February 1, 1912.) 



THE INDIA RUBBER WORLD 



221 



Tires in Garden and Palace. 



THE Twelfth Annual Automobile Show opened at Madison 

 Square Garden on the 6th of January, and the display of the 

 various types of pleasure vehicles and automobile accesso- 

 ries was, perhaps, the most complete and elaborate that has ever 

 been offered to the New York public. Every possible type of mo- 

 tor pleasure vehicle known, and every accessory, inckiding the 

 various devices that contribute to the building and operation of a 

 motor car, was at hand in elaborate setting, the whole going to 

 make one of the most brilliant and comprehensive e.xhibits ever 

 made in this line. 



Practically every .American manufacturer of motor cars was 

 represented, and it is safe to assume that few, if any, of the ac- 

 cessory manufacturers failed to make an attractive showing. 



The tires shown probably covered every type and carried every 

 improvement known up to the present time. While it is doubtful 

 if any new principle was involved in the exhibit, there were a 

 great many additions made to tires which had already acquired at 

 least a national reputation, and the usual claims for the various 

 merits of each vigorously exploited. A considerable increase in 

 anti-skid treads was a feature of this year's show, although noth- 

 ing radically new was shown. Tire vulcanizers of various sorts 

 were also very much in evidence. 



An appreciably increasing demand for demountable tire rims 

 was evident, and was especially noticed in connection with the 

 manufacture of high-priced cars, although rim manufacturers 

 had exerted themselves to produce a rim that can be consistently 

 used on a very moderate priced vehicle. 



There are a considerable number of important manufacturers 

 making pneumatic tires for automobiles in the United States, not 

 to mention a great many that cannot consistently be so classed. 

 The total annual production of tires in this country is claimed to 

 be in the vicinity of 3.500,000, the year 1911 being the greatest in 

 point of production since the inception ofmotoring, and it is gen- 

 erally assumed that during the current year all previous tire pro- 

 ducing records will be exceeded. The tire-consuming public is 

 afforded man\' and increasing opportunities to gain knowledge 

 in reference to the tires that they are buying, as most of the 

 large concerns issue literature periodically dealing with anti- 

 skids, air-pressures, over-sizes, normal load weights, etc. 



By a consumer covering a large annual mileage, literature of 

 this sort might be digested with reference to his particular inter- 

 ests and in the promotion of a reasonable conception of the tire 

 producer's end of it. It does not require much argument to indi- 

 cate that knowledge of this sort on the part of a tire buyer would 

 be mutually beneficial to himself and the tire maker, as there is 

 no doubt but that numberless claims made upon the tire manu- 

 facturers are the result of careless and improper treatment of 

 tires on the part of the consumer, which a proper understanding 

 on the part of the user, of the make up and capacity of the tire 

 would naturally obviate. 



Much progress has been made in the matter of tire repair dur- 

 ing the past year, perhaps the most important element of which 

 is the re-treading process. Blow-out patches and numberless 

 other emergency repair materials do much to increase the life of 

 a tire, though after all the most effective way to dispense with the 

 annoyance of a damaged tire is to acquire a new one. 



The truck exhibit held at the Garden from the 15th to the 20th 

 of January inclusive, really offered little of additional interest in 

 the way of tire or rubber accessory exhibits. This particular 

 display did, however, indicate the wonderful advance made dur- 

 ing the year 1911 in the development and demand for the power 

 truck, not to mention the significance of the showing made by the 

 fire department. 



It was demonstrated that actual sales of large quantities of 



heavy vehicles, especially trucks of three to five tons capacity, 

 were a conspicuous feature of commercial vehicle progress for 

 1911, perhaps, a rather surprising phase of which was developed 

 in the popularity of the electric-powered deliver}' vehicle. 



-•Another and very gratifying element of the motor truck in- 

 dustry is the improvement in construction, fastening processes 

 and the general adaptability of the truck tire, which is the out- 

 come of special effort on the part of some of the more important 

 makers of this product. 



The exhibition opening at Grand Central Palace, running from 

 January 10 to 17 inclusive, was most attractive, and housed 

 in a structure that has no peer in this country as an exhibition 

 building. 



Virtually all, if not all, of the tires at the Palace show were in 

 the Garden exhibition, and nothing new in the way of rubber 

 accessories seems to have developed. 



One of the particularly interesting exhibits was that of the 

 Peck Wheel Company, of Chicago, showing a spring wheel to 

 be used with a solid tire, the specific purpose being to provide for 

 the resistance that would otherwise be created by the tension of 

 the springs. Of course, its general purpose is the reduction of 

 tire troubles. 



THE EXHIBITS IN DETAIL. 



.^/.•\x-Gkieb Rubber Comp.\nv, Trenton, New Jersey; represen- 

 tative, Mr. J. L. Hoffman; showing Ajax tires guaranteed for 

 5,000 miles. 



B.'vT.\vi.\ Rubber Co.mi'.any, Batavia, New York; represented by 

 Mr. Ashton Wheeler Caney ; showing the Batavia Security- 

 Tread anti-skid tire. 



Consolidated Rubber Tire Company, New York, New York, Mr; 

 T. E. Roberts, representative ; showed a complete line of Kelly- 

 Springfield tires. This company also displayed its block tires 

 which seemed well adapted for heavy commercial work. 



Continental Rubber Works, Erie. Pennsylvania, Mr. W. J. 

 Surrey, representative; had a very interesting exhibit embrac- 

 ing the Continental-Erie tube, the Liberty tube, Continental- 

 Erie aeroplane tire and repair materials. 



Dayton Rubber Manufacturing Company, Dayton, Ohio, 

 represented by C. J. Cross & Co., 1878 Broadway, New York 

 City, showed Dayton airless tires carrying a 5,000-mile 

 guarantee. 



Diamond Rubber Company. Akron, Ohio, Mr. F. T. Lewis ex- 

 ploited its safety-tread tire, the special feature of which was its 

 skid-preventing property. The Silvertown Cord tire was also 

 one of the specialties shown. 



Double-Fabric Tire Company, Auburn, Indiana, represented by 

 Mr. R. S. Murray, offered a variety of tires and repair devices. 



Empire Tire Company, Trenton, New Jersey, whose interests 

 were represented by Mr. J. M. Shackleford, displayed four 

 interesting exhibits, in the Clincher tire, straight-edge over- 

 size tire. Empire red tubes and Empire tire reliner; all of 

 which were receiving their full share of notice. 



Endurance Tire and Rubber Company, New Brunswick, New 

 Jersey, E. W. Tabor, representative; displayed a guaranteed 

 red inner tube, claimed to be of unusual wear-resisting quality. 



Federal Rubber Manufacturing Company, Milwaukee, Wis- 

 consin, represented by Mr. Marcus Allen; made an interesting 

 display, including its smooth wrapped tread tire, "Rugged" ■ 

 non-skid and Federal inner tubes, and sundries. 



Firestone Tire and Rubber Company, Akron, Ohio, Mr. Daniel 

 C. Swander representative, had an interesting and well-attended 

 exhibit, including the well-known Firestone tires, inner tubes. 

 rims and accessories, of which the Firestone quick detachable 

 demountable rim attracted unusual attention. Firestone truck 



