SlCriEMUEK I, 1908.] 



THE INDIA RUBBER WORLD 



411 



The Growing Field for Rubber Tires. 



THE taxicab interest continues to grow rapidly in America 

 as well as abroad. The incorporation of the American 

 Taximeter Cab Co. was mentioned in the last India 

 Rubber World, with $1,500,000 capital authorized, and planning 

 to operate in New York, Boston, Chicago, Philadelphia and 

 Washington. It is stated that the greater part of the capital 

 has been subscribed, and orders have been placed for 400 cabs. 

 The average cost is said to be $2,000. The new vehicles are 

 expected to be ready by October or November. Two hundred 

 each will be built by the Garford Motor Co. (Elyria, Ohio), 

 and the New Departure Manufacturing Co. (Bristol, Connecti- 

 cut), the president of each company having an interest in the 

 American Taximeter Cab Co. It is stated that five-year con- 

 tracts have been made already with several of the best hotels in 

 New York and the other cities named, and stands have been 

 secured at the most important railway terminals. 



The management call attention to a contract that has been 

 made with a rubber factory to equip the cabs with pneumatic 

 tires at a fixed cost of 2 cents per mile, which "obviates the 

 necessity of tying up a large amount of capital in tires." 

 It is the plan of the company, as of the other taxameter con- 

 cerns both in America and in Europe, that the chauffeur shall 

 furnish his own gasoline, and shall receive 20 per cent, of the 

 gross earnings of his cab in Heu of other wages. The company 

 plan later to put into service a number of delivery motors, for 

 which contracts will be made with large department stores. 



The board of the new company embraces beside the two auto- 

 mobile manufacturers mentioned already, several New York hotel 

 men, the president of the Erie railroad, an official of New York's 

 greatest grocery corporation, and other men prominent in busi- 

 ness affairs. The active manager is L. H. French, the vice- 

 president, and the offices are at 31 Union Square, New York. 



The articles of association of the New York Taxi Cab Co., 

 Limited, appeared in the Paris Bulletin Annexe au Journal OfHciel 

 of August 3, from which it is inferred that application will 

 be made for listing the company's shares on the Paris bourse. 



G. Winthrop Sands, of New York, who was killed in an 

 automobile accident at Poissy, France, on July 29, was one of the 

 three directors in America of the London company — The New 

 York Motor Cab Co., Limited — operating a taxicab service in 

 New York. [See The India Rubber World, July i, 1908 — 

 page 328.] Mr. Sands was a stepson of William K. Vanderbilt, 

 Sr., which may account for Mr. Vanderbilt having been reported 

 to have an interest in the New York Company. 



TAXICAB INTERESTS IN EUROPE. 



The Electric Taxicali Co., Limited, with £300,000 [=$1,459,950] 

 capital, has been formed to operate in London a service of elec- 

 tric taxicabs, made by and under the patents of the Electromobile 

 Co., Limited, forjned in 1902 with £50,000 capital, and referred to 

 as having been successful in the production of electric vehicles. 

 The new company plan to begin with 100 cabs. 



The Consolidated Motor Cab Co., Limited, is a new London 

 company, capitalized at iioo,ooo [=$486,650], and formed to take 

 over British Motor Cabs, Limited, and extend the business. The 

 latter company was formed last year for experimental purposes, 

 and has run 10 taximeter cabs with such good results as to lead 

 to the formation of a larger new company, which purposes at 

 once to put in operation igo additional cabs. The average daily 

 takings of the British Motor Cabs, per car, during June, is 

 stated to have been £2 5.y. 4d. [=$11.02]. Figuring on only 

 £2 per day the new company's prospectus promises net earnings 

 from running 200 cars of £34,050 [=$165,704.32] per year. 



The Provinces Motor Cab Co., Limited, obtained delivery of 

 their first cabs in March. They had in service an average of 31 

 per day in April, 67 in May, and 98 per day in June, and claim 

 to have earned a profit. They hope within a year to have cabs 

 in operation in every British town of importance. 



At the second annual meeting of Delahaye & Co., Limited, a 

 French motor car business which has been organized as a British 

 company, it was stated that 200 taxicabs of their make were in 

 operation in Paris and the number was daily increasing; they 

 had 100 in New York, and they had been introduced in many 

 French cities. 



AMERICAN AUTOMOBILE STATISTICS. 



The number of automobiles in the United States is estimated 

 by the general manager of the American Motor Car Manu- 

 facturers' Association at about 145,000, of which about 47,000 

 were sold during 1907 at a valuation approximately of $100,000,- 

 000. New York city alone boasts of 20.000 automobiles. The 

 number of automobile factories in the United States is stated 

 by the same authority at 200, of which at least 125 may be said 

 to be producing machines in quantities. The employes number 

 58,000, without including those engaged in making a great variety 

 of accessories, large and small. 



The secretarv of state of New York informs The India Rub- 



.\ New Heavy Commercial Truck Tire. 



[Invented by H. A. Palmer, Akron, O'hio. Made in annular sections 

 with transverse holes for cross reds near the base. Between the annular 

 sections and over or above the cross rods are circumferential wire rings.] 



"Republic" Det.\chable Tire and Rim. 



[For automobiles, ilade by The Republic Rubber Co., Youngstown. Ohio.] 



