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THE INDIA RUBBER WORLD 



[March 1. 1916. 



The Annual Meeting of The Rubber Club of America, Inc. 



THE annual meeting of The Rubber Club of America, Inc., 

 was held on February 2 in the Myrtle Room of the Wal- 

 dorf-Astoria, New York City. 

 After the reading of the minutes of the previous meeting, 

 President George B. Hodgman presented the following inter- 

 esting report, in which the activities of the club are described 

 in detail : 



REPORT OF THE PRESIDENT. 



At the end of my term as your president, I submit for your 

 consideration the official report due from me, as a mere outline 

 of the accomplishments of your organization. 



To your Board of Directors, to your Executive Committee and 

 to the Rubber Control Committee is especial credit due for what 

 you may find of merit in the transaction of the past year, such 

 as increasing membership benefits, broadening the scope and 

 work of the organization, and adding to its prestige and stand- 

 ing in trade circles. In this work you have had the gratuitous 

 services of responsible men of affairs, singularly disinterested 

 in their efforts to advance this organization to a position of 

 dignity and worth in the commercial world. Since the last 

 annual meeting of the Rubber Club, on April 21, 1914 (as our 

 meeting of 1915 was omitted owing to the radical changes in our 

 organization), the story of our progress is replete with interest. 



Rubber Embargo: — The most important event during this 

 period was the placing of the embargo by Great Britain on 

 plantation rubber produced in her colonies. This unforeseen 

 and sudden action brought consternation to our manufacturers, 

 who saw before them the possibility of crude rubber supplies 

 being so materially reduced that serious hardship would be 

 imposed upon the industry, and in the light of subsequent events, 

 to which I shall only briefly refer, the necessity and worth of 



a committee of four, consisting of A. H. Marks, W. E. Bruyn, 

 H. Stuart Hotchkiss and myself, to whom was delegated the task 

 of endeavoring to find some means to alleviate the situation. 

 This committee made frequent visits to Washington, covering a 

 period of two months, and there made dignified representations 

 to the State Department and to the British Embassy, and also 

 co-operated with the Rubber Trade Association of London. 

 B. G. Work also made a special trip to England, as a representa- 

 tive of the Rubber Club of America, 



In the month of January, 1915, Great Britain raised the em- 

 bargo on rubber, but because of the war, her necessities and her 

 control of the situation, she dictated and imposed the conditions 

 under which manufacturers were to secure their supplies. She 

 devised a system whereby permits were issued in London for 

 the shipment of rubber to the United States, consigned to the 

 British Consul-General in New York, where such shipments 

 were only to be released in consideration of the manufacturers 

 and importers giving individual guarantees binding themselves 

 not to export crude rubber, or manufactured, or partly manu- 

 factured rubber goods to the enemies of Great Britain, and also 

 binding themselves to observe other requirements in respect to 

 the shipments of manufactured goods to other countries. 



The details necessary for the recording of guarantees and 

 tracing the shipments covered thereby were found to be of such 

 a cumbersome nature that the British Consul-General at New 

 Y'ork requested the Rubber Club of America to assist him in the 

 handling of this matter. Accordingly, and with the acceptance 

 of this work by your association, it was deemed necessary to 

 enlarge our facilities to meet increasing activities. We therefore 

 moved from our small quarters, at 17 Madison avenue, to 17 

 Battery place, where we have an office sufficient in size and a 

 clerical force sufficient in number to handle the gr(;at volume of 

 business. Your Board of Directors also deemed it advisable to 

 constitute and appoint a committee whose duties would be to 

 keep in touch with this work and to assist in clearing any pos- 

 sible misinterpretations of the letter and spirit of the British 

 rubber guarantee. 



This committee is known as the Rubber Control Committee. 

 The problems which it has been called upon to meet have been 

 many and intricate, and have called for the exercise of the utmost 

 care and judgment. Violations of the terms of the British rub- 

 ber guarantee have occurred, as was to be expected, but the 

 British authorities are apparently assured that, in spite of them, 

 the great mass of American manufacturers and importers are 

 fulfilling their promises. 



The rubber embargo was one of the most serious situations that 

 ever threatened the American rubber industry. Its subsequent 

 modification, however, makes it possible for us to secure our 

 supplies of rubber. I cannot tell what future conditions in this 

 connection will be, as new complications, due to the war. may 

 arise. Considering, however, the abnormal and extraordinary 

 conditions existing during 1915, we have little cause for com- 

 plaint. 



The members of this committee, often at the sacrifice of their 

 personal and business interests, have given freely of their time, 

 and are truly discharging a most important and unselfish service 

 — how important and unselfish will only be realized when this 

 great war is at an end and the complete history of the rubber 

 embargo has been written. 



Reorganisation:- — When the Rubber Club of America adopted 

 its constitution and by-laws at a meeting in April, 1913, it was 

 thought that adequate provision had been made to carry out the 

 purpose and objects of the club as a business organization. After 

 our main office had been established in Xew York City, and it 

 was realized that we were to occupy a more important position in 

 the commercial world, the necessity of possessing broader cor- 

 porate powers became plainly apparent. With the assumption of 

 the duties incident to the British rubber embargo, this need 

 became imperative. 



Under our former charter it was mandatory to hold our meet- 

 ings in Boston, but as New Y'ork became the center of our activi- 

 ties, it was thought advisable to hold our annual meetings there. 

 Accordingly, proper legal steps were taken to annul our Massa- 

 chusetts charter, and to apply for the charter of a new corpora- 

 tion to be known as The Rubber Club of America, Inc. This 

 incorporation was effected under the laws of the State of Con- 

 necticut on March 19, 1915, Its constitution and by-laws were 

 adopted at a meeting held in April, 1915, which gave all of the 

 powers required. Coincident with this reorganization, the annual 

 dues of firm members were increased to $50,00 per year, thus 

 providing a sufficient income to meet our growing needs without, 

 as in the past, levying extra assessments. 



Legislation: — For the purpose of protecting the interests of 

 the rubber trade against legislation, which might seriously and 

 unjustly affect it, provision has been made in our new constitu- 

 tion for the formation of a standing Committee on Legislation. 

 The duty of this committee is "to keep in touch with local, state 

 and federal legislation affecting the rubber industry." When, 

 in the opinion of this committee, and its counsel, proposed legis- 

 lation is deemed to be of special interest to certain members, 

 those affected will be furnished with a copy of the same. Our 

 members are asked to co-operate with this committee, and to 

 advise it of any matters which should be properly brought to its 

 attention. 



It is not without the range of possibility that the matter of 

 tariff revision may again come before the country in the next 

 few years, in which case your Committee on Legislation may 

 find a larger field for usefulness. In connection with the tariff, 

 it may be mentioned that our association is on the lookout for 

 undervaluations and improper customs appraisements. I may 

 add that the Rubber Sundries Division secured the adoption by 

 the Board of General Appraisors of a list of such articles as 

 should be entered under the druggists' sundries schedule of IS 

 per cent., thus clearing misunderstandings under this rather 

 ambiguous schedule. 



Group Membership:— In the last annual report I referredto 

 the advantage of group membership, recommending the adoption 

 of a clause in our constitution under which this could be ac- 

 complished. Such provision has been made in our new constitu- 

 tion and subdivisions of the manufacturers of mechanical rubber 

 goods and of druggists' sundries have already been formed. 

 These divisions have their own officers and have adopted rules 

 and regulations harmonious with those of the main organiza- 

 tion, and each is working out the particular problems which are 

 peculiar to its own line. This division or group plan I consider 

 of great value, and I hope that in the coming year other branches 

 of the trade may join under it. As an example of the benefits of 

 group membership, I may refer to the Credit Experience Bureau 

 which has been established by the Rubber Sundries Division, and 

 which has proven of great value. 



Arbitration:— The subject of commercial arbitration is one 

 which is continually attracting more interest. This method of 

 settling disputes, where decisions are based on submitted facts, 

 has advantages that no one will seriously question. The Rubber 

 Trade .Association of New York has provided a plan of arbitra- 



