234 



THE INDIA RUBBER WORLD 



[April i, 1908. 



THE RUBBER TRADE IN SAN FRANCISCO. 



BV A RESIDENT CORRESPONDENT. 



THE warm spring weather now seems to make everything 

 grow except business, judging from the reports concern- 

 ing the condition of trade in San Francisco which the 

 rubber merchants are giving out. It would appear fromi all 

 indications other than what they actually say that business was 

 fairly active ; the same number of men are employed and there 

 is the usual bustle and activity about the stores, and it may be 

 that the spring weather alone is responsible for the listless 

 statements which rubber men have been making about present 

 conditions and the outlook. As Mr. Gorham said, when ques- 

 tioned as to the trade conditions: "I can't tell you anything 

 about conditions. I have just eaten a big lunch, and I am not 

 thinking of anything." Ordinarily after a big lunch a man is 

 in his best humor for thinking up good things about his busi- 

 ness, but stretchy warm spring weather makes a difference ! 



Throughout wholesale district, where most of the rubber houses 

 are located, the board of health has posted notices in the stores 

 requiring the tenants to keep the premises in a sanitary condi- 

 tion, and soliciting their cooperation in the war which has been 

 declared on the rats. All of this is by way of assistance to the 

 representative from the Government's health department, who has 

 been sent here to give the city a thorough scrubbing, so that 

 it will be in good shape when the Atlantic fleet arrives in May. 

 There will be a great many sailor boj-s in San Francisco at that 

 time, and as there have been rumors of bubonic plague in some 

 of the ports of the Pacific coast, the authorities have started in 

 to stamp out all breeding places of vermin. 



The approach of spring has brought renewed activity in build- 

 ing and San Francisco has the appearance of being a very busy 

 town. Tradesmen and mechanics find no difficulty now in get- 

 ting employment. In many places where the mines were closed 

 on account of a scarcity of funds work is being resumed, and 

 mills are preparing to open. In the country districts condi- 

 tions remain about the same, as the farmers have enjoyed pros- 

 perous seasons for several years, and they always get very 

 satisfactory prices for their products. In commercial centers 

 money is still a somewhat scarce article and business men are not 

 reaching out for future possibilities quite as extensively as they 

 might otherwise. 



Mr. Bowers, of the Bowers Rubber Works, reports nothing 

 out of the ordinary in business conditions. His firm are run- 

 ning along as usual, keeping their full force of men and run- 

 ning full time. "We do not notice much change in the busi- 

 ness which comes in from the outside districts," he said. "It 

 is not the country that feels this financial depression, any way. 

 It is the big cities, which are the financial centers." 



The new three-story brick building of the Revere Rubber Co.'s 

 San Francisco agency, at Nos. 84-86 First street, is entirely 

 completed, and fully equipped with stock and handling their 

 regular business. The loss which the firm sustained in their 

 recent fire did not interfere with their regular trade, and in 

 their new quarters they are in a better position than before. 



Mr. Kanzee, of the Phoenix Rubber Co., reports that they 

 are still doing their best work on their non skidding tires, 

 which seem to be unusually adaptable to San Francisco. The 

 firm has a new member, Mr. Overton, of the Union Fish Com- 

 pany, a man well known in business circles here. 



Mr. Sargeant, manager of the Gorham Rubber Co., reports 

 business gradually improving. This firm has recently sent out 

 a man to cover Arizona and Mexico and to see that the Gorham 

 company gets well established. Mexico is a new territory to 

 the company, but many mines are being opened there and re- 

 ports so far indicate a good business. The firm is also begin- 

 ning to reach out for business on the west coast of South 

 America. 



The large new building which the Goodyear Rubber Co. will 



occupy on ]\Iarket street is all but completed and it will not be 

 long before the company can once more get located in per- 

 manent and modern quarters. 



The Pacific Mill and Mine Supply Co., on Fremont street, 

 report that demands for belting have greatly increased lately 

 and that prospects are bright for a good season. 



Mr. Perkins, of the Sterling Rubber Co., states that the first 

 of the month started out remarkably well and that he is much 

 encouraged with the favorable turn of business. 



THE RUBBER TRADE AT TRENTON. 



BY A RESIDENT CORRESPONDENT. 



VTOTWITHSTANDING the labor trouble at the works of the 

 ^ ' Lambertville Rubber Co., at Lambertville, the company are 

 now operating their plant practically on full time, and with a 

 force nearly equal to that employed before the shut down. It 

 is said that only the general business depression prevents the 

 conipany from increasing the force of workmen to even larger 

 proportions. No appreciable depression has as yet been felt by 

 the company, and its traveling men report sales as excellent 

 The entire boot and shoe force is kept filling orders, instead of 

 making reserve stock, as is generally done at this time of the 

 year. It is understood that since January i their shipments of 

 boots and shoes have made an unprecedented record for these 

 months. It is probable that about 60 per cent, of the present 

 force are the old workmen, many of the union men having re- 

 turned. Most of the girls in the overshoe department are at 

 work as before. The scale of wages remains about as before the 

 trouble. The Lambertville local of the Rubber Workers' Union 

 maintains its organization, but apparently is neither active nor 

 strong. Many of those remaining out have obtained positions 

 elsewhere. 



Justice Alfred Reed has handed down an opinion in the su- 

 preme court at Trenton in favor of James D. Brad)-, formerly of 

 the Stondard Rubber Co., of that city, and others, in the suit 

 instituted against them by the United and Globe Rubber Manu- 

 facturing Co.'s, also of Trenton. The suit was brought to re- 

 cover on a bond for $6,000 given to the United and Globe com- 

 panies by Brady and the other defendants to secure a debt owed 

 to the complainant companies. The defendants demurred to the 

 declaration filed by the United and Globe companies upon the 

 ground that the Standard Rubber Co. should have been made a 

 party defendant to the suit. The opinion of Justice Reed is to the 

 effect that the non-joinder of the Standard Rubber Co., a neces- 

 sary party defendant, gives proper ground for a demurrer. Judg- 

 ment is therefore given for the defendants upon the demurrer, 

 with leave to the United and Globe companies to amend their 

 declaration and re-open the case. 



Frank Hand, James Mooney, Leonard Stover, and George Bar- 

 nett. boys living near the works of the Empire Rubber Manu- 

 facturing Co., were placed in the custody of a probation officer 

 March 6 on the charge of stealing copper wire, as a result of a 

 hearing in the Central police court. The Empire company had 

 been missing copper wire for some time and on March S the 

 boys were caught fishing a quantity of wire from the Assana 

 pink creek in the rear of their works. They denied any theft at 

 the Empire mills, but confessed to stealing wire from the Penn- 

 sylvania Railroad Co. 



James D. Brady has severed his connection with the Standard 

 Rubber Co. and has accepted a position as traveling salesman 

 for the Trenton Rubber Manufacturing Co. He will cover New 

 York state. 



The Empire Rubber Manufacturing Co., in the second trial of 

 their suit against Morris & Co., of Groveville, N. J., manufac- 

 turers of duck, were awarded a verdict of $5,568.91, on March 

 18. by a jury in the Mercer supreme court. The case was first 

 heard before Justice Alfred Reed in the supreme court several 

 months ago and a verdict was given for the Empire company. 



