522 



THE INDIA RUBBER WORLD 



April 1, 1921 



chase or building of a permanent home. Its operations are now 

 being carried on in rented property. In November last the com- 

 pany paid a 10 per cent cash and 100 per cent stock dividend. 



The recently elected officials of The Oldfield Tire Co., Akron, 

 are: Barney Oldfield, president; J. M. Dine, vice-president and 

 general manager; B. M. Robinson, secretary; H. L. Allsopp, 

 treasurer, and M. E. Moffett, assistant treasurer. 



The new factory of the Kelly-Springfield Tire Co., at Cumber- 

 land, Maryland, will probably be ready for operation on April 1. 

 The company does not expect to discontinue manufacturing at 

 Akron, Ohio, in the near future. 



Gove & Co., Inc., crude rubber broker of 25 Beaver street. 

 New York, has opened an oflice in the Central Savings and Trust 

 Building, Akron, Ohio. H. S. Vorhis, well known in the rubber 

 trade through his connection with association work, will be in 

 charge representing the firm in the western territory. 

 AKKON'S FOHEIGN TRADE PEOSPECTS 



Reports from all of the Akron rubber companies which do ex- 

 port business indicate that the economic conditions in most for- 

 eign countries are improving, so far as the rubber industry is con- 

 cerned and the belief generally held among export managers is 

 that foreign trade has seen its worst days and within the next few 

 months will gradually come back to a more normal basis. 



Orders received by cable from the various branch offices of the 

 Akron companies indicate that January and February show a 

 marked improvement over December. The improvement in ex- 

 change has materially increased business in Australia and will 

 open the field in England, France and Belgium as soon as purely 

 local economic conditions have been worked out. 



The business in Argentina has not been as seriously affected 

 by the economic conditions, which have been very bad in that 

 country during the past few months, as was anticipated. 



The orders received from Cuba during the past two months 

 amount to at least half the original normal figure, in spite of the 

 moratorium which is still in efifect. The fact that the Cuban 

 business is done on a strictly cash basis has made it very desirable. 



Orders are being received in large numbers from Japan. These 

 are looked upon as the first indication that the effects of the 

 break in the silk market of last year are rapidly being eflfaced 

 and a good business in that quarter of the Orient is anticipated. 



The greatest surprise in the export business during the present 

 year is an order for more than 100,000 automobile tires from 

 Mexico, with full guarantees for payment. The change in ad- 

 ministration, together with this large order, is making Akron 

 manufacturers study this field with closer scrutiny. 



In Germany the rubber companies have just started to make 

 tires of the better grade, and the indications are that they will 

 prove to be real competitors of the American manufacturers. At 

 present their output is small, because of the limited number who 

 are in a position to purchase tires, but it is believed the produc- 

 tion will be increased as the demands of the country expand, and 

 this will come with their ability to pay. 



The American exporter in Germany, however, has to his ad- 

 vantage better sales methods and delivery systems if he establishes 

 warehouses, it is beUeved, and, therefore, the Akron manufacturers 

 are not forgetting the number of tires that country purchased in 

 the past. 



The shifting of export managers, the trips made and planned 

 abroad, and the establishment of a branch of the foreign trade 

 department of the government in the Chamber of Commerce, 

 all indicate that foreign trade will be a larger factor in Akron 

 business in the future than it has been in the past. 



The Miller Rubber Co. has sent a letter to all salaried em- 

 ployes announcing decreases in salaries. The amount of the 

 decreases is not specified, although it is understood that they will 

 range from 10 to 25 per cent. 



The B. F. Goodrich Co. is tlie only one of the four large com- 

 panies which has not made similar announcements. Goodyear and 

 Firestone salaries were decreased some time ago. Goodyear de- 

 creases ranged froAi 10 to 20 per cent and Firestone's a flat 10 

 per cent 



Alfredo Serretos, formerly Minister of War of Mexico, is now 

 in the foreign trade department of The Miller Rubber Co. He 

 has recently returned from Mexico, where he made a complete 

 survey of the possibilities of trade e.xpansion. 



CLEVELAND NOTES 



The Southwark Foundry & Machine Co., Philadelphia, Penn- 

 sylvania, has opened a district office at 804 Swetland building, 

 Cleveland, where their direct representative, Stewart Boiling, a 

 sales engineer, who has been with the company for seven years, 

 will handle all rubber manufacturing machinery in the Cleve- 

 land territory. H. D. Andress will represent the firm on forged 

 steel tire molds. 



L. B. Timmcrman will take charge of the Cleveland office of 

 The Cutler-Hammer Manufacturing Co., Milwaukee, Wisconsin. 

 He will also act in the capacity of assistant to A. G. Pierce, man- 

 ager of the central district. 



MISCELLANEOUS OHIO NOTES 



Har\ey J. Woodard has resigned as vice-president in charge 

 of sales of The Republic Rubber Corporation of Youngstown, 

 Ohio, and as president of The Canton-Blackstone Co., of Canton, 

 Ohio, an affiliated subsidiary. He became associated with these 

 companies in 1917, after serving the Diamond Rubber Co. for 

 twelve years, from 1903 to 1912 acting as district sales manager 

 in New York. Later he was sales manager for the Knight 

 Tire & Rubber Co., Canton, Ohio.. Mr. Woodard's with- 

 drawal from his present activities in the rubber industry will 

 be regretted by all who have been associated with him. 



The Master Tire & Rubber Co., Dayton, Ohio, announces 

 the reelection of the following officers : W. B. Ruston, presi- 

 dent and general manager ; G. H. Witsaman, vice-president and 

 factory manager; H. G. Egbert, treasurer, and J. T. Nielson, 

 secretary. The new board of directors consists of the officers 

 and George Kramer, George Marshall, Jr., and Edward Luth- 

 man. 



During the months of November and December the company 

 is said to have closed $1,250,000 worth of business. After being 

 shut down for six weeks, operations were resumed on January 

 3, 1921, and shifts were increased to two a day on February 1. 

 The factory at present is approximately thirty days behind on 

 deliveries. The company has closed large contracts in Cuba, 

 India, Mexico and in South America. 



The Columbia Tire & Rubber Co. has removed its general 

 offices from Columbiana to Mansfield, Ohio, to occupy the new 

 office building adjacent to the new plant. The new plant will 

 be known as Plant No. 1, while the Columbiana, Ohio, plant will 

 be Plant No. 2. All general business of the company will be 

 transacted through the Mansfield offices, though both plants will 

 be in operation as business warrants operations on a 100 per 

 cent basis. The new plant is expected to begin operations 

 April IS. 



The Victor Rubber Co., Springfield, Ohio, announces the elec- 

 tion of H. S. Berlin as president and general manager. Mr. 

 Berlin was formerly in an executive capacity with the Firestone 

 Tire & Rubber Co., Akron, and has been connected with the 

 rubber tire industry for several years. H. H. Durr, as secretary 

 and treasurer; Frank R. Talbott, factory manager; C. A. Swine- 

 hart, sales manager; J. J. Anzalone, comptroller, and P. C. 

 Leffel, purchasing agent, will assist Mr. Berlin in the manage- 

 ment of the company. 



For 21 years the Victor Rubber Co. has produced rubber 

 carriage tires and sundry products, and during the last seven 



