84 



THE INDIA RUBBER WORLD 



[November 1, 1915. 



addition is being constructed for storage and other purposes. 

 There is a possibility that in the spring several new buildings 

 will be erected, with materia! additions to the present struc- 

 tures. Since the reorganization of the concern there has been 

 a steadily increasing business. 



Stockholders, creditors and others interested in the settlement 

 of the affairs of the suspended Atlantic National Banic of this 

 city were greatly pleased with the announcement early in the 

 month that Judge Dodge, in the United States District Court, 

 had allowed a seventh dividend amounting to 35 per cent, to all 

 the creditors of the Walpole Tire and Rubber Co. This brings the 

 total disbursements to date to 85 per cent, of the claims. The 

 Atlantic National Bank was one of the largest creditors of the 

 \Va!|)ole company and its suspension was a material factor in 

 forcing the Walpolo company into financial difficulties. 



The McNaull Tire Co. has removed from 344 \N'eybosset street 

 to the new Franklin building, 50 Franklin street. 



The calendering department of the International Rubber Co.'s 

 plant at West Harrington is being operated night and day, while 

 other departments are being run on an overtime schedule. 



Considerable attention has recently been attracted by the arrival 

 of four cases of imported statuary for the estate of Colonel 

 Samuel P. Colt, president of the United States Rubber Co., at 

 Bristol, which were received through the local custom house. 

 They were modeled by the master hand of Rodin and were 

 purchased in Paris several months ago by Colonel Colt, and the 

 four pieces are said to have cost about $50,000. One of them, it 

 is said, has long been sought by the Metropolitan Museum of 

 Art in New York. 



The pieces of statuary, as named by the sculptor, are "Le Lion 

 Douloureux," "Eve," "Psyche" and "L'Epervier et la Colombe." 

 The purchase of the statue of "Eve" was consummated some time 

 ago, but Colonel Colt also desired to obtain possession <ii the 



Heatty will be assistant to Manager L. C. Rockhill of the auto 

 tire department and will have a much broader field. The change 

 was announced on the return of Mr. Beatty from the recent big 

 conference of branch managers and representatives at the home 

 office at Akron. Mr. Beatty will be succeeded here by Edward J. 

 Smith, who comes to Providence from the Hartford, Connecticut, 

 liranch, where he has been for the last three and a half years. 



THE RUBBER TRADE IN AKRON. 



By Our Regular Corresfoiidcnt. 



BANKERS in close touch with the manufacturing inter- 

 ests in Akron predict general prosperity and an un- 

 usually successful year for the rubber factories — the cus- 

 tomary "slack season" early in the fall and winter now 

 proving a mythical term. Large additions to the Goodrich, 

 Firestone, Kelly-Springfield, Miller and Goodyear plants 

 are being built, and it is confidently expected that all of 

 these factories will run at full capacity throughout the 

 winter, with additional workers totaling 2,000. 



Rubber stocks are active; the possibility of a 4 or 5 per 

 cent, dividend on Goodrich in January and of 1916 dividends 

 on Firestone coinmon stock of 20 per cent, being favorable 

 influences in the trading. It might be added that the Goodrich 

 otificials give no intimation as to what action they may take. 



.\kron rubber factories are supporting a bill which has 

 been introduced in Congress to allow manufacturers to 

 establish retail prices below which dealers could not sell. 

 Rubber plants claim that price-cutting is unfair competi- 

 tion and only used as a bait to attract the public to the 

 purchase of other articles at higher prices, and they have 

 petitioned dealers in their products to urge congressmen 

 from their districts to vote for the bill. 



The annual sales convention of the Firestone Tire & Rub- 

 l>er Co.. ending September 30. was the most successful con- 

 vention e\er held by the company, the attendance being 



Firestone Sales Convention, 



three other marbles, but was unable to do so l)ecause of the 

 sculptor's attachment for them. 



Rodin desired to keep the statues himself, as he intended to 

 add them to his own private collection in Paris. It was only 

 after the Germans made their drive upon the French capital 

 that he became fearful for the fate of his creations, and finally 

 acquiesced in Colonel Colt"s wish to purchase them. 



Samuel M. Beatty. for the past two years manager of the local 

 branch of the . Goodyear .Tire & Rubber Co., has been promoted 

 to factory representative in the sales promotion department, with 

 headquarters at the factory at Akron. In his new position Mr. 



larger and the interest greater, with results correspondingly 

 valuable. There was a total attendance of 500 men, every 

 state in the Union and si.x foreign countries being represented. 

 For three days branch managers and salesmen from the 

 many branches of this organization broadened their knowl- 

 edge of business conditions in general and the tire business 

 in particular by attendance at conferences where the 

 theoretical side of the business was fully and ably discussed 

 by company executives, branch managers and salesmen; 

 the subjects including carriage, motorcycle, bicycle, motor 

 and pneumatic tires; accessories, rims, exports, adjustments, 

 credits, advertising and factory and branch efficiency. Each 



