November 1, 1911.] 



THE INDIA RUBBER WORLD 



for photographs, samples and knowledge, and it is well 

 that it is so, for there lies the possibility that the next 

 generation may understand the rudiments of rubber as 

 well as they do of steel, paper or any of the important 

 factors of modern industrv. 



A BRITISH CRITICISM OF PIECE WORK. 



THE "India Rubber Journal" prints a long letter from 

 an official in the "Amalgamated Society of India 

 Rubber Works" of Alanchestcr, England, criticising the 

 piece work system in vogue in rubber factories in the 

 United States. It is in fact, an attempt to answer an 

 article published in The India Ri-rber World, August 

 1, 1911, entitled, "Piece Work and Bonus Payment in 

 Rubber Mills." 



One point made is that the whole American idea seems 

 to be to "hustle," which vexes the waiter's soul. He 

 says : "We, as workers, claim the right of collectively 

 saying at what price we are prepared to sell our only 

 commodity, 'labor power.' " That is perfectly correct. 

 No fair man denies it. Piece work is all based upon 

 labor power. One man possesses more than another 

 however, and therefore has more to sell. He has the 

 right to sell it all, even if another does not possess quite 

 as much. The man with the capacity to do two days' 

 work in one will never be willing to come down to the 

 wage of the man who can barely do his day's w-ork. 

 Nor should his associates ask it of him. ]\Ian, laborer 

 or capitalist, is or should be a free agent. He should be 

 able to sell his labor for what it is worth unhampered 

 by anyone. Between the grind of corporations and the 

 tyranny of labor organizations, the laborer certainly has 

 a liard time. His only hope is to "hustle" and get a 

 bit ahead, and thus, in a measure, be free from both. 



CAN RETAILERS SUCCEED AS MANUFACTURERS. 



A T the convention of the Ohio Retail Shoe Dealers' 

 ** Association, recently held in Cincinnati, where 

 considerable time was devoted to the discussion of 

 the prevailing level of footwear prices, — which in the 

 opinion of the members of that convention are unduly 

 high, — a committee was appointed with instructions 

 to formulate plans whereby the association could get 

 a "square deal" from the manufacturers. The chair- 

 man of this committee, who is also vice president of 

 the association, gave out the statement, — as reported 

 in another column by otir Cincinnati correspondent, — 

 that "the association will either finance a company 



for the manufacture of rubber footwear or have the 

 entire association combine and make its purchases in 

 immense quantities to secure a reduction in prices and 

 then distribute to the retail dealers." 



It is hardly likely that the Ohio retailers will permit 

 their disapprobation of the present price situation to 

 go so far as to make any very substantial subscription 

 towards the building and equipping of a rubber foot- 

 wear plant. Resolutions of displeasure are one thing 

 and hard cash advances for a manufacturing venture 

 (juite another. The sad experience in the past of 

 many rubber footwear enterprises that started with 

 rosy prospects and considerable cash in hand shows 

 that a certain amount of paid-in capital is not all that 

 is needed to insure the successful manufacture of rub- 

 ber boots and shoes. 



The alternative plan suggested by the committee 

 under which the retailers of that state should pool 

 their purchases appears rather more feasible, as this 

 requires simply organized cooperation and mutual 

 confidence and not any considerable financial advance. 

 If it should be put into practice and adopted by other 

 local retailing associations, the jobbers and sales de- 

 partments of the manufacturing concerns would have 

 a new and interesting situation to deal with. 



PATIENT STOCKHOLDERS GET THEIR REWARD. 



PATIENCE stands so high among the virtues that 

 there is a universal feeling that it should be en- 

 titled to its due reward. This feeling finds expression in 

 the accepted adage that "all things come round to him 

 who will but wait." 



The directors of the United States Rubber Co. at their 

 meeting on October 5 gave substantial proof — if any 

 were needed — of the trustworthiness of this ancient pro- 

 verb, when they declared a dividend on the common 

 stock of that company. The last dividend on this stock 

 was paid in April, 1900, eleven and a half years ago. 

 Forty-six times since then have the quarterly periods 

 rolled around, when dividends might have been paid, 

 but were not ; yet the holder of this common stock has 

 kept a stout heart and hoped on with a hope so buoyant 

 that during this barren period the stock has ranged much 

 of the time over $30 a share, has remained for many 

 consecutive months at over $40, has made periodical and 

 protracted excursions across the $50 line and once came 

 within half a point of $60. At last these patient waiters 

 have come into their reward, at least to the extent of the 1 

 per cent., just paid. 



