436 



THE INDIA RUBBER WORLD 



[April 1, 1920. 



look the resetting of the tread. Try it. If your first job does 

 nut make a creditable showing you will at least get the funda- 

 mental idea and your next attempt will surprise you. 



A second curing operation is necessary, but this is the same 

 as though you were curing up a freshly built carcass. A little 

 caution should be used in seeing that the tread is laid straight 

 and that you get the grooves of the tread in the grooves of the 

 mold. Surprising results can be obtained with very little practice. " 



VVc learn a great deal from the other fellow, and here is a 

 little "kink" I know will interest you. To follow the. lines of 

 least resistance is not always the best course to pursue, but in 

 this case I am sure it is. The higher up you can cut off the 

 old tread of a tire, the better the appearance of the finished tire. 

 If you cut a tire down beyond the 4S-degree you have to build 

 it up with new stock costing money, and besides, you are apt to 

 cause an overflow of stock if the sand bag does not tit snugly. 

 To cut down the tire evenly all around saves time in rebuilding 

 it, whereas, if you follow the line of the loose tread and side- 

 walls it is necessary to do a lot of piecing, which takes up 

 time, and when the tire is finished you have the appearance of 

 a patchcd-up job. The suggestion is to cut _the tire evenly all 

 around in the center of the 45-degree, ii possible. If there are 

 any loose particles of tread or side wall, lay them back, buflf 

 out the dirt, cement both the carcass and side walls, or even 

 shoot in a small amount of cement with ^n oil gun. Then hang 

 the tire so the cement will drain, place a piece of cushion gum 

 between the carcass and the flap referred to, roll down the flap 

 and you have effected a saving in labor, material and have an 

 altogether better and neatei looking job. 



INTERESTING LETTERS FROM OUR READERS. 



AS TO LABOR TROUBLES. 



To THE Editor : 



DEAR SIR:— No one has found a panacea for labor trouble, 

 for one reason at least. The problem has not been ap- 

 proached in the proper spirit. It is hard to get away from 

 the old attitude of capital towards labor, of patronage ; "I've 

 got the money, and you should be glad to get the work !" 



There is little doubt that capital has, by and large, been un- 

 fair towards labor, and in some aspects has been guilty of down 

 right stupidity. For example : capital would have nothing to do 

 with so-called scientific methods forced to it by the exigen- 

 cies of business, and then rushed into, and made a mess of time 

 studies as demonstrated in the piece-work rates made therefrom. 

 Capital, thereupon, in many instances, made another almost 

 criminal blunder in cutting down the rate where workmen made 

 more than, in the judgment of the employer, constituted a fair 

 day's wage, whatever that may be. 



This resulted, as was to be expected, in distrust, and resort 

 to all sorts of underground methods to beat the game that capi- 

 tal itself had "called." 



This has gone on for years during which it has been apparent 

 that, instead of being a corking good team, capital and labor w-ere 

 pulling in opposite directions, with the result that nobody was 

 getting anywhere. 



In the meantime, labor found out there was money in nursing 

 a grouch, and has been making an extensive and more or less 

 successful use of it. 



As capitalistic methods aroused the antagonism of labor, so 

 now labor methods are arousing the resistance of the great, pa- 

 tient, somewhat stupid middle-class .American, who, if he loves 

 anything, loves a square deal. 



That capital cares particularly for the "signs of the times," I 

 very much doubt, but having come to a clear impasse, their good 

 sense demands that they find a real solution for the problems 

 that are in a fair way to confound them. 



There are some aspects of the labor attitude that indicate that 

 it is beginning to be obsessed with the idea that it can do about 



as it pleases. One weak spot in such an attitude lies in the fact 

 that it drags in the innocent bystander who is put to all sorts of 

 inconvenience and loss in a game in which he has not been asked 

 to assist. He doesn't relish such a one-sided game, and so, has let 

 out a series of yells and kicks that has attracted considerable 

 attention. 



The innocent bystander is insisting on a stjuare deal all 

 around, and will continue to make himself more and more dis- 

 agreeable until somehow, sometime, somewhere, tlie matter will 

 1)6 thrashed out to the mutual advantage of all. 



Everywhere in this country is heard the demand for produc- 

 tion. Labor, as organized, is doing its best to prevent it, self- 

 hypnotized with the notion that to concede this point makes for 

 its best interests. It is hard to understand this point of view, 

 and it will have to be educated out. This can be done by mak- 

 ing it an inducement for labor to change its attitude and this 

 attitude can be changed from hostility to one akin to loyalty, by 

 proving to it that improved machinery and processes will inake 

 more goods, and that the greater the production, the fatter the 

 pay envelope. 



Efficiency. 



GERMAN RUBBER TRADE CONDITIONS. 



To The Editor : 



r^EAR SIR :— It is with great pleasure that I comply with your 

 '-^ request to inform you regarding the changes brought about 

 by the world war. As it is the whole world over, wages have 

 increased considerably in Germany compared w'ith those paid in 

 times of peace. The rate of wages is four and five times as high 

 now and amounts at present to 4 marks per hour. We hope that 

 rale will be stagnant for some weeks or about two months to 

 come. .After this time no doubt a further increase will take 

 place. 



.\s far as the attitude of the workmen is concerned, a marked 

 improvement has come about. There was a decided aversion 

 against work when the war was over and the revolution broke 

 out and in many cases the workmen showed themselves refrac- 

 tory. Workmen's councils (like the shop stewards in England) 

 were formed and acted as plenipotentiaries. Any wish of the 

 workingincn gave rise to long discussions between the work- 

 inen's council and the management. All this was brought about 

 by the long duration of the war and by the bad physical state of 

 the people which was due to the insufficient supply of food. Ir- 

 respective of this there was a great lack of employment on ac- 

 count of changing the industry for peace work. From the ino- 

 ment that food was better obtainable, the workmen naturally 

 began to show inore interest in their occupation. Thus matters 

 have considerably improved, although we are yet far away from 

 the ante-war state. The general institution of the eight-hour 

 day on the other side caused a decrease in production, especially 

 as regards coal mining and agriculture. It, however, now begins 

 to dawn that working hours must be increased, as otherwise there 

 is no help for Germany, having had to fight for five years in 

 the war and having lost it after all. 



On the whole, at all events regarding the state of affairs in our 

 district, I am glad to be able to say that everything goes com- 

 paratively well, especially as the influence of the radical ele- 

 inents, which never was great to any extent, is now waning away 

 altogether. All other rubber factories in Germany are laboring 

 under almost similar conditions, as much as I can say. 



All we want is coal and raw material, and from the moment 

 we could be supplied with these regularly, the works could be 

 kept up running uninterruptedly. 



Vou will perhaps be aware that now the workmen are repre- 

 sented by their voted members — instituted by law — and rather 

 valuable concessions have been made with regard to their allow- 

 ing them to look into the balance and to discuss in a somehow 

 limited manner all questions regarding employment and discharge 



