486 



THE INDIA RUBBER WORLD 



[July i; 1912. 



paving, making motoring safe on wet pavements and slippery 

 streets. Women driving electrics are discovering that the 

 Republic solid Staggard tire not only gives protection against 

 accidents but makes chains unnecessary." 



John H. Kelly, formerly Chicago manager and now general 

 sales manager of the company with headquarters at Johnstown, 

 Ohio, will be in Chicago to witness the reliability run to Mil- 

 waukee between the Chicago Motor Club and the Chicago 

 Athletic Association. 



* * * 



Gen. C. Edward Murray, treasurer of the Empire Rubber 

 Manufacturing Co., together with Col. Margerum, an old school 

 chum, were two of the most interested visitors to the convention. 

 F. B. McKay, local manager of the company, also attended the 

 big political fight. He expressed himself as pleased with both 

 the spectacle and the way that the rubber hose business is boom- 

 ing just now. George M. Munsa, formerly western salesman 

 for the company, has been placed in charge of the local tire end 

 of the business. He is succeeded on the coast by C. W. Linde, 

 of Portland, Oregon, formerly manager of one of the coast 

 branches of the Pacific Hardware and Steel Co. 



* * * 



Claire Kenyon, of C. Kenyon & Sons, Brooklyn, New York, 

 was one of the visitors to the convention. 



* * * 



S. E. Linton, formerly with the Livingston Company of Bloom- 

 ington, IlHnois, has joined the sales force of the Duck Brand 

 Company in Chicago. 



THE RUBBER TRADE IN RHODE ISLAND. 



By a Resident Correspondent. 

 A NEW tax law passed at the last session of the Rhode Island 

 •** General Assembly will exact a heavy toll from the rubber 

 industry of the State. There are eight corporations engaged in 

 this industry which come in under the provisions of the law be- 

 cause of the size of their capitalization. 



Under the old method of taxation real estate and personal 

 property were the two principal sources of income from taxation, 

 but under the new arrangement 40 cents is exacted from every 

 $100 worth of capitalization over $100,000. 



Taken in alphabetical order the rubber companies with the 

 amount of their corporate excess and the new tax levy are as 

 follows: American Wringer Co., $1,070,738.25, $4,282.95; Davol 

 Rubber Co., $134,956.05, $539.82; Mechanical Fabric Co., $557,- 

 096.49, $2,228.38; National India Rubber Co., $962,802.59, $3,- 

 851.21; Phillips Insulated Wire Co., $1,380,282, $5,521.12; Revere 

 Rubber Co., $1,631,090.76, $6,524.36; Washburn Wire Co., $539,- 

 285.94, $2,157.14; Woonsocket Rubber Co., $824,864.93, $3,299.45. 



* * * 



The hose room of the National India Rubber Co., at Bristol, 

 which was closed about two months ago when the business of 

 manufacturing fire hose, along with other departments, was 

 moved to Cleveland, Ohio, is to be one of the rooms at the plant 

 to be fitted for the purpose of manufacturing copper wire. This 

 room is 200 feet x 40 feet. The work of putting in concrete pier 

 foundations is nearing completion, and the task of constructing a 

 concrete floor is to be started soon. 



* * * 



Business has picked up to such an extent at the plant of the 

 Consumers' Rubber Co., Bristol, since the Walpole Rubber Co. 

 assumed control of the reorganized corporation, that an addition 

 is now being built. 



The new structure is to be 50 feet x 30 feet, two stories high, 

 and will be for the purpose of extending the calender and cutting 

 departments. General Manager Terrence McCarty states that 

 business is increasing at such a rapid rate that more additions 

 will probably have to be made soon. 



Early in June the manufacture of lawn tennis shoes at the 

 National India Rubber Co.'s plant was decreased slightly, and the 

 making of gum shoes was increased ten cases daily. 

 * * * 



The main shaft in the wire insulating department of the Na- 

 tional India Rubber Co.'s wire insulating department broke on 

 June 18 following the installation of a new rope belt and the 

 department was closed. Repairs were completed in two days and 

 200 persons returned to work. 



THE RUBBER TRADE IN SAN FRANCISCO. 



By a Resident Correspondent. 



' I 'HERE has been enough warm weather in San Francisco 

 •*• during the past few weeks to cause people to realize that 

 summer is on in earnest. Few men in the rubber business will 

 venture much guess as to the future of business, and yet from 

 their general remarks it is evident that all of them are now 

 doing as well as could be expected. Nothing is claimed for the 

 mechanical rubber business at the present time, owing to the 

 close competition, but good money is being realized all around 

 on the rubber tire business and druggist's sundries. A consider- 

 able amount of garden hose has been disposed of this summer. 

 The salesmen who are now taking orders for fall delivery 

 of rubber boots and shoes also report that they are meeting with 

 considerable success. The conditions commercially never looked 

 brighter than they do now, and it is safe to say that every rubber 

 merchant looks forward confidently to a big year for 1913. 



* * ^ 



The Bowers Rubber Works report, that they are now nearing 

 the close of the most prosperous fiscal year in the history of 

 their business. This firm has completed arrangements for open- 

 ing a new branch house in Seattle, Washington. They have 

 leased there a commodious store at 312 Occidental avenue, which 

 they have fitted up with every convenience for a modern branch 

 store, and will carry a full stock of the mechanical lines which 

 they manufacture. The business of the new branch will be in 

 charge of D. D. Tripp and F. A. Hollabaugh. Both of these 

 gentlemen have been with the company in the sales department 

 for a number of years, and are well qualified for their new posi- 

 tions. 



* * * 



R. H. Pease, president of the Goodyear Rubber Co., reports 

 continued improvement in business : — "There has been an un- 

 usual business on garden hose, which has been exceptionally 

 good on account of so much dry weather throughout the spriijg 

 and past winter. Naturally the boot and shoe business, by way 

 of advance orders, is coming in slowly, on account of our cus- 

 tomers having carried over stocks, but prospects are excellent for 

 a good fall trade." 



He H< ^ 



C. C. Case, vice-president and general manager of the Revere 

 Rubber Co., is now visiting the Gorham-Revere Rubber Co. in 

 San Francisco. 



Business with the new branch tire store of the Gorham- 

 Revere Rubber Co. has opened up well. This branch is located 

 at 569 Golden Gate avenue, and is fitted up with every appliance 

 and convenience of a modern tire store. The Gorham-Revere 

 Rubber Co. reports that the tire business has been very good, 

 and that the garden hose business for 1913 is opening up very 

 briskly, w'ith a large number of orders for hose to start with. 



The fire commissioners in San Francisco are again showing a 

 tendency to vacillation in the matter of requirements for bidding 

 on fire hose. Last month they made the way clear for open bid- 

 ding by doing away with their own private specifications. It 

 looks now as though they would readopt the specification sys- 

 tem, but eliminate the chemical tests. 



