278 



THE INDIA RUBBER WORLD 



[Febri 



a half ago. Il represents all parts of the countPi- in which the 

 industry is located, small and large companies and the various 

 branches of the industry. It has performed some very good 

 service; it has saved some very large sums of money and we 

 hope during the year that all managers on transportation prob- 

 lems will keep in touch with the committee, whether small or 

 large or local or individual companies. We are always glad to 

 help. We have organized a ver>- high-class tarifT bureau m our 

 office, putting it in position to quote rates and prices regarding 

 service, information regarding claims, and anything of that 

 nature, and we have a man there whom we can send out. If 

 any of you managers want to start a department of your own or 

 want assistance in that department, we have the advice and the 

 information to furnish the basis of an organization and we would 

 be very glad to extend the service to all members of the Asso- 

 ciation. 



MORE INTEREST IN SECURING NEW MEMBERSHIPS. 



One other thing I noticed, that we are receiving quite a few 

 applications for membership from comparatively new companies, 

 and our friends the importers are very active in securing these 

 applications. I think they are to be congratulated on their inter- 

 est in the .Association. I would like to see the same or more 

 interest in securing new memberships throughout the .Associa- 

 tion on the part of the manufacturers. Most of you, perhaps, 

 have some neighbors who may not be members of the .Associa- 

 tion. Try to lind out whether they are or not and bring them 

 to church along with the others. 



INDUSTRIAL RELATIONS COMMITTEE ORGANIZATION. 



In response to a question by Mr. Hodgman, Mr. \iles ex- 

 plained the plans of the Industrial Relations Committee more in 

 detail. His remarks in this connection follow: 



You will find in the report, gentlemen, a reference to the 

 Industrial Relations Committee that has just been formed. 

 Now, that committee is organized somewhat along the lines of 

 the Traffic Committee with an executive committee of ten; and 

 the Executive Committee of 'the Association has authorized an 

 increase of that committee to 25 so we will have an executive 

 committee of ten and a general committee of fifteen, making a 

 total of 25 people. The committee has been selected with due 

 regard to territorial representation and the size of the various 

 companies, and to the various branches of the work, and we 

 believe it is going to be very successful. The primary purpose 

 is this: 



PURPOSE OF THE COMMITTEE. 



That the labor situation is entirely different than it was in 

 what we might term normal times. It is not believed by many, 

 large numbers of our people, manufacturers, that the country 

 will ever get back to the labor conditions of the past. Labor 

 has taken a new stand for better conditions ; they have new 

 viewpoints in a conception of their own rights and duties, and 

 the manufacturer has necessarily, even if he would not — there 

 not having been time to attempt to form a policy — he has had 

 to meet the situation. And we think that the Industrial Rela- 

 tions Committee, having analyzed the various methods used in 

 selecting the employes and deciding as to employes' privileges 

 and the conditions under which they shall work ; in fact, the 

 whole employment relation, by an analysis of the various 

 methods used by all members, can select from that mass of 

 information, the best points to all of them and assemble them 

 into one composite system and put them out for your considera- 

 tion. That is one thing. 



PLAN OF ACTION. 



We purpose to keep in touch, through a service somewhat 

 similar to that of our Tire Division, with all proposed labor 

 legislation and it is to be given to you as a matter of informa- 

 tion. The Industrial Relations Committee would be glad to 

 receive expressions regarding, we might say, suggestions of 

 all kinds ; in fact, at each meeting we will prepare a docket and 

 all members of the .Association will be asked to suggest subjects 

 which this committee can consider, such information as they 

 can gather or suggestions which ihcy can make to them. There 

 is nothing in their work of a paternalistic nature, nor will they 

 tell you you must do something, nor will they ask you to do 

 anything in any peremptory way ; they will simply go to you as 

 a matter of gettmg or giving advice. And this advice we hope 

 will be of great benefit to you. 



INDUSTRIAL RELATIONS NEED MORE ATTENTION. 



Touching upon the intention of the Board of Directors to 

 enlarge the various committees in order to ensure wider terri- 



torial representation and to embrace large, medium and small 

 manufacturers, the president further emphasized the need of 

 devoting more attention to the matter of better industrial rela- 

 tions: 



We all agree that not only is there the necessity of more 

 attention to the question of industrial relations, but we want to 

 give a greater attention to it. The day, we believe, has gone by 

 when we can simply flatter ourselves that our own house is in 

 order, and that, consequently, we are safe. Some of us, instead 

 of using the words "Capital and Labor" have chosen to use the 

 words "Management and Employes." And certainly I feel that 

 management and employes must establish much more intimate 

 points of contact in the future than in the past. And as I said 

 a moment ago it is not sufficient for us to smugly assume that 

 our industrial relations are good with our employes, because 

 the disease or a contagion of bad relations between management 

 and employe in our immediate vicinity, even if it is not in con- 

 nection with our own industry, can easily spread into our own 

 better managed companies to the detriment of our companies. 

 I do not think there is anything that business men or public 

 spirited men in any walk of life can turn their attention to with 

 a greater sincerity of purpose and open mindedness and a real 

 heartiness than to try to improve industrial relations conditions 

 in this country of ours. Some of the larger companies have 

 selected during the past three or four years specialists in that 

 line of work. Some of the smaller companies have already 

 done so, and as fast as the Association finds that any company 

 has a specialist in that line that has something helpful to bring 

 to their gathering, he may be sure he will be asked to come 

 along with his ideas and his suggestions. 



ELECTION OF NEW DIRECTORS. 



The names of the gentlemen placed before the membership by 

 the Nominating Committee for election as directors, for three 

 years from January, 1920, were, upon motion from the floor, 

 presented for a vote and the nominees were unanimously 

 elected. Their names follow : .A. H. Brown, J. S. Broughton, 

 J. W. Maguire, W. O. Rutherford and H. E. Sawyer. 



Formal action was taken, requesting the Board of Directors 

 to continue the work undertaken and in contemplation in con- 

 nection with the gathering of statistics through the medium of 

 questionnaires, as the opinion was expressed that the work is 

 valuable and its results would prove of much service in the 

 future. 



AMENDMENTS TO THE CONSTITUTION AND BY-LAWS. 

 Suggested amendments to the Constitution and By-laws were 

 formally adopted, the intent of which is stated in the following: 

 First: The providing of more definite and specific con- 

 ditions under which firms, corporations or individuals, not 

 directly engaged in the rubber industrj' may participate in 

 the activities of The Rubber .Association of .America, Inc. 

 The suggested amendments include certain limitation of 

 voting power and different annual membership dues. They 

 also provide that those firms, corporations or individuals not 

 directly engaged in the rubber industry, which are now 

 members of the .Association, shall automatically upon the 

 adoption of the suggested amendments become affiliated 

 members. 



Second : Specific provision to the effect that membership 

 in the Rubber .Association is not transferable from one firm, 

 corporation or individual to another under any conditions. 



Third : Specific provision to the effect that membership in 

 the .Association will be for the calender year instead of for 

 a year from the first of the month following election. 

 ELECTION OF OFFICERS. 

 Immediately following the general meeting, the Board of 

 Directors met and the officers of the -Association during the year 

 1920 were unanimously reelected to serve during 1920 as follows : 

 President, Homer E. Sawyer; first vice-president, Harry T. 

 Dunn; second vice president, F. .A. Seiberling; general manager 

 and secretary, A. L. \ilcs ; treasurer, W. C. Cox. 



W. J. Kelly and J. S. Broughton were elected to serve on the 

 Executive Committee for the coming year and the Board 

 appointed a Legislative Committee to consist of General Counsel, 

 Charles Neave, F. C. Van Cleef and Ernest Hopkinson, but the 

 appointment of the remaining standing committees of the .Asso- 

 ciation was referred to the Executive Committee with power 

 to act. 



