November 1, 1911.] 



THE INDIA RUBBER WORLD 



91 



THE RUBBER TRADE AT CINCINNATI. 



{By a Resident Correspondent.) 



RUBBER footwear manufacturers came in for their share 

 of criticism at the annual convention of the Ohio Retail 

 Shoe Dealers' Association, which was held in this city. It 

 was claimed by the association that the manufacturers are at 

 present practically compelling the purchase of rubber footwear 

 by retailers long before the stock is needed and that these 

 goods must be paid for by December 1 in order to secure a 

 discount which would at all compensate for the additional 

 time it is necessary to carry the stock. It is explained that the 

 dealers do not begin to realize on the stock until after Decem- 

 ber 1, because of the fact that there is little demand for rub- 

 ber footwear until after January 1. Another grievance held 

 by the members of the association against the manufacturers 

 is that notwithstanding the downward tendency of the market 

 on the raw material there has been absolutely no reduction 

 of the price quoted by the manufacturers en the finished prod- 

 uct. The dealers claim that despite the fact that there has 

 been a tremendous reduction in the price of raw material since 

 last year, the manufacturers have not seen fit to reduce the 

 price on rubber footwear. The association members claim 

 that the price of rubber footwear should fluctuate with the 

 market, as do automobile tires and certain other rubber prod- 

 ucts, and they hold that they are being discriminated against 

 not only in that they are compelled to purchase and pay for 

 their goods before the sale season is actually on, but must pay 

 prices entirely out of proportion to the cost of production. 



The matter of bringing about an adjustment of the grievance 

 held by the association was referred to a committee with in- 

 structions to formulate plans whereby the association will get 

 a "square deal" from the manufacturers. Before the conven- 

 iion closed the committee through its chairman G. C. Marsh, 

 who is vice-president of the association, gave out the statement 

 that the association will either finance a company for the manu- 

 facture of rubber footwear, or either have the entire associa- 

 tion combine and make its purchases in immense quantities to 

 secure a reduction in price and then distribute to the retail 

 dealer. The association seems more inclined toward the plan 

 of each member placing his order with one member of the 

 association and have that member combine the orders into one 

 large order and have the goods shipped to a central point in 

 the state and reshipped from that point. 



Captain J. F. Ellison of this city has been appointed head of 

 the navigation department of the Port of Para Company, which 

 has headquarters in Paris and New York. Capt. Ellison will 

 be in command of the company's fleet of 40 new steel steamers, 

 which will open up the Amazon river as it never has been, de- 

 velop the great rubber producing field and put the state of 

 Bolivia on the map commercially. Capt. Ellison is the secretary 

 of the National Rivers and Harbors Congress, and also secre- 

 tary of the Ohio Valley Improvement Association. He has 

 resigned the secretaryship of both these organizations. The 

 salary he is to draw is not stated, but it may be accepted that 

 it is the largest ever paid an American river steamboat man. 

 He has signed a contract for three years, and will leave in 

 December to assume charge of the navigating interests of the 

 company. He will be accompanied by the 30 best steamboat 

 engineers, captains and pilots of the western rivers. The 

 amount of money the Port of Para company plans to extend is 

 not stated, but already $13,000,000 have been spent on the Port 

 alone. The Madeira and Mamore railroad, 210 miles long, is 

 now being built by the company. Of the 40 steel steamers 

 that are nearing completion, 14 of this number being built in 

 this country, will ply on the principal upper tributaries of the 

 Amazon, Madeira, Purus and Jura, and connect with the 12 



Holland-built boats which will be confined to the deeper chan- 

 nel of the Amazon. The value of the commerce it is expected 

 this company will do may be estimated from the fact that 

 hardly less than $100,000,000 will be invested, to open the new 

 rubber field, while 25 tons of supplies must go up the river for 



every ton of rubber produced. 



* * * 



B. M. Lovell, formerly connected with the Chicago branch 

 of the B. F. Goodrich Co., has been assigned to the Cincinnati 

 branch of the company, as manager, succeeding J. V. Blake, 

 who resigned to accept a position with a blank book publishing 

 company in Michigan. 



RUBBER INDUSTRY IN RHODE ISLAND. 



(Bji a Resident Correspondent.) 



THE condition of business in the rubber mills and factories 

 making insulated wire in Rhode Island has been steadily im- 

 proving since the close of summer, and may now be said to be on 

 a satisfactory basis with all factories working, not only on full- 

 time schedules, but in several instances running nights. 



The depression, which during the latter part of the summer was 

 responsible for the closing of some of the largest plants in this 

 section, has been so much relieved that those at the head of the 

 mills that felt it most say they do not expect another shutdown 



in a long time. 



* * ♦ 



The National India Rubber Co. at Bristol is running its large 

 factory on a full-time basis now, and frequently during the past 

 month has been forced to operate several hours evenings to fill 

 orders. Business is especially good in the wire insulating depart- 

 ment, although large shipments of rubber shoes have also been 

 made recently. 



A system of towers is being added to the plant for the purpose 

 of connecting and operating auxiliary buildings of the wire in- 

 sulating department by machinery. Work on the erection of the 

 towers began recently in charge of Contractor W. G. Murphy, of 

 Warren. 



It is planned to use ropes and pulleys for the outside buildings 

 of the wire department instead of leather belts, since it has been 

 found by tests made that the ropes can accomplish as much as the 

 belts. Foundations of stone and concrete have been laid, and it is 

 expected that within two weeks they will be completed and the 

 new buildings in use. 



Many of the orders which this firm is filling are from the 

 Southwest and the Pacific coast, and in the event of a rush 

 brought on by cold weather, the company has well-filled store- 

 houses of the manufactured product which may be drawn upon. 



* * * 



Arthur L. Kelley, president of the Mechanical Fabric Co., of 

 Providence, has been made a member of the executive committee 

 of the Tariff Publicity League, an association just formed in 

 Providence among the leading manufacturers of Rhode Island. 

 The purpose of the league is to disseminate information which 

 will tend to show what the league regards as baneful effects re- 

 sultant upon tariff tinkering, and more especially from the pros- 

 pective lowering of protective schedules. 



* * * 



Additional hands are being constantly taken on at the Provi- 

 dence plant of the United States Tire Co., which is operated day 

 and night. Work on three new buildings, which materially in- 

 crease the size of the plant, has just been started. Each of these 

 is of one story in height, arid constructed of wood. One of the 

 new buildings will be used as a storehouse, while the others are 



for sheds. 



* * * 



A recent addition made to the plant of the American Electrical 

 Works at Phillipsdale is a stranding department, which is now in 



