June i, 1904.] 



THE INDIA RUBBER WORLD 



321 



out the new policy outlined in the recent report of the United 

 States Rubber Co., of importing direct their requirements in 

 crude rubber.=—Direct imports of crude rubber by the United 

 States Rubber Co., since July 1, 1903, according to the statis- 

 tics published monthly in The India Rubber World have 

 amounted to 6,484,200 pounds of Para sorts and 2,400,500 

 pounds of Africans. 



AFFAIRS OF GEORGE WATKINSON & CO. 



A meeting of the creditors of George Watkinson & Co., the 

 bankrupt rubber shoe manufacturers, in Philadelphia, on May 

 20, adjourned without any definite action, and with the under- 

 standing that another meeting would be called soon. Lawyer 

 William M. Ivins, of New York, who appeared in behalf of 

 Heilbut, Symons & Co. (said to be the largest creditors), stated 

 that soon after the sale of the business of Watkinson & Co. was 

 confirmed, on January 20, 1904, it was learned that the estate 

 was likely to yield much less than was at first expected. Hence 

 a committee was formed, in behalf of the creditors, consisting 

 of Edward S. Hatch, for William Wright & Co.; C. O. Mayer, 

 for O. G. Becker & Co. ; and Mr. Ivins, for Heilbut, Symons & 

 Co., to examine the accounts of the estate. The meeting above 

 mentioned was called to hear the report of the committee, who 

 presented a petition, prepared by Mr. Ivins, asking for the re- 

 moval of the trustee — The Provident Life and Trust Co. — and 

 the sur-charging of its account. The report stated that the com- 

 mittee had found " not only an ordinary, but a very gross mal- 

 administration by those who are charged by the court 

 with the protection of our interests." Mr. Ivins declared that 

 after a creditors' meeting in April last, when the trustee was 

 given authority to borrow not more than $75,000, the latter 

 never went to the court or to the creditors for further author- 

 ity, but steadily went along to extend his liabilities until they 

 amounted to upwards of $ 202,000. In order to get thisamount 

 back in the treasury without letting the creditors know that the 

 business was losing money, Mr. Ivins contended the trustee ac- 

 tually expended §87,000 in manufacturing goods which after- 

 wards sold at a figure $54,000 less than the actual cost of pro- 

 duction, thus causing an actual loss to the creditors, he said, of 

 $141,000. There was much discussion over the adoption of the 

 report, but without result. No date was fixed for the adjourned 

 meeting. 



The India Rubber World's Philadelphia correspondent 

 reports: "The Watkinson factory, at Thirty-sixth and Reed 

 streets, has been sold to Mitchell and Pierson for $92,500, sub- 

 ject to ground rents aggregating $1830. The properties cover 

 an area of about 500 feet square with a large frontage on the 

 Schuylkill river. After the buildings are thoroughly over- 

 hauled they will be occupied by the purchasers as a glazed kid 

 manufactory." 



THE RUBBER TRADE IN CHICAGO. 

 BY A RESIDENT CORRESPONDENT. 



Weather conditions during the last month have not been in 

 the least to the liking of the rubber tire and garden hose 

 dealers. The latter part of April promised well for good 

 weather during May, but while May opened up with fine weath- 

 er it lasted only two days before the temperature fell. Cold, 

 threatening and frequently rainy weather predominated dur- 

 ing the greater part of the month. This seriously interfered 

 with automobiling and the automobile tire trade. The wet sea- 

 son also resulted in further delay by the consumer in laying in 

 garden hose. 



The last week of May, however, ushered in some genuine 

 spring weather. Local managers of the Goodrich, Goodyear, 

 Diamond. Hartford, and other tire manufacturers have had a 



taste of the kind of season they had hoped for earlier in the 

 year, though it will be impossible for them to make up the loss 

 caused by the unfavorable weather during April and May. 



In mechanical rubber lines, business has been good. While 

 there has been a slight let up during May as compared with 

 the volume of business done during April, the May showing 

 will be a little above the average. Several good contracts have 

 been landed by managers of local branch houses. R. T. Whelp- 

 ley, manager of the Chicago branch of The B. F. Goodrich Co., 

 secured a good contract this month from the United States 

 Steel Corporation for conveyor belting. 



The bicycle tire business has shown a still further falling off 

 as compared with that of last year. The motorcycle fad which 

 was to a certain extent expected to lead to a revival of bicycle 

 riding has not materialized in Chicago and the west. There 

 has been very little increase in numbers of those using the 

 motorcycle. 



The demand for bicycle tires, according to local managers, 

 should average, year in and year out, about the same. It is the 

 country trade that regulates that demand in Chicago and the 

 west. Eight years ago the city trade took the great bulk of 

 bicycle tires but when the craze for bicycle riding died out in 

 the cities the bicycle began to be adopted in the country towns 

 as a means of locomotion. The cheapness of the wheels 

 caused this demand to extend to the farmer boys and this de- 

 mand in the smaller towns in the country has continued. 



In the footwear line business has been exceedingly good for 

 this time of the year. The announcement of another 5 per 

 cent, advance by the United States Rubber Co. has caused 

 customers to rush in their detailed orders during the last two 

 or three weeks. While business among the jobbers in the rub- 

 ber shoe line is quiet, the manufacturers and their agents have 

 no cause for complaint. 



NEW INCORPORATIONS. 



The Seamless Rubber Glove Co. (Akron, Ohio), May 14, 

 1904, under Ohio laws, to manufacture rubber gloves; capital, 

 $25,000. Incorporators: Jacob Pfeiffer, William F. Pfeiffer, S. 

 G. Rogers, A. J. Rowley, and J. A. Bradley. The company 

 has no direct connection with the Miller Rubber Manufactur- 

 ing Co. (Akron), though owned by the same interests. Mr. 

 Pfeiffer informs The India Rubber World that the new 

 company has been organized for the purpose of jobbing certain 

 rubber goods that are not made by the Miller company. 



=The Duplex Rubber Co. (Cleveland, Ohio), May 7, 1904, 

 under Ohio laws ; capital, $10,000. Incorporators: Norton F. 

 How, H. J. Caldwell, C. L. Denton, A. R. How, and H. H. 

 Ollyn. 



=The Nailess Rubber Horseshoe Co., May 2, 1904, under 

 Colorado laws; capital, $100,000. Incorporators: Frank A. 

 Burnell, Joseph A. Osner, Frank A. Pattee— all of Denver, 

 Colorado. 



= The Chamberlin Rubber Co. (Rochester, N. Y.), April 22, 

 1904, under New York laws, to sell rubber goods ; capital, 

 $20,000. Directors : James R. Chamberlin, Jane Chamberlin, 

 George F. Nelson. To continue the business of retailing and 

 jobbing rubber goods established in Rochester by Mr. Cham- 

 berlin many years ago. 



= 01d Colony Rubber Co. (Jersey City, N. J.), May 22, 1904, 

 under New Jersey laws, to manufacture India-rubber and Gutta- 

 percha goods; capital, $125,000. Incorporators: Charles N. 

 King, Le Grand Bouker, W. Monds Greene — all of Jersey City, 

 Office: No. 243 Washington street, Jersey City. 



=The Overland Rubber Co., May 17, 1904, under Colorado 

 laws ; capital, $10,000. Incorporators : Cyrus B. Tullis, Charles 

 C. Collins, and Walter S. Tullis— all of Denver, Colorado. 



