288 



THE INDIA RUBBER WORLD 



[February 1, 1917. 



total $15,000,000 less than a year ago, and $8,000,000 less than 

 two years ago. In this connection W. H. Palmer, of the United 

 States Rubber Co., at the annual convention of the National Shoe 

 Retailers' Association in Cincinnati, Ohio, not long ago, reviewed 

 the remarkable growth of the rubber sole business and also stated 

 that the shipments by his firm of canvas upper, rubber-soled foot- 

 wear for the year ending August 31, 1907, amounted to 149,374 

 cases, but that since then the business has increased more than 



fourfold. 



* * * 



The J. W. Wood Elastic Web Co., of Stoughton, Massa- 

 chusetts, is erecting the second large addition to its plant 

 during the past year. The new building will be 60 by 125 

 feet, of especially heavy construction, two stories high, with 

 walls of reinforced concrete, and when completed, the work 

 which has been done at Brockton in the past will be taken 



care of in the new building. 



* * * 



Dr. Warren K. Lewis, professor of chemical engineering 

 at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, 

 has been appointed consulting chemist for the Goodyear Tire 

 & Rubber Co., Akron, Ohio. He will still hold his pro- 

 fessorship at this great technical institution, taking trips to 



Akron as occasion may demand. 



* * * 



Francis H. Appleton. the well-known manufacturer of re- 

 claimed rubber, was reelected Chief Rabban of Aleppo Tem- 

 ple, Mystic Shrine, in this city, last month. Captain Appleton 

 stands very high in Masonic circles. He was also one of the 

 committee to visit England a few years ago, to tender to 

 King George the certificate of honorary membership in the 



Ancient and Honorable Artillery of this city. 



* * * 



Lester Leland, vice-president of the United States Rubber 

 Co., was reelected a director of the American Trust Co. at 

 its annual meeting. Mr. Leland resigned his position as 

 director of the Second National Bank, the vacancy being 

 filled by Matthew C. Brush, president of the Boston Elevated 

 Railway. 



THE RUBBER TRADE IN AKRON. 



By Our Rc^tditr Corrrspoiidi'iit. 



EMPLOYES of tlie Firestone Tire & Rubber Co. are re- 

 sponding enthusiastically to the newly inaugurated stock 

 distribution plan whereby it is possible to become a stockholder 

 in the company. The plan provides for the distribution of one 

 to ten shares of stock to each employe, according to term of 

 service. It can be purchased at $100 per share, although the 

 present market value is about $140. Easy payments can be 

 made for five years, during which period the stock must remain 

 on deposit with the company. 



At the annual dinner to the 500 superintendents, foremen, de- 

 partment heads and their wives held recently in the Firestone 

 clubhouse, President H. S. Firestone outlined the company's 

 ofTer and its object. "We want to hold the interest of our em- 

 ployes," he said. "The only way to do that properly is to give 

 them a real interest in the company. It is better for the com- 

 pany and better for the men. If you have a real interest in 

 the work you do, there is nothing in the world that gives you 

 more pleasure than your work, and at the same time you be- 

 come much more efficient." 



R. E. Lee, R. E. Glass, L. B. Walters and R. C. Lepper also 

 spoke at the dinner, and J. W. Thomas, general superintendent, 

 acted as toastmaster. Motion pictures and music furnished pleas- 

 ing entertainment. 



President Firestone recently purchased a beautiful winter home 

 in southern Florida, where he and his family are to spend the 

 latter part of the winter. 



The books of The B. F. Goodrich Co. have been closed for 

 the purpose of compiling the full annual report for the year 

 1916. The results are as follows, subject only to the verification 

 of public accountants and auditors : 



After making full provision for all maintenance charges, de- 

 preciation, bad and doubtful debts, and other items which it 

 was deemed wise to take out of the year's earnings, the net 

 profits for the period amount to approximately $9,550,000. 



This amount, added to the surplus carried over as at Decem- 

 ber 31, 1915, of $10,580,000, shows undivided profits of approx- 

 imately $14,900,000 after deducting the four quarterly dividends 

 of 1J4 per cent on the preferred and 4 per cent on the common 

 stock outstanding, together with the following provisions : 

 $700,000 for the redemption of preferred stock; $121,460 repre- 

 senting the reduction of preferred stock purchased from cost to 

 par, and $100,000 appropriated for pension fund. 



At the regular quarterly meeting of the directors held on Jan- 

 uary 24 a dividend of 3j/i per cent was declared on the preferred 

 stock, payable 13^ per cent April 2, and 1J4 per cent July 2. 



A quarterly dividend of 1 per cent was declared on the com- 

 mon stock, payable May 15, 1917. 



The directors voted, subject to the approval of the stock- 

 holders at their annual meeting March 14, to retire 9,000 shares 

 of preferred stock prior to July 1, 1917. This makes a total re- 

 tirement of 36,000 shares covering the charter provision for re- 

 tirement of preferred stock up to July 1, 1917. 



The net earnings for 1916 were less than those of 1915, which 

 is largely due to the fact that advances in selling prices have 

 not kept pace with rapidly increasing costs. However, the 

 directors consider the results satisfactory under the conditions 

 which prevailed. 



During the past month 50 representatives of the waterproof 

 clothing department of The B. F. Goodrich Co. met at the home 

 office for a week's convention. Formerly, mere utility governed 

 the waterproof garment situation but, nowadays, cut and style 

 and originality play as large a part in this type of clothing as 

 in any other. J. W. Jones, sales manager of this division of 

 the Goodrich company, stated that the finest artists and models 

 obtainable are employed in creating new models from year to 

 year in keeping with other styles in men's and boys', ladies' 

 and misses' clothing. 



W. O. Rutherford, general sales manager of the Goodrich 

 company and a director of The Motor and Accessory Manu- 

 facturers, was one of the prominent visitors at the automobile 

 show in New York City during the past month. 



Henry C. Geer. formerly general foreman of the Goodrich 

 company, was recently placed on the retired list, after 35 

 years' service, following a remarkable record of only three weeks' 

 absence, caused by illness, in all that time. He is now taking 

 a prolonged vacation at Miami, Florida. When Mr. Geer en- 

 tered the employ of the Goodrich company, its products con- 

 sisted of rubber rolls for wringers, solid rubber tires for high- 

 wheeled bicycles, and rubber hose, while to-day the company 

 manufactures over 10,000 different rubber articles. 

 * * + 



Men from practically every quarter of the civilized globe take 

 part in the making of Goodyear products, and an interesting 

 organization formed by The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co. to 

 aid in the true Americanizing of these varied elements is the 

 Goodyear Cosmopolitan Club, composed of workmen represent- 

 ing 20 different nationalities. The charter members are men of 

 prominence and influence among the men of their respective 

 nationalities and with the utmost enthusiasm for American in- 

 stitutions and ideals, and will undoubtedly be instrumental in 

 promoting fraternal feeling. 



The previously mentioned citizenship classes maintained by the 

 Goodyear company for alien workmen are also a valuable aid 



