434 



THE INDIA RUBBER WORLD 



More than 1. 000 persons gathered at the plant of the Monati- 

 quot Rubher Works Co. in South Braintree on Patriots' Day, 

 to attend the flag raising in honor of the sixth birthday of this 

 company. Treasurer James H. Stedman was master of cere- 

 monies and addresses were made by Calvin Coolidge, Lieutenant- 

 Ciovernor of Massachusetts; Grafton D. Cushing. former Lieu- 

 tenant-Governor: Division Superintendent F. S. Hobbs, of the 

 New York, New Haven & Hartford Railroad, and State Sena- 

 tor Langelier, a member of the Massachusetts Prison Commis- 

 sion. The program included a fine luncheon, which was served 

 to the invited guests, among which were many state, town and 

 corporation officials and prominent citizens. Music was ren- 

 dered during the afternoon by the Stetson Shoe Band. The en- 

 tire works were then thrown open for inspection. They were in 

 full operation, and the visitors inspected the different processes 

 used in manufacturing "Naturized" rubber, the product of this 

 mill. Many congratulations were received by President Harlow, 

 Sales Manager Turner and Treasurer Stedman on the progress 

 which has been made by the company in its six years of ex- 

 istence licre, and the whole affair was most successful. 

 ♦ * * 



In this connection it may be of interest to note that Presi- 

 dent Robert C. Harlow, of the Monatiquot Rubber Works Co., 

 has been appointed the first Fire Commissioner of the historic 

 old town of Plymouth in this State, the tow^n having voted to 

 change from the old system of a board of fire engineers and 

 give one man, as fire commissioner, full charge of the depart- 

 ment. Mr. Harlow had been a member of the water board of 

 that town and was one of the town committee named to report 

 on a more efficient fire department. His extensive business ex- 

 perience should prove valuable in the work which he has under- 

 taken for his home town and Plymouth is to be congratulated 

 upon acquiring his services in this important department. 



In the Boston letter last December mention was made of the 

 purchase of land by parties who proposed building a rubber fac- 

 tory near Maplewood Station. This has materialized in the in- 

 corporation of the Fellsway Rubber Co. with an authorized 

 capital of $95,000, of which $30,000 is paid in cash, for the manu- 

 facture of mechanicals and molded goods, including rubber soles 

 and heels for the shoe factory trade. F. P. Cowing, of the shoe 

 supplies firm of H. H. Kelley & Co., Boston, is the treasurer, 

 whose ofiice is at 230 Purchase street, Boston. Louis H. Will- 

 iams, who has had a wide experience in the manufacture of 

 molded goods in Scotland and Canada and this country, is 

 president, and will have charge of the manufacturing end of the 

 Dusiness. His office will be at the factory, which is situated at 

 30 Locust street, Medford, Massachusetts. 



THE RUBBER TRADE IN RHODE ISLAND. 



By Our Regular Correspondent. 



THE rubber factories continue to be among the busiest manu- 

 facturing plants in Rhode Island, and additional orders are 

 being constantly received, notwithstanding that practically all 

 of the concerns have more demands on their books than can be 

 filled for some months to come. Many of the departments are, 

 and have been for many weeks, working on overtime schedules 

 and there would be even more machines operating in double 

 shifts if there were men and women in sufficient numbers to work 

 on them. There is not a single plant in the State that has 

 enough help, it is said, and while improvements are being made 

 in machinery and methods, it is not known where the extra help 

 that will be needed is to come from, as repeated advertising in 

 the newspapers fails to bring any material response. This short- 

 age of help, together w^ith the freight embargoes which are still 

 in force to a greater or less extent, and some slight labor con- 

 troversies, have somewhat handicapped the manufacturers, but 

 these, in a measure, are adjusting themselves, and it is believed 



that the year 1916 will be written into the history ol the rubber 

 industry of the State as one of the most prosperous ever experi- 

 enced. 



With all the hustle and bustle incident to rush orders under 

 far from favorable conditions and circumstances, however, the 

 welfare of the operatives has not been overlooked or neglected. 

 Rubber manufacturers as a rule have been prompt in taking ad- 

 vantage of every opportunity to better the working environment 

 in their plants. The Woonsocket Rubber Co. maintains a fully 

 equipped hospital for all emergency purposes, and a rest 

 room that was established at the Alice Mill, at Woonsocket, 

 early in 1915, and later similar accommodations were provided at 

 the Millville plant. Miss Essie McDonald, a trained nurse, is 

 on duty at the Alice Mill in the morning and at the Millville 

 plant of the company each afternoon. She has full supervision 

 as regards the health of the employes in both of these mills. 



The most extensive welfare work done in Rhode Island in 

 any industry, is that carried on at the National India Rubber 

 Co.'s plant at Bristol, involving the expenditure of $10,000 on 

 one item alone, with a good many more thousands of dollars in 

 the aggregate, and yet the plans are not fully developed. For a 

 number of years there has been a steady effort made on the part 

 of the National company to improve working conditions and to 

 bring the operating force up to a high standard. Owing to the 

 serious lack of housing accommodations, many of the employes 

 reside elsewhere, not a few as far away as Providence and Fall 

 River. For other reasons, it has often been necessary to hire 

 persons almost as they stepped off the ocean liners in New York, 

 few of whom had the remotest conception of hygiene. 



The first problem in welfare work, therefore, was cleanliness, 

 essential because of the character of the output. To obtain this 

 there was a vigorous campaign waged, to the extent that in 

 every department where white goods are handled personal neat- 

 ness is now apparent. 



The second step was to obtain satisfactory sanitary conditions, 

 and for these it became necessary to give notice that spitting on 

 the floor would be followed by instant dismissal — this was to pre- 



DispENs.\RV .\Nij Rest Room at the National India 

 RlBBER Co. 



vent tuberculosis infection. Inspectors were employed who 

 could speak the various languages, and personal notice was 

 served upon every employe that this rule would be enforced to 

 the letter, and now the rule is rarely broken. 



New, up-to-date toilet accommodations wore provided in a 



