago, 

 the conclusion is obvious that, based on comparative service, 

 they cost less than ever before. 



Massachusetts tire manufacturers have for the most part re- 

 sponded to the downward trend in prices, but in certain instances 

 their former price-lists were such that a 20 per cent reduction 

 was unnecessary to bring schedules down to approximately the 

 pre-war level for the class of goods being produced. Factory 

 reports generally indicate a marked rise in the production curve 

 to keep warehouse stocks ample since the new prices became 

 effective. 



Grow cord and fabric tires have been reduced 10 per cent, 

 Fisk cord and fabric tires from 12^ to 20 per cent. Converse 

 tire price reductions average 22 per cent on fabric tires, 15 per 

 cent on cords and 20 per cent on tubes. Hood prices have been 

 dropped 15 per cent on cord tires, 12;^ per cent on fabric tires 



