Al'KIL I, I904.] 



THE INDIA RUBBER WORLD 



245 



THE RUBBER TRADE IN TRENTON. 



BY A RESIDENT CORRESPONDENT. 



TO the Editor of The India Rubber World: The 

 strike in the rubber factories here, reported in this cor- 

 respondence last month, is still in progress. As representing 

 the attitude of the minufacturers in this connection, it may be 

 worth while to quote a statement signed by them collectively, 

 which appeared in one of the Trenton newspapers on March 

 20, as follows : 



We, the following rubber manufacturers of the city of Trenton, 

 hereby wish to make it known that we are not seeking a conference with 

 any labor organization for the purpose of settling a strike, notwithstand- 

 ing the fact that some newspapers of late have published statements to 

 that effect. 



We are running our mills to good advantage, having the usual force 

 of men at work, and while applications from worthy ex-employes are 

 receiving every possible consideration, yet on no account will the manu- 

 facturers discharge any of the men now at work to make room for men 

 who went out on the strike. 



The manufacturers desire to repeat that, as far as they are concerned, 

 they consider that the strike is over, and further insist upon the right to 

 pursue their business peaceably and according to their best judgment. 



CRESCENT BELTING AND PACKING CO. 



EMPIRE RURBER MANUFACTURING CO. 



EUREKA RUBBER MANUFACTURING CO. 



GRIEB RUBBER CO. 



HAMILTON RUBBER MANUFACTURING CO. 



HOME RUBBER CO. 



TRENTON RUBBER MANUFACTURING CO. 



UNITED AND GLOBE RUBBER MFG. COS. 



WHITEHEAD BROTHERS RUBBER CO. 



It is fair to state that on March 22 a reply to the above 

 statement, from the standpoint of organized labor, appeared 

 also in the newspapers, signed by the committee having the 

 strike in charge. The committee deny having sought, in 

 their official capacity, to arrange a conference to arrange for 

 ending the strike, though they did, as representatives of other 

 bodies than the Rubber Workers' Union, interview certain 

 rubber manufacturers, without result. The committee also 

 say : " The statement that the mills are running as usual is un- 

 true, and this fact is well known, though they have a few hands 

 working." Oneof the signers of this communication is Thomas 

 H. Flynn, a national organizer of the American Federation of 

 Labor, with headquarters at Washington, D. C, who was sum- 

 moned to Trenton by the Rubber Workers' Union and is now 

 the official head of the strike. 



* # # 



W. J. Harney, financial secretary of the Rubber Workers 

 Union, deserted the organization on March 5 and returned to 

 work at the Whitehead mill. This had a depressing effect 

 upon the strikers, and the manufacturers say led to many of the 

 strikers asking for reinstatement. The leaders among the 

 strikers claim that practically all the skilled workmen are hold- 

 ing firm. The union held its regular meeting on March 24 and 

 at its close your correspondent was given this statement :" A 

 motion was made to declare the strike off, but it was not even 

 seconded. The meeting was largely attended and measures 

 were adopted which will have an effect on the rubber industry 

 of this city for years to come. All efforts lor a conference hav. 

 ing failed, the union decided to take aggressive action. Time 

 will tell the results." 



This is taken to mean that through the local Central Labor 

 Union and the American Federation of Labor the factories here 

 are to be placed on the unfair list and blacklisted all over the 

 country. 



A special meeting of the Rubber Worker's Union was held 



on March 27, to consider the question of continuing the strike. 

 After the meeting a statement was issued that about 400 

 members were present, and that the vote was overwhelmingly 

 in favor of keeping up the strike. 



* * * 



The Eureka Rubber Manufacturing Co. of Trenton have 

 branched out into the manufacture of insulated wire. New 

 machinery for this additional line has been installed and 

 already ten styles of braided and glazed telephone wire are 

 being made, besides several grades of rubber insulated wire for 

 outdoor work. Manager Lambert reports the new department 

 as successful and says a full line of insulated wire will be put 

 on the market in a short time. The Eureka company are in- 

 stalling a new " Jumbo " mill and an additional 42 inch mill for 

 friction calender work. These will make five mills that the 

 company have installed since the opening of the factory a year 

 ago. Two additional No. 4 Clark tubing machines have also 

 been put in, making six the company now have in use. The 

 factory is very busy. 



* * * 



The De Laski & Thropp Circular Woven Tire Co., incorpo- 

 rated last June, report progress in experimenting with the tire 

 as woven on the De Laski circular loom. Peter D. Thropp. an 

 officer of the company, states that they expect to be ready to 

 market the new tire by the middle of June. The company have 

 got the manufacture of the tire to a satisfactory point, and are 

 now making tests with regard to materials. The factory test 

 given each tire consists in running it to the surface of a rapidly 

 revolving wooden pulley with 800 pounds attached to the axle 

 on which the wheel is running to give the required pressure, a 

 1200 mile run being given. Some prominent tire manufactur- 

 ers have communicated with the company in regard to secur- 

 ing the circular woven fabric for use. Mr. Thropp said that 

 arrangements might be made to supply other manufacturers 

 with the fabric, but in any event the company here make com- 

 plete tires. 



» » » 



Taking of testimony in the suit of the Eureka Fire Hose Co. 

 (Jersey City) against the Eureka Rubber Manufacturing Co. of 

 Trenton, for an order restraining the latter company from using 

 the word "Eureka" was completed before Vice Chancellor 

 John R. Emory, in Newark, on February 24. The next step in 

 the suit will be the argument on the evidence which will take 

 place before the vice chancellor in Newark on April 4. The 

 main points in the evidence as presented by the Trenton com- 

 pany in its defense was that it used the word " Eureka " only in 

 its corporate name; therefore there was no infringement. As 

 an argument in favor of the right to use this word in its title, 

 counsel for the Trenton company cited the fact that 35 differ- 

 ent companies have been incorporated under the laws of New 



Jersey with the word " Eureka " in the corporate titles. 



» * * 



The suit of Colon Fulton against the Grieb Rubber Co., 

 which was tried at the January term of Mercer court and in 

 which Fulton was given a verdict of $6800, has been appealed 

 by the defendant company on the ground of no justification for 

 the verdict. The date for the argument on the appeal has not 

 been set. The plaintiff sued for damages for the loss of both 

 hands which were crushed in the machinery at the Grieb mill 

 where he was employed. The January trial was the third hear- 

 ing of the case. The two former verdicts were set aside by the 



court. 



« » * 



The Reliance Rubber Co. which was incorporated last 

 spring, and which got its factory in shape for business last fall, 



