THE INDIA RUBBER WORLD 



[Decembkr 1, 1919. 



Acti\ities of The Rubber Association of America. 



DIVISION MEETINGS. 



RLBBER Recl.mmers' Division.^-T he Rubber Reclaimers' Di- 

 . vision held its first meeting in several months on November 

 6 at the Yale Club and a number of matters of general interest 

 were given attention, the most important being ihc revision of the 

 standards of scrap rubber specifications and packing, which are to 

 be reissued as soon as they can be printed. 



Mechanical Rubber Goods Manufacturers' Division. — On 

 November 18 the Executive Committee of the Mechanical 

 Rubber Goods Manufacturers' Division held its regular monthly 

 meeting, which was well attended, and a number of subjects of 

 considerable interest to the division were given attention. As no 

 definite conclusions were reached with respect to the more im- 

 portant of the subjects, no announcement of the results can be 

 made at this time. 



Solid and Pneumatic Tire Manufacturers' Division.— The 

 Joint Executive Tire Committee, which meets regularly every 

 month, held its November meeting on the 19th and disposed of 

 a large docket which included subjects of considerable importance 

 to the industry, the conclusions of which are to be submitted 

 to all members of the tire divisions for ratification before being 

 made effective. The indications are that if the work of the Ex- 

 ecutive Committee continues to increase it will soon be neces- 

 sary for the committee to give more than one day a month 

 to division matters. 



The Traffic Department. — The Traffic Committee held its 

 regular monthly meeting on November 20 and the usual interest- 

 ing meeting was had and a large docket was handled. Among 

 the subjects of principal interest were the proposal to secure 

 more favorable rates in the West to cover mixed carload ship- 

 ments of rubber goods, and the policy to be pursued by the 

 carriers after their relinquishment by the Government in con- 

 nection with the handling of claims. 



Division Annual ]\Ieetings.— It has been the practice for all 

 divisions to hold their annual division meetings coincident with 

 the annual meeting of The Rubber Association of America, Inc., 

 which is scheduled for January 5 at the Waldorf-Astoria, New 

 York City. Division meetings have usually been held on the 

 morning of the day of the annual meeting or the afternoon 

 of the day before, but as January 5 is a Monday, some devia- 

 tion from the usual practice is necessary and division meetings 

 may have to be held later in the week. A program embodying 

 the schedule for all meetings of divisions or special committees 

 is to be issued as soon as possible. 



NEW MEMBERS. 



At recent meetings of the Executive Committee of the associa- 

 tion the following named new members have been elected, the 

 first three to firm membership and the last to associate member- 

 ship: 



Washington Tire & Rubber Co., Spokane, Washington. 



A. C. Spencer-Hess, New York City. 



W. J. McDavid & Co., Inc., New York City. 



Arthur B. Newhall, Hood Rubber Co., Waterfown, Massachu- 

 setts. 



FORMATION OF INDUSTRIAL RELATIONS COMMITTEE. 



. The Board of Directors of the Rubber Association has au- 

 thorized the formation of an industrial relations committee for 

 the association which is to serve as a medium for the discussion 

 and exchange of ideas respecting industrial relations. The term 

 'industrial relations'' is used in the broad sense as having ref- 

 erence to all of. the conditions attached to the relation of em- 



ployer and employe, including employment, sanitation, recreation, 

 shop rules, etc. 



During the period after the beginning of the European 

 war very unusual and radical changes were eflfected in 

 the relation of employer and employes, due to the un- 

 usual demand for production which emphasized the 

 world's necessity for many articles, thus creating a great 

 demand for labor. The abnormal 'manufacturing condi- 

 tions referred to in the foregoing gave labor a most un- 

 usual opportunity to ask that consideration be given to 

 working conditions, wages, and at least a suggestive 

 voice in determining working conditions. This situation 

 has developed so far that undoubtedly both employer and 

 employes have an entirely diflferent viewpoint and the 

 fundamentals on which employment relations shall be 

 reconstructed must be sound and very different from 

 anything before attempted. 



It is not contemplated that the Industrial Relations Committee 

 will undertake work of a paternalistic nature, but rather educa- 

 tional and cooperative activities, and it has been suggested that 

 a general committee be formed from the representatives of firm 

 members who are engaged in the handling of industrial prob- 

 lems for their companies, to consist of not more than twenty- 

 five members who are to be chosen with due regard to the geo- 

 graphical relationship of the various centers of the rubber indus- 

 try. From this general committee, an executive committee of 

 ten members is to be selected to carry the burden of performing 

 the greater part of the work connected with the activities of an 

 industrial relations organization. The organization of these com- 

 mittees is being effected and it is expected that they will soon 

 begin to function. 



ANNUAL MEETING. 

 A call has been issued for the annual meeting of The Rubber 

 Association at 2 :30 p. m., Monday, January 5, at the Waldorf- 

 Astoria, New York City. 



THE BANQUET. 



The twentieth annual dinner will be held in the grand ball 

 room of the Waldorf-Astoria, New York City, at 7 p. m., Jan- 

 uary' 5, 1920. Tickets will be eight dollars. 



Arrangements have been made for seating guests at round 

 tables accommodating parties of ten persons. Members desiring 

 entire tables, or those who wish to sit together but do not re- 

 quire an entire table, will kindly state their wishes when order- 

 ing tickets. Tickets are sold only to members or to those in 

 their employ. There is no limitation to the number which each 

 member may purchase. 



The Banquet Committee has been particularly fortunate in 

 having secured, as speakers, Charles M. Schwab, of the Beth- 

 lehem Steel Corporation, and Lieutenant-General Robert L. 

 Bullard, Commander of the Eastern Department, United States 

 Army, and an interesting evening is thereby assured. The name 

 uf a third speaker will be announced later. 



NOMINATIONS FOR DIRECTORS. 



The Nominating Committee, consisting of Messrs. Bertram G. 

 Work, George B. Hodgman, Harvey S. Firestone, Frederic C. 

 Hood and Henry C. Pearson, have suggested for nomination for 

 directors at the annual meeting of the Association for a period 

 of three years from January, 1920, the names of the following 

 gentlemen : 



W. O. Rutherford, vice-president, The B. F. Goodrich Co. 



Homer E. Sawyer, vice-president. United States Rubber Co. 



A. H. Brown, Meyer & Brown, Inc. 



J. S. Broughton, president, United & Globe Rubber Co. 



J. A. Maguire, vice-president. The Portage Rubber Co. 



