358 



THE INDIA RUBBER WORLD 



I-'ebriakv 1, 1921 



THE RUBBER TRADE IN RHODE ISLAND 

 B\ Our Regular ()orre>|>oii<leiil 

 ""yiie GENERAL DEPRESSION in industrial affairs which has hicii 

 * growing steadily worse during the past three months is now 

 making itself keenly felt in the rubber manufacturing plants of 

 Rhode Island and it is claimed that the outlook in the rubber busi- 

 ness is far from encouraging. This atTects all lines of boot and 

 shoes as well as tires of every description and while hopes are 

 expressed for an early revival the present indications do not war- 

 rant excessive optimism. 



Because of the very open winter and for other reasons the lucal 

 plants have had less work than has been experienced in several 

 years. In the rubber boot situation Government sales of large 

 quantities of rubber boots that were bought for the army during 

 the war have lessened the demand, already reduced because of 

 weather conditions. 



N'early 4,000 employes of the Xational India Rubber Co. at 

 Bristol are out of work owing to the shutting down of the factory 

 on January 14 for an indefmite period. This shutdown afifects the 

 shoe department to a greater extent than it does the wire divi- 

 sion, which will continue production on approximately the present 

 scale of five eight-hour days per week, although it is expected 

 that there may be a curtailment made in this division early in 

 February. 



l-oUowing a meeting of the factory council about tlie middle of 

 the month the official notice of the shutdown was posted at the 

 plant reading :"Keds division will complete all work laid out on 

 the ticket, each department shutting down as its work is coni- 

 jileled. 



"The last day's outside cutting will be January 13. Thereafter 

 all departments of the Keds department will be considered as 

 closed indefinitely until further notice. About February 26, 1921, 

 we will issue statement as lo later prograin. 



"The wire division will continue production on approximately 

 the present scale of five eight-hour days per week for the re- 

 mainder of January. It is also intended to continue a partial 

 production during February, which may be announced somi time 

 ihiring the first week in February. 



"In the mechanical division only such men will be retaimil as 

 are necessary for current repairs and maintenance and the work- 

 ing time after January 28 will be curtailed as much as possible. 



"The traffic and shipping departments and central stores depart- 

 ment will perform only such work as is absolutely necessary, 

 which will mean a radical curtailment after January 28, 1921. 



"In any and all departments of the factory it will be our policy 

 to utilize the services of salaried men and women from depart- 

 ments which are shut down and we resume the right to give them 

 preference in all cases over persons working upon an hourly basis. 

 "Further curtailment of clerks will be managed as individual 

 cases in which the person concerned will be interviewed by the 

 head of the department." This is signed by E. I. Cooper, factory 

 manager, and Sam Connery, chairman of the factory council. 



By the closing of the National India Rubber Co.'s plant it Iie- 

 came necessary to also close the DeWolf Inn for an indelinite 

 period, and which for the past five years had been an ideal home 

 for the young women employed at the factory, b'ive years ago 

 the Xational management purchased the DcW'nlf Inn to accom- 

 modate the large number of out-of-town enijiloyes who worked 

 at the plant but were unable to obtain boarding places in the 

 town. .-\t one time when the factory was running on full tune 

 there were 170 women at the Inn, but there were only about 70 

 there when it closed its doors because of the shutdown of the 

 factor). Likewise the Day Xursery on High street which has 

 been maintained by the Xational management is also closed. 



The total amount of money received for enrollment in tlie 

 fotirth roll call of the American Red Cross in Bristol was $2,246.90, 

 of which the sum of $1,424.70 was secured at the factory <if the 

 -Vnlionnl India Rubber Co. 



Officials of the Woonsocket Rubber Co. about the same tune 

 that the notices were posted at the Xational plant in Bristol 

 caused notices to be posted in the .Mice Mill that it would go on 

 a short-time working schedule to become effective January 20. 

 The new schedule called for 34'-4 hours a week, which means a 

 six-hour day for five days a week with 4'/. hour on Saturdays. 

 Heretofore the plant employing over 1,600 operatives has been 

 running 48 hours a week It is claimed by the management that 

 business conditions necessitated this action. 



The Woonsocket plant of the American Wringer Co., which in 

 normal times employs <;00 hands, announced a 20 per cent wage 

 reduction effective January 17. The plant has been partially 

 shut down since Xovember 20, only about 150 employes being 

 kept at work. Xo date has been set for the reopening of the 

 plant, although the officials say that indications are promising for 

 a resumption of work in the near future. The companv an- 

 nounced price reduction-- „f its pro.Iucts on October 10^ and 

 .igani on January 6. 



The Manson-Shcrman Manufacturing Co., which was recently 

 Micorporated under the laws of Rhode Island, to be located in 

 Providence, with a capital stock of $20,000, has secured a plant at 

 W Sprague street, Providence, and will manufacture elastic braids 

 .nid woven tapes for the electrical and clothing trades. The new 

 concern will begin with an equipment of three narrow fabric 

 looms having a combined capacity of 116 shuttles on single tapes 

 and 30 flat braiders for making one-quarter and narrower elastic 

 braid. 



The Revere Rubber Co. has been making extensive alterations 

 and improvements in its garage on Hemlock street. Providence, 

 ■^o that it will aftord accommodations for at least thirty cars" 

 The company is also erecting a steel building to be used for the 

 Housing of the small locomolive that is used for yard and switch- 

 ing purposes in handling freight cars on the spur tracks that 

 niter the company's plant. 



tliarles A. Roberge is the sole owner of the business that is 

 being conducted at 88 Front street. Woonsocket, under the firm 

 style of the Roberge Truck Tire Sales. 



The J. M. Gibbons Tire Co., 103 Aborn street. Providence, is 

 "wiied and conducted 'by J. M. Gibbons, of Providence, and A.' C. 

 Anderson, of East Providence 



Edward M. Hayes et al., have given a chattel mortgage for 

 $15,000 to the -Xjax Rubber Co., Inc., on tires, tubes, auto acces- 

 sories, etc., at 119 Broadway, Providence. 



THE RUBBER TRADE IN OHIO 

 By Our Regular Correspondent 



"pii.NT the rubber tire industry is due for a real revival is the 

 A opinion of Akron rubber men, based upon automobile regis- 

 t rat 'on figures for the past year, gathered and given out by The 

 li. 1'. Goodrich Co. A total of 9,295,252 automobiles were regis- 

 tered in the United States last year, which is an increase of 

 1,691,236, or 22.2 per cent over the previous year, and the largest 

 increase in the history of the automotive industry. In 191U t|„. 

 increa.se was 1,457.300. 



Estimates based upon this number of automobiles indicate ihat 

 with each automobile wearing out four tires a year, the new 

 index figure used by .\kron rubber men, the number of tires 

 required for the coming year will be not less than 37,000.000 and 

 will furnish employment for approximately 120,000 men and 

 women. 



If these figures prove to be correct, the i)roduction for the year 

 will be only approximately ll.OOO.OOO less than it would have 

 lieen last year, when the peak production was estimated to be six 

 tires for the 8.000,0(K) cars then in operation. 



This will also be reflected in the crude rubber market, because 

 it is authoritatively estimated that not more than 72.000 tons are 

 now in the country, .-nid also in the fabric market, since the large 



