240 



THE INDIA RUBBER WORLD 



[January 1, 1920. 



THE RUBBER TRADE IN OHIO. 



Py Our Rcsiilar Corrcs['oiidciit. 

 \A ORE THAN 200 MEMBERS of thc Detroit and Cleveland sections 

 ^'* of the Society of Automotive Engineers held a two-day 

 session at Akron, Ohio, December 1 and 2, as the guests of The 

 Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co. The meeting was held for the 

 purpose of presenting technical information pertaining to the 

 application of pneumatic tires to motor trucks. The visitors 

 witnessed a demonstration of a new development in truck de- 

 sign, the tandem axle construction— Goodyear's contribution to 

 the truck industry. 



Monday evening the engineers were guests at a banquet at 

 which F. A. Seiberling, president of the company, and P. W. 

 Litchfield, factory manager, made far-sighted predictions as to 

 the future of the motor truck industry. Mr. Seiberling declared 

 that within three years the solid tire would be obsolete and that 

 the fabric tire would soon be supplanted by the pneumatic cord 

 tire. Mr. Litchfield stated that the trolley car must go as a 

 means of transportation— to be succeeded by the motor bus. 



The visitors were taken on tours of the Goodyear factory, saw 

 many interesting exhibits and enjoyed athletic sports in the 

 company gymnasium. Four of them, selected by lottery from 

 the 200 delegates, made a balloon flight with Ralph H. Upson. 

 the Goodyear aeronautical engineer. 



The Goodyear committee in charge was composed of C. R. 

 Johnson, C. M. McCrcery. J. E. Hall. \V. S. Wolfe and E. R. 

 Preston. 



AKRON NOTES. 



The Miller Rubber Co., ,\kron, has followed the example of 

 the Firestone Tire & Rubber Co. in establishing a cooperative 

 store for its employes. At present the store is handling only 

 a comparatively small line of merchandise, but the plans of 

 the company include its expansion until all commodities usually 

 sold in a general store arc included. A. R. Kiester is manager 

 of the store. 



The General Tire & Rubber Co., Akron, is completing the 

 second addition to its plant made during the past six months. 

 The addition is 120 feet long and 60 feet wide. Officials 

 of the company estimate that their business this year will be 

 considerably over $5,000,000. 



The B. F. Goodrich Co. has erected garages near its plant 

 where more than 500 employes can house their automobiles 

 while they are at work. 



George W. Sherman, for eighteen years connected with the 

 reclamation department of The B. F. Goodrich Co., has resigned 

 and will leave the employ of the company the first of the com- 

 ing year. During the past few years he has developed the 

 Akron Salvage Co., a company formed to save waste unre- 

 claimable through the ordinary channels, to such an extent that 

 he will devote practically all his time to this work. 



A machine gun company belonging to the Ohio National 

 guard has been organized by employes of The B. F. Goodrich 

 Co. 



The B. F. Goodrich Co. recently announced that at the end 

 of the year all the salaried employes of the company would re- 

 ceive bonuses of 25 per cent of their salary. More than 6,000 

 employes will thus receive bonuses totalling $2,000,000. Wage 

 advances have been made during the course of the year so that 

 no general bonus for the employes in the factory is anticipated. 



At present more than 2,300 persons of foreign birth are taking 

 the Americanization courses in the schools conducted in the 

 rubber factories and the public schools under the direction of 

 E. C. Vermillion, formerly connected with the Firestone Tire 

 & Rubber Co. There are 128 classes served by 105 specially 

 trained teachers. 



TIk- Summit Mold & .Machine C... Akron, will build a machine 

 shop in the near future. 



Work has begun on a warehouse for crude rubber and manu- 

 factured products and a new machine shop for the Firestone 

 Tire & Rubber Co. in connection with buildings 32 and 33. The 

 new buildings will cost approximately $185,000 and the company 

 hopes to have them ready by the first of the year. 



The Portage Rubber Co. has broken ground for its new 

 $200,000 factory building, the first unit of an entirely new plant. 

 The building is to be 80 by 200 feet, three stories high, and is 

 to be built with provisions for the addition of two more stories 

 as soon as business warrants. At a recent meeting of the stock- 

 holders the announcement was made that business had increased 

 25 per cent since thc signing of the armistice. 



Ground has been broken for the first unit of the Doyle Tire 

 & Rubber Co.'s plant on a SO-acre site recently purchased in 

 Akron. 



The new concern was recently organized with a capitaliza- 

 tion of $300,000 by members of the family of Judge D. A. Doyle. 

 The first factory building will be 54 by 110 feet. 



The Phoenix Rubber Co. has received from the city building 

 department, of Akron, a permit to erect a three-story brick 

 building as an addition to its present plant. The addition will 

 cost approximately $60,000 and will be 60 by 120 feet. 



Thc Miller Rubber Co., Akron, has announced plans to build 

 a $1,750,000 power plant and other factory extensions near Ken- 

 more, which is in the greater .Akron territory. 



The American Rubber & Tire Co., Akron, has arranged to 

 call in $350,000 worth of 7 per cent preferred stock outstand- 

 ing before recapitalizing next spring for $2,000,000. The stock is 

 being called in at 107. 



The strike of the bituminous coal miners did not materially 

 affect the rubber factories of Akron or vicinity because each of 

 the companies had sufficient coal to last at least 30 days when 

 the strike was declared. Business was hampered somewhat, 

 however, by an embargo placed on incoming freight due to con- 

 gestion in the local yards, making it difficult to get shipments 

 of materials. 



During the first part of December the Goodyear Tire & Rub- 

 ber Co. was granted permits for additions to its factory to cost 

 approximately $1,500,000. 



The largest single shipment of crude rubber ever received 

 in Akron was consigned to The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co. 

 in December, and amounted to 3,000.000 pounds, valued at $1,- 

 500,000. 



The business of The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co. during the 

 past year amounted to approximately $250,000,000, it was an- 

 nounced at the annual meeting of the directors and stockholders. 



F. A. Seiberling, president of the company told the stock- 

 holders that in his opinion the business of the company would 

 be twice that amount for the year 1920. Profits of the company 

 amounted to $23,277,245.29. During the preceeding year the 

 sales of the companv totaled $131,247,382.45 and the profits 

 $15,388,190. 



.■\t thc meeting of the directors the same officers who have 

 served during the past year were reelected, except that W. E. 

 Palmer was elected secretary besides being reelected treasurer. 

 W. D. Shilts was elected assistant secretary. 



Announcement has been made that The Goodyear Tire & 

 Rubber Co., Akron, will soon erect a $200,000 dormitory for 

 women near the plant. The building will house 175 women, 

 it is estimated. 



