July 



1916.1 



THE INDIA RUBBER WORLD 



561 



THE RUBBER TRADE IN AKRON. 



By Our Regular Correspondent. 



THE rubber companies of this city are responding generously 

 to the call of patriotism in encouraging their employes to 

 join the militia for Mexican service, by the practical expedient of 

 insuring them against financial loss. 



The B. F. Goodrich Co. has announced that to all employes 

 who will serve in the militia who contribute to the support of 

 dependents, two-thirds of their average wage, based on their 

 previous average wage during the last three months, will be paid. 



To all men not contributing regularly to dependents, one-half 

 of their average wage will be paid. 



Payment will be made direct to dependents designated or will 

 be held in trust for the employe. Insurance issued by the com- 

 pany will remain in effect. The company also announces no dis- 

 crimination will be made against the employe upon his return and 

 he will return to his position if possible. 



The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co. encourages its employes 

 to enlist in the national guard, allowing them the necessary time 

 for summer military camp duty, without prejudicing their 

 salaries or positions with the company. Many Goodyearites are 

 affected by the President's mobilization order, among whom 

 are executives and engineering experts whose services to the 

 company are invaluable. 



The Firestone Tire & Rubber Co. will give all employes en- 

 listed on or prior to June 20, who have been in continuous 

 service of the company three or more years, full wages less all 

 money received from the State or National Government. Em- 

 ployes in continuous service of the company between one and 

 three years, will receive two-thirds of wages less all money 

 received from the State or National Government; and employes 

 in continuous service of the company less than one year, one-half 

 of wages less all money received from the State or National 

 Government. 



Employes who enlist after June 20. will be allowed wages as 

 follows. le>s all money received from the State or National 

 Government : 



Those in continuous service of tlie company three or more 

 years, full wages ; those in continuous service between one and 

 three years, two-thirds of wages ; those in continuous service 

 between six months and one year, one-half of wages. Those in 

 continuous service less than six months will receive no allow- 

 ance. The average wages earned per month for three months 

 prior to enlistment will be the amount allowed piece workers, 

 also employes on salary. 



The Firestone Tire & Rubber Co. has just installed a turbine 

 engine, capable of generating 12,000 horsepower. The new tur- 

 bine replaces one of 3,000 horsepower. 



That there is a growing interest in the popular mind as re- 

 gards the rubber business is shown by the inquiries made to 

 every rubber company for samples and particulars of manufac- 

 ture by school principals and teachers. To meet this demand, the 

 Firestone company has prepared an exhibit of the chief com- 

 mercial rubbers and has sent out several hundred such exhibits 

 to the various schools and colleges, together with a booklet which 

 explains processes of manufacturing the various articles. 



On June 17, the power house of the Firestone company was 

 partially destroyed by fire, caused by defective insulation. While 

 the fire was confined to the power plant, the damage done was 

 of a character to aflrect general operation, though all depart- 

 ments are now restored to normal operating condition. 



A. H. Harris has sold to the Firestone company his patents 

 on the machine and method used in making cord tires. This 

 machine was illustrated and described in TnK Ixni.v Rubber 

 World, January 1, 1916. 



Mention was made in the June letter of the appointment of a 

 meeting of stockholders to increase the capital stock of the Miller 



Rubber Co. and to distribute shares to the common stockholders. 

 The meeting was duly held on June 2 and the capital stock of 

 the company was increased from $2,000,000 to $20,000,000, divided 

 into 200,000 shares of $100 each, of which amount of stock $10,- 

 500,000 par value, consisting of 105,000 shares of $100 each, shall 

 be preferred stock, and $9,500,000, consisting of 95,000 shares of 

 $100 each, shall be common stock. 



The Miller company is to be congratulated on the present con- 

 dition of its business. It is stated that for the past six months 

 of the present fiscal year the sales were 100 per cent in excess 

 of the same period last year. The gross sales from October 2, 

 1915, to April I, 1916, were about $2,000,000, compared with 

 $800,000 for the same period the previous year. A portion of the 

 proceeds of the sale of $2,500,000 worth of preferred stock is 

 to provide for factory additions now in process of erection and 

 for the retirement of old preferred stock. The company is erect- 

 ing two si.x-story buildings and two eight-story buildings which, 

 when completed, will make the total floor area over 21 acres. 



The advertising department of the ililler company is sending 

 to dealers handling its tires electrotype advertisements for insert- 

 ing in the local papers which are distinctly novel. Each one ij 

 adorned with a figure named "Mr. Quick Service," the word 

 "Quick" being used to form the principal features of this sup- 

 positious person. He is crowned by a cap made from a Miller 

 tire and he is represented as being on the spot to do every sort 

 of tire and tube repairing. The ingenious artist has evolved a 

 figure which is decidedly noticeable, though it can hardly be 

 called handsome, but that it will be quickly recognized if given 

 sufficient publicity goes without saying. 



.At a director's meeting of the Portage Rubber Co., at Barber- 

 ton, held on May 29, the regular quarterly dividend of 1J4 Per 

 cent upon its issued and outstanding preferred capital stock was 

 declared, payable July 1 to stockholders of record June 20; also 

 a quarterly dividend of 2 per cent on its issued and outstanding 

 common stock, payable .-\ugust 15 to common stockholders of 

 record August 5. 



The Portage company will hold a stockholders" meeting on 

 July 11 to vote on a plan to increase the capital stock of the 

 company from $1,250,000 to $3,000,000. Half the new stock is 

 to be common, and shareholders will be offered the right to buy 

 new stock at 105. The issue has already been underwritten. 



The Punctureless .Auto Tire Co., manufacturer of the King 

 tubeless truck tire, has recently purchased a 20-acre tract of 

 land just south of the Barberton pumping station, with a frontage 

 of 1,864 feet on the Pennsylvania, Erie and B. & O. tracks on 

 the north; Mud Run on the east; the Ohio canal on the south, 

 and 364 feet of public highway. A factory will be built at once, 

 comprising four main buildings, 80 by 400 feet, four stories high, 

 with a power and rim plant. A temporary building will be 

 erected for immediate production. 



The Uoublf Service Tire & Kublicr Co. has purchased the 

 plant of the I-ily Rubber Co. at Barberton, comprising 414 acres 

 of ground. For the present, the buildings now on the property 

 will be used, but a new, modern tire factory will be erected in 

 the near future on this site. 



The Goodyear Tire &■ Rnl)I)cr Co. recently presented to the 

 Ohio National Guard, through Battery B, largely composed of 

 Goodyear employes, a fully equipped military "kite" balloon, 

 made under the direction of Sergeant R. H. Upson, the Good- 

 year aeronautical expert. 



The kite balloon is a type of balloon developed by foreign 

 governments for use in making military observations. It takes 

 its name from the manner of rigging, which is similar to a 



