416 



THE INDIA RUBBER WORLD 



[June 1, 1912. 



of rubber adheres to lint does not adhere to the fabric. 



One more point the rubber mill man has learned by 

 experience — that the cleaner, straighter and freer from 

 wrinkles or distortion the fabric, the better will be the 

 results. 



In some cases, particularly in the spreader coating, 

 many treat the fabric as of very little value ; yet cases 

 can be cited where the application of preventive 

 mechanism would save many dollars spent in restora- 

 tion. All of which leads up to the very plain corollary 

 that where the cotton knowledge of the rubber man 

 does not mesh with the cotton knowledge of the man- 

 ufacturer of fabrics there is trouble. 



which would result in a row. Garden hose manufac- 

 turers would not view with equanimity the employ- 

 ment by the mackintosh men of a rain maker in the 

 hose season, for example. 



RUBBER CLUB AMBITIONS. 



A NOTABLE change in the constitution of the 

 Rubber Club of America was made on the oc- 

 casion of the annual meeting in Boston, April 29. 

 Heretofore the club has been purely social, and be it 

 remarked particularly successful in that important de- 

 tail. If matters of trade interest were brought to its 

 attention, committees were appointed to look after 

 them, and then the club's responsibility ceased. Un- 

 der the amended constitution the club undertakes 

 "the furtherance of educational and scientific research 

 in india-rubber production and manufacture, and the 

 promotion of the welfare of the rubber industry." 



The additional class known as "firm membership," 

 with annual fees of $25, is expected not only to bring 

 the needs of the trade before the club in concrete form, 

 but to furnish funds for the correction of evils and 

 abuses — present and future. 



The new type of members will not in any way inter- 

 fere with, or handicap, the original aim of the club, 

 as while they wnll possess all of the privileges of the 

 active and associate members, their individual or col- 

 lective efforts, differences, failures and triumphs will 

 be threshed out between themselves, and paid for out 

 of their own pockets. 



That the "firm members" will have ample field for 

 work goes without further argument. There is still 

 rubber stealing; there is standardization of rubber, of 

 ingredients, of products ; there are unfair tariffs, ab- 

 surd state laws, overlapping trade-marks, antiquated 

 and injurious trade customs. Effort for the ameliora- 

 tion of abuses of this sort will doubtless be welcomed 

 by the trade, and, if successful, redound to the glory 

 of the club. There might also be efforts to do certain 

 things that will help one class and damage another, 



GIANTS OF THE RUBBER TRADE. 



THE consolidation of The B. F. Goodrich Co. and 

 the- Diamond Rubber Co. is altogether, the most 

 interesting news feature in the world's rubber trade 

 this month. It takes very little analysis to see what 

 a distinct advantage both companies secure by com- 

 ing together. Their plants are side by side, divided 

 onlv by a narrow street. The active heads of the busi- 

 ness not only belong to the same social set, but all 

 have their homes in the vicinity of Perkins Hill, and ^ 

 are likely therefore to be well in touch with each other 1 

 during business hours and after. 



Then, too, department consolidation offers many 

 opportunities for economy over even the present 

 splendid organizations. Instead of two mechanical 

 departments there will doubtless be one, and so on 

 in the consolidation of departments for solid, bicycle 

 and automobile tires, shoes, etc. Such arrangement 

 also in purchasing and selling is right in the line of 

 large economies and greater efficiency. 



The shrinkage of 120 selling agencies to one half 

 as many, and the saving in marketing and advertising 

 will naturally be very large. 



That the United States Rubber Co. appreciates the 

 strong position that the other corporation holds is, 

 perhaps, reflected in the following paragraph from 

 the president's address at the last annual meeting: 



"Among the things that I advocate is the immediate 

 construction by the United States Rubber Co. of the 

 largest and best tire plant in the world in order to 

 meet the growing demand for our tires. 



"I feel that we are warranted in this undertaking 

 from my belief that the tire industry is still in its in- 

 fancy, and that although the principle of the 'survival 

 of the fittest' may be found to apply, the splendid 

 organization of the United States Tire Co. will be able 

 to market a much larger volume of tires than the 

 United States Rubber Co. with its present capacity 

 (although now operating four tire factories) is able 

 to manufacture." 



No two companies could be more differently ar- 

 ranged or administered. The factories of the United 

 States Rubber Co. are to be found in Massachusetts, 

 Rhode Island, Connecticut, New Jersey, Ohio, 

 Michigan, Canada, and Illinois. The American fac- 

 tories of the new company are centered in Akron. 

 The United States Rubber Co. makes all lines of rub- 

 ber goods, with the exception of hard rubber. The 



