354 



THE INDIA RUBBER WORLD 



[March 1, 1917. 



The Miller Rubber Co. increased its total sales from $3,216,000 

 in 1915 to $7,583,605.95 in 1916 with prospects from $10,000,000 

 to $12,000,000 sales for 1917. The 1916 lignres are for IS months, 

 owing to a change in the fiscal year. 



The surplus on October 1, 1915, was $831,746.99. Earnings on 

 October 1, 1915, to December 31, 1916. were $952,952 with a total 

 of $1,784,699 less the common stock dividend of $1,000,000 depre- 

 ciation and expenses of increased capitalization of $232,795.84 and 

 dividends of $259,958. With a total of $1,592,753.94, the surplus 

 on December 31, 1916, was $291,945. 



The company will issue $500,000 in new common stock. Present 

 shareholders will have the right to purchase shares of the new- 

 stock at par. 



During 1916 the company doubled its factory and land hold- 

 ings and is at present erecting a seven-story addition. 



* * * 



The admirable new plant of the .American Hard Rubber Co., 

 comprising buildings covering nearly ten acres, is equipped with 

 the most modern machinery and appliances for the manufacture 

 of hard rubber goods. The architect was Walter Kidde & Co., 

 Inc., 140 Cedar street. New York City, who specializes in rubber 

 mill construction. 



* * * 



At the annual meeting of the Amazon Tire & Rubber Co. the 

 following officers were elected : L. J. Schott, president ; L. F. 

 Smith, vice-president ; C. E. Bettler, treasurer ; Dr. F. B. Richards 

 and Albert Kroehle, directors, in addition to the officers. The 

 company is building a standard pneumatic tire with an extra side- 

 wall breaker strip or blow-out protection and reports a monthly 

 increase in sales of about 140 per cent. 



* * * 



The .'\kron Biltwell Tire & Rubber Co., with executive offices 

 at 405 Ohio Building, is having plans prepared for a new plant. 

 The first unit will be four stories high, 100 by 200 feet, with 

 power plant, the first story to be of reinforced concrete, fireproof 

 construction. A large number of Cleveland people are stock- 

 holders in the new firm. 



THE RUBBER TRADE IN RHODE ISLAND. 



By Our Regular Correspondent. 

 jy^.^NUF.ACTURERS of rubber goods of every description in 

 ^~ *■ Rhode Island are working to capacity, with no apparent 

 indication of cessation of the extraordinary demands. 



The scarcity of desirable help still confronts the managers and 

 is, perhaps, one of the most exasperating and ever present prob- 

 lems with which they have to contend. Because of this shortage 

 several concerns, that would otherwise have built, have refrained 

 from making additions to their plants. However, the aggregate 

 output of the rubber factories of Rhode Island for the past two 

 years has been something enormous, establishing a new record 

 for the industry, and the end does not yet appear to be in sight. 



* * * 



The National India Rubber Co.'s plant at Bristol has been 

 handicapped during the past few weeks on account of the con- 

 gestion of freight, the local railroads having been utterly unable 

 to move the accumulating output. The establishment is still en- 

 gaged on an extraordinarily large order of tennis shoes and will 

 undoubtedly be pushed to its utmost for a number of months to 

 come. 



* * * 



A two-story brick addition is being built to the box shop of the 

 Alice mill of the Woonsocket Rubber Co., at Woonsocket. When 

 completed it will be used in the manufacture of paper boxes for 

 packing the company's goods. 



* * * 



The Davol Rubber Co. is making extensive alterations in the 

 three-story brick building at its plant in order to afford additional 

 room for several departments. 



The Mechanical Fabric Co., Providence, has recently discharged 

 a mortgage of $28,000 held against its real estate by Lotta P. 

 Kellcy. 



* * * 



The Town Council of East Providence has voted to purchase 

 3(X) feet of fire hose for use of the town's lire companies. Of this 

 150 feet has been purchased from the Boston Woven & Rubber 

 Hose Co., and 150 feet from the Quaker City Hose Co. 



* * * 



The BeSaw Tire Co., 50 Franklin street. Providence, is being 

 conducted by A. C. Bartlett, according to information filed at the 

 office of the city clerk. 



THE RUBBER TRADE IN TRENTON. 



By Our Regular Correspondent. 



CIX men employed in the vulcanizing department of the Lu- 

 *^ zerne Rubber Co. narrowly enscaped death, though un- 

 scathed, when one of the huge vnlcanizers blew up, demolishing 

 one entire wall of the building and shattering windows in an- 

 other factory some distance away. The only explanation that 

 has been made is that there must have been defective metal in 

 the vulcanizer. It was not an old apparatus and those in charge 

 claim that everything was apparently in good order a short time 

 before the accident. While the damage done to the building 

 is considerable, the chief concern of the company is to get things 

 in shape for turning out of orders, as the plant is rushed with 

 business. 



* * * 



The Empire Rubber & Tire Co. is to be reorganized under 

 the name of the Empire Tire and Rubber Corporation, with a 

 capital stock of $6,000,000, of which $1,500,000 is preferred, 

 $3,000,000 common, issued, and $1,500,000 reserved in treasury 

 for converting preferred. 



* * * 



The Globe Rubber Manufacturing Co. recently awarded a con- 

 tract for a large brick addition to its plant on Prospect street. 



* » * 



Efforts are being made by the Trenton Chamber of Commerce 

 to have the Ford Motor Co. locate a plant in Trenton. This 

 action follows the decision of Henry Ford to not erect a plant 

 at Harrison, New Jersey, as he had contemplated doing. Rub- 

 ber tire manufacturers are interested in the outcome of the 

 negotiations. 



* * * 



The Automobile Owners Co-operative Association, organized 

 in this city to supply tires to members, is said to be contemplat- 

 ing the equipment of a factory for making tires. It is said 

 there have been large numbers of neir-by motorists to subscribe 

 for stock in the concern. 



* '.? 5!! 



The Trenton Automobile Show will be held in the Second 

 Regiment -Armory from March 21 to 24, inclusive. Tires and 

 other rubber goods will be elaborately displayed in the section 

 devoted to automobile accessories. 



A SYNTHETIC RUBBER ENTERPRISE. 



The latest synthetic rubber proposition has been launched in 

 Tacoma, Washington, by Morton Gregory, who proposes to pro- 

 duce rubber from Puget Sound products. 



Mr. Gregory, who has been experimenting for several years, 

 claims that the feasibility of his process has been demonstrated 

 in a number of laboratories during the past year. He has leased 

 3,800 square feet of municipal dock property on which to con- 

 duct his operations. It is stated that the project has been ade- 

 quately financed by eastern capital. 



