XOVEMBEK 1, 1915.] 



THE INDIA RUBBER WORLD 



83 



Robert C. Harlow, of Plymouth, president of the .Monatiquot 

 Rubber Co., of South Braintrec. went to Richmond with the 

 Ancient and Honorable Artillery on the occasion of its recent 

 visit to that city. 



Harry .Arnold, assistant superintendent of the Converse Rub- 

 ber Co., Maiden, started a few days ago on his annual hunting 

 trip to the Rangeley Lake region, with a full camping outfit, and 

 all the ammunition necessary to deplete the forests of game. 



THE RUBBER TRADE IN TRENTON. 



By Our A'.-gu/cir CorrcspondcnI. 

 'T'HE Esse.K Rubber Co. inaugurated this week one of the 

 ■* broadest and most liberal policies in the interest of its 

 cmpluyccs that have ever been adopted by a manufacturing 

 plant, in this section of the country, at least. It is a plan 

 under which the company will pay every employee to go to 

 night school and improve himself or herself by ac(|uiring a 

 better education. 



Some companies have gone to considerable expense to 

 encourage their employees to acquire education in special 

 lines which would fit them to be better workmen in the par- 

 ticular vocation they chanced to be following. The Essex 

 company plan, however, does not limit the list of studies. 

 Many of the young women employees are, for instance, 

 learning dressmaking. Many of the young men are selecting 

 branches totally distinct from the rubber business. Certainly 

 no selfish motive can be imputed to the company, since it is 

 willing to help educate a youth to become a technical man 

 in an altogether different line of business. 



Each employee taking advantage of the company's lib- 

 erality will find in his pay envelope each month a sum of 

 money to be known as "the educational premium." This sum 

 of money will equal the hourly wage earned by the em- 

 ployee for half the time spent by him at any evening class 

 or classes. For the proper carrying out of the plan the com- 

 pany has arranged with the Board of Education, the School 

 of Industrial Arts, the Y. M. C. A. evening schools and the 

 Y. W. C. .A. evening classes. Some of the classes are espe- 

 cially for those who cannot talk English. A number of 

 foreigners employed at the plant are taking advantage of this 

 unusual opportunity to learn more about the ways of the land 

 of their adoption. This feature alone, particularly at this 

 time, when so much stress is being placed upon this question, 

 has brought forth hearty commendation from officials of all 

 ranks. Leading teachers and others interested in educational 

 work are closely watching the progress of the plan and with- 

 out exception they are highly enthusiastic over it. 



Several Trenton factories have experienced labor trouble 

 in the unskilled branches of late. Two rubber concerns are 

 among the number. They are the Globe Rubber Co. and the 

 Essex Rubber Co. At these plants the places of the dis- 

 gruntled men liave been taken by other workmen, and in the 

 trimming department at the Essex plant, where some of the 

 girls left their work, their places were satisfactorily though tem- 

 porarily filled by the wives of the company officials and factory 

 foremen. 



* * * 



Peter Chevalier, of France, has returned home after 

 spending several weeks in the plant of the John E. Thropp's 

 Sons Co., where he studied the mechanism of the tire-making 

 machines produced by the company. Mr. Chevalier will act as 

 the French agent of the Thropp company, and several tire- 

 making machines have already been sent to France. They will 

 re|)lace the machines of German make heretofore used in the 

 French shops, the American machine doing quicker and better 

 work and requiring fewer hands to operate it. 



Jacob L. Newman, of Newark, has been appointed receiver 



for Leon Jaffrcss, a motor tire dealer of Plainfield, with of- 

 fices also at Harrison, New York City, Detroit and Cleveland. 

 At the Trenton Fair held recently the exhibit of orchids 

 made by Charles E. Roebling, president of the John A. 

 Rocbling's Sons Co., was one of the finest ever seen at an 

 exposition. Mr. Roebling is one of the leading amateur 

 orchid collectors in this country. 



THE RUBBER TRADE IN RHODE ISLAND. 

 By Our Regular Correspondent. 

 'T'lIF various rubber factories throughout the State are re- 

 •'■ ported to be working to their full capacity, and it is ex- 

 pected that they will continue to operate under similar con- 

 ditions for an indefinite period. Never in the history of the 

 rubber industry of Rhode Island has there been such a general 

 activity, or such encouraging prospects. Rubber goods neces- 

 sary to the surgeons of the armies in Europe are in increasing 

 demand and immense quantities are being continually shipped. 

 The factories that are working on automobile tires are rushed 

 to fill their orders, while the boot and shoe factories are turn- 

 ing out unusually large quantities of footwear. 



The plant of the Revere Rubber Co., on Valley street, this 

 city, is at present being operated three evenings a week, and 

 the indications are that night, as well as steady day work, will 

 be the order for some time to come. The company is erecting 

 a one-story brick and concrete building as an addition to its 

 facilities, which will be used for storage purposes. It has re- 

 cently completed a new one-story reinforced concrete laboratory 

 building, which will take rank with anything of its kind in this 

 section of the country, both in its appointments and equipment. 

 It is 41 X 104 feet, with brick tunnels and tile partitions, built 

 to carrv two more stories, whenever necessity demands. The 

 l)uilding includes three office rooms, a cold storage room, physical 

 testing room, mill room, vulcanizcr and press room, and a chemi- 

 cal laboratory. 



In planning for the new storehouse for the National India 

 Rubber Co. at Bristol, the location selected is said to be the 

 best that could be obtained for facilities in handling the manufac- 

 tured goods of the corporation. A spur-track runs from the 

 New York, New Haven & Hartford Railroad yards to the 

 new storehouse so that freight cars can be taken into or beside 

 the storehouse, which adjoins the railroad yards. 



Extensive repairs have just been completed at the pumping 

 station of the National India Roibber Co. and at the DeWoIf 

 Inn. which is used by the National company for the housing 

 of nearly 200 of its female employees. 



The National company pays the largest tax of any corpora- 

 tion or manufacturing company in the town of Bri.stol, where 

 its plant is located. The amount this year is $8,025 on an 

 assessed valuation of $585,750. 



The wire department of the National company is increasing 

 its product, and running overtime to keep pace with the orders. 



.\ full force of help is now engaged steadily at the National 

 mills, where over 2,800 people are employed, with promise of 

 full time for an indefinite period. 



The Tubular Woven Fabric Co., of Pawtucket, is rushed with 

 orders for fall and winter shipment, and several of its depart- 

 ments are working three nights a week until 9 o'clock to turn 

 out the requisite amount of work. The company is making a 

 new water and oil-proof hose, which is designed for use on auto- 

 mobiles, and it is reported to have closed contracts with several 

 of the largest automobile manufacturers in the country for early 

 shipments of considerable magnitude. 



The Narragansett Rubber Co., located on Wood street, Bris- 

 tol, has recently made numerous alterations at the plant to secure 

 additional room and to facilitate operations, and a considerable 



