THE INDIA RUBBER WORLD 



193 



Herman Haase, rubber testing expert of the Goodrich company, 

 gave an interesting lecture on "Crude Rubber" before members 

 of the Akron Real Estate Board at their luncheon on December 7. 



On the theory that some inducement should be given for ex- 

 ercise of brain as well as body. J. P. Loomis. director in the 

 Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co., and trustee of the University of 

 .Akron, has donated a solid silver trophy cup, to be awarded to 

 the high school whose students make the best showing in grades 

 during their freshman year at tlic University of Akron. The cup 

 will become the permanent pr.>pLTty of the scliool which wins it 

 five times. 



.Vt the annual meeting of the Goodyear Tire & Rulilier Co. 

 held at .\kron. December 4. 1915, there were several promo- 

 tions among the staff. S. M. Stadelman and P. W. Litchfield 

 were elected vice-presidents, continuing in their former positions 

 as sales and factory managers; M. J. Blackburn was made 

 second assistant treasurer, and .A. F. Osterloh. formerly assistant 

 secretary, was elected secretary. He is also assistant sales 

 manager. 



Following is the balance sheet of the Goodyear company, as 

 compared with that of the previous year : 



ASSETS. 



1915. 1914. 



Real estate and buildings $3,883,946 $3,606,537 



Machinery and fixtures 3,962.260 3,208,107 



Patents, trade marks, etc 1 1 



Securities owned 809,326 777,649 



Preferred stock purcliased 258,459 343,593 



Notes receivable of olficers. etni»lo\'ees. capital 



Mock ; 1.045.816 805,283 



Inventory 7.763,189 4.567,460 



.\ccount5 and notes receivable 4.759.246 3.328.693 



Advances to agents, etc 278.070 280.655 



Cash on deposit ■ 1,766.352 2.862.706 



Advances to Gnodvear Imp. Co. and (itiodvear 



Heights Realty Co .' . . . 1.047.661 885,315 



Suspended assets 334,067 440.438 



Prepaid rentals, etc 371,529 352,893 



Total $26,279,927 $21,459,335 



LIABILITIES. 



Preferred stock $6,650,000 $7,000,000 



Common stock 8.377,200 7,991.110 



Purchase accounts payable 1.565.705 410.575 



Sundry accounts payable 378.894 257,509 



Res. for doubtful accounts 558.956 564.327 



Depreciation of plant 1,717,230 1.183.418 



Surplus 7.031,940 4,052.395 



Total $26,279,927 $21,459,335 



Plans are in progress for three more additions to the Goodyear 

 plant: a five-story factory, 60 x ISO feet; a garage for employees' 

 automobiles, 105 x 60 feet, and a three-story time ofiice. 60 x 20 

 feet. The basement of the time office will be used for shower 

 baths, toilets and wash rooms, the upper floor for a restaurant 

 and rest room. The estimated cost for these additions is 

 $110,000. 



THE RUBBER TRADE IN RHODE ISLAND. 



By Our Regular Corrcsfomicnl. 

 'T~'11E year that has just closed will be recorded as one of the 

 *■ most notable in the history of the rubber industry of 

 Rhode Island. There has been no time during the entire twelve 

 months of 1915 when the rubber factories of the State have not 

 been rushed to their fullest capacity, or when theie has been a 

 sufficient number of skilled employees to fill all demands for 

 help. While the regular volume of business indicated conditions 

 that would have afforded the various factories ample employ- 

 ment for a normal force and schedule, the extraordinary volume 

 of war orders from Europe increased the demands upon the 

 plants to an extent never before equalled. 



Those factories manufacturing rubber boots, secured numerous 

 large-sized orders from Europe early in the year, so that tnany 

 of the regiments composing the forces of the .Allies were sup- 

 plied with Rhode Island boots for trench work, orders for 

 which have been duplicated in a majority of instances. For 

 several months, during the earlier part of the year, the factories 

 were handicapped to a greater or less extent by the embargo 



that was placed on plantation rubber, but this was modified 

 later, so that the local factories had little diHiculty in securing 

 all the rubber they needed. 



During the year several of the mills have been enlarged, and 

 in all plants there have been extensive alterations and improve- 

 ments. At the present time the different concerns are working 

 on a full-time card, or better, in nearly every department, and 

 the outlook is said to be good. Evidences of this are seen in 

 the fact that none of the plants were closed for the Christmas 

 holidays, as has been the custom for inany years. In some in- 

 stances the number of orders on hand is sufficient to maintain 

 a full working schedule for several months to come. 



One feature of this unusual activity among the rubber fac- 

 tories located at Bristol is the increasing dearth of suitable 

 tenement houses and boarding places for the employees. There 

 are no houses for rental, and an unusually large number are 

 contemplating building homes for themselves. The necessity 

 for more houses is seen each morning in Bristol when large 

 numbers arrive from Warren, Riverside. Harrington and other 

 neighboring places. 



Recognizing the lack of accommodations, the officials of the 

 National India Rubber Co. several months ago leased the De 

 \\olf Inn — a large hotel that for several years was used as a 

 summer resort — and had it fitted and equipped as a boarding 

 place for their women employees who were not otherwise pro- 

 vided for. Thus suitable accommodations were afforded for 

 nearly 75 operatives and the experiment has proven a success, 

 both for the corporation and the operatives, and has gone a 

 long ways toward solving this difficult problem. 



The plant of the National India Rubber Co. at Bristol was 

 the scene, on December 28 and 29, of a meeting of the salesmen 

 of the United States Rubber Co., when upwards of 400 repre- 

 sentatives from the different branches in the United States 

 gathered to attend the meetings arranged a1 the big factory by 

 Vice-President LeBaron C. Colt and other officials. 



Rooms at the plant had been fitted up f'T the display of the 

 many styles and qualities of goods, including sporting and out- 

 ing shoes and insulated wire, manufactured by the company. 

 Here the sessions were held and, following inspections of the 

 various lines, the managers and other representatives of the 

 various sales departments connected w^ith the United States Rub- 

 ber Co. addressed the irien. w-ith the view of making them better 

 acquainted with the processes of manufacture, from the begin- 

 ning to the shipping of the finished products. 



One of the most important and interesting features of the 

 meeting was a tour of the big plant, conducted by the officials, 

 which gave the visitors a closer acquaintance with the goods 

 they sell. .All of the methods, machines and processes of making, 

 from the raw material to the finished product, were explained. 



.A few days before Christmas, the employees of the National 

 India Rubber Co. contributed $788.08 as i donation to the poor 

 and unfortunate in Bristol. This money was distributed through 

 the various charitable organizations and clergymen of the town, 

 irrespective of denomination. 



The following is the detailed list of the different departments, 

 together with the ainount contributed, from each department : 

 Officers, $50; office. $18.75; gaiter and quarter room. $230; cal- 

 ender room, $23.05; shipping department. $13.60; cutting room, 

 $17; yard, $19.50; heater room. $10.35; shoe department, $114; 

 night gang. $10.75; watchinen. $3.50; stitching room. $127.85; 

 packing room. $24.50; check rooin, $10; machine cutting depart- 

 ment. $9.25; printing department, $15.13; carpenter shop, $12.10; 

 machine shop, $5; engineers and firemen, $5.50; wire depart- 

 tiient, $68.25 : total, $788.08. 



.A final meeting in bankruptcy was held a few days ago in 

 the case of Edward R. Young, retailer in rubber goods in this 

 city, and the trustee, Norman S. Case, was discharged, the 

 creditors having received 2^ per cent. 



