August 1, 1912.] 



THE INDIA RUBBEIR WORLD 



537 



company. While the full plans of the new management of this 

 concern are not yet ready to be made public, it may be stated that 

 new styles will be introduced, up-to-date methods adopted, and 

 with finer quality, larger assortment of styles and kinds, and a 

 wider field, the new ownership and management will make this 

 company a more prominent one in the footwear industry. 



The Revere Rubber Co. is doing some extensive consumer 

 advertising of its Spring-Step Rubber Heel, several e.xpensive 

 mediums of national circulation being given large and expensive 

 advertisements. At the Shoe and Leather Market Fair, held in 

 this city the middle of last month, a fine display was made of this 

 specialty. A' large picture of the factory was so arranged that a 

 continuous stream of rubber heels flowed from the factory door 

 into a big basket. At the front of the booth a Bunker Hill Monu- 

 ment covered with heels was kept revolving by an electric motor. 

 "The House of the Spring Step Heels" was a model of a house 

 built up of these heels and electrically lighted in the interior. 

 There was a novel rubber plant which blossomed out in rubber 

 heels. A handsome youth was dressed in continental fashion, 

 who distributed neat gold-plated scarfpins of Paul Revere with 

 a Spring Step Heel. 



George P. Whitmore, who has not been in the best of health 

 for some time, was present at the fair one day, and received the 

 congratulations of many visitors on the novelty of his exhibit. 

 Mr. Gunlock, of Chicago, who has charge of the heel advertising 

 of this company, was also a visitor. 



Many of his friends were glad to see Secretary W. H. Gleason, 

 of the Revere Rubber Co., at the outing of the Rubber Club of 

 America on July 16. Mr. Gleason has been ill for nearly six 

 months, and although not entirely recovered, is so nuich improved 

 that he was able to grasp this opportunity to see many of his 

 fellow members of the club and enjoy the outing in a quiet way. 



The Tyer Rubber Co.'s new tire factory at Andover, is ap- 

 proaching completion, and the company expects to occupy it and 

 begin operations in it early next fall. The demand for their 

 tires is strong and growing more imperative every month, and 

 the officials are regretting that the factory cannot be ready to 

 turn out tires during the height of the automobile season. 



Work on the Robert Dawson Evans memorial annex to the 

 Art Museum in this city, an architect's drawing of which ap- 

 peared in the I.mdi.v Rubber World for June, last, is progressing 

 rapidly. The excavation is completed, as are also the foundations 

 of reinforced concrete. This work has been completed ahead of 

 contract time, owing to more favorable conditions than were 

 anticipated. The building is to be finished by March, 1914, and 

 present indications point to its completion prior to that date. 

 * * * 



The Foster Rubber Co., of this city, made a big hit at the 

 recent Shoe and Leather Market Fair, by parading through the 

 building at stated intervals their big black cat, or animated trade- 

 mark. This cat, which stands over six feet high (measuring to 

 the end of its perpendicular tail), was made by the property man 

 of the Boston Opera House. The motive power is a man inside. 

 who walks on all-fours, turns on the green electric lights in the 

 eyes, arches the back and otherwise disports himself as a feline. 

 The black cat is the trade-mark of this company's "Catspaw 

 Heels" and every visitor who could be reached was tagged with 

 a heel-shaped pin of celluloid, ornamented with a black cat 

 William Xoll, the advertising manager of the company, was on 

 duty during the seven days of the fair, pushing the heels into 

 wider publicity. 



THE RUBBER TRADE IN AKRON. 



By a Resident Correspondent. 



THE I\Iiller Rubber Co. have increased their capital stock 

 from $500,000 to $1,000,000. Not long ago this com- 

 pany issued $100,000 stock to stockholders at par and the same 

 was immediately subscribed in full. Then $100,000 stock was 

 issued to stockholders at 150, and this has been mostly sub- 

 scribed. The purpose of the sale of this new stock is to secure 

 funds to build a new plant which will be located in Kenmore 

 on the. outskirts of Akron. The first new building is to be for 

 dipped goods. 



There has been a considerable rise in most rubber stocks in 

 the last month, Goodyear Tire and Rubber Co. stock going as 

 high as 340. President F. A. Seiberling, of the Goodyear Tire 

 and Rubber Co., is quoted as saying :" "I do not know the c^se 

 of the recent rise in Goodyear stock unless it is due to a specu- 

 lative fever that has placed a fictitious value on most of Akron's 

 rubber stocks, and which has no sound basis worthy of an 

 investor's consideration. 



"There is not the slightest foundation for these merger 

 rumors, and if I understand the temper of the management, 

 there is not the remotest possibility of the Goodyear being 

 absorbed by any of them, and I am equally certain that there 

 is no thought of its becoming an absorber. I regret exceedingly 

 that such rumors are put out, as whether it is the purpose of 

 those circulating them or not to boom the value of stocks, it 

 has the effect of doing so, and makes for an unhealthy situation 

 in our community. 



"The basis of value of any stock is its intrinsic worth, its 

 proven earning power and its trade prospects, but rumors as to 

 deals have no place in fi.xing real values, and should not be 

 considered by investors in forming their judgment. 



"Any of the preferred stocks of the leading companies of 

 Akron are sound investments, with earnings under them that 

 can undoubtedly maintain their dividends ; but the common 

 stocks are variable in their earning ability, and though earn- 

 ings in the past few years have been more than satisfactory, it 

 is unreasonable to suppose that this position will be indefinitely 

 maintained, since the business is becoming more intensely 

 competitive daily." 



Seventy members of the Indiana Four-States Tour, repre- 

 senting automobile manufacturers of Indiana spent Friday, Sat- 

 urday and part of Sunday as guests of the rubber manufac- 

 turers of Akron. Complete arrangements had been made for 

 their entertainment here. Soon after the party arrived, the 

 members were taken to Young's Hotel, where a chicken and 

 fish dinner was served. 



With one exception there were no speeches. C. F. O'Leary, 

 of Indianapolis, took occasion to thank the Akron manufac- 

 turers for the entertainifient soon after dinner, pointing out 

 that he was glad to see a spirit of co-operation among the busi- 

 ness men of Akron, the same sort of co-operation, he said, that 

 characterized the Indianapolis manufacturers and made the Four- 

 States' Tour possible. After dinner the party left Young's and 

 came to Akron, where a theatre party was given at the Casino. 



Considerable excitement was created in Akron when the tour- 

 ists arrived. The streets were lined with people who welcomed 

 the Indiana party with cheers, and flags and bunting floated from 

 practically every business house. The Indiana machines were 

 decorated in a fitting manner and were piloted into Akron by a 

 local car driven by G. Ben Molz, secretary of the Akron Auto- 

 mobile Club. 



On Saturday morning the party was taken through the lead- 

 ing rubber factories. The afternoon was spent at tlie ball park, 

 attending the Akron-Canton game. In the evening dinner was 



