April 1, 1917.] 



THE INDIA RUBBER WORLD 



415 



few tire exhibits. Perhaps the best of these was that of the 

 United States Rubber Co., of New York City. 



* * * 



The B. F. Goodrich Co. chose auto-show week to place in its 

 big Boylston street window two of its Silvertown cord tire 

 machines, perhaps as intricate and ingenious pieces of mechan- 

 ism as any used in the tire industry. As a consequence, the 

 sidewalk in front was one of the most crowded areas of its 

 size in the city, and many of the spectators, of a more mechan- 

 ical turn of mind, invaded the window itself for a closer inspec- 

 tion of the working of these $20,000 machines, which lay the 

 flattened cords smoothly and evenly over the surface of the 

 carcass, these to be imbedded with rubber and vulcanized. 

 Expert mechanicians from Akron were in charge of these auto- 

 matic machines, which place two layers of- cord about the tire 

 in such manner that every inch of cord is under uniform ten- 

 sion. Although the double operation takes about 20 minutes, 

 there were many spectators who watched the entire operation 

 from beginning to end. 



The writer wishes to rectify an error which appeared in the 

 March letter relative to the Plymouth Rubber Co. factory. It 

 was spoken of as being located in Stoughton, Massachusetts, 

 instead of Canton, this state, the concern having removed from 

 Stoughton six years ago. Because, for years before, the viriter 

 had always connected this company's name with the town of 

 Stoughton, the error inadvertently sHpped in. The new factory 

 building, recently completed, puts Canton the more prominently 

 on the map, and locates it definitely in the minds of all pas- 

 sengers between Boston and New York by way of Providence. 



* * * 



The Revere Rubber Co. plant of the United States Rub- 

 ber Co., at , Chelsea, has decided to discontinue its electric 

 plant and will rely for lighting and motive power on the Edi- 

 son company's service, a long-term contract for such service 

 having been entered into within the last month. It is estimated 

 that this will amount to about 5,000 horse power. The steam 

 service, of course, will be continued for heating and vulcanizing 

 purposes. The company's'hee! and sole business, which is only 

 a portion of its output, is growing by leaps and bounds, and its 

 specialties in several other lines are in heavy demand at present. 

 * * * 



Mr. and Mrs. Franklin \\'. Pitcher celebrated the fiftieth an- 

 niversary of their marriage at their home in Easthampton, Mas- 

 sachusetts, on Tuesday, March 13. More than 200 guests at- 

 tended, among them many intimate friends connected with the 

 rubber and textile industries. 



Mr. Pitcher, who is treasurer and general manager of the 

 Easthampton Rubber Thread Co., became interested in the elastic 

 fabric business many years ago, and this led him to join in the 

 organizing of the Revere Rubber Co., Chelsea, Massachusetts. 

 He was the first treasurer of that company and afterwards its 

 president. In 1885 he moved to Easthampton to be in close 

 touch with the Easthampton Rubber Thread Co., and with the 

 exception of a few years has ever since resided there, where he 

 has become identified with several of the financial and manu- 

 facturing interests of that town. Both Mr. and Mrs. Pitcher 

 are natives of Maine and were married at Pittston, that state, 

 March 13, 1867. They have two sons and a daughter. One son, 

 William L. Pitcher, is superintendent of the Eastliampton Rub- 

 ber Thread Co:'s factory, and the other, Walter F. Pitcher, is 

 treasurer and genera! manager of the Franklin Steel Works. 



* * * 



The Boston Woven Hose & Rubber Co. did a very jirosperous 

 business last year, its sales exceeding $6,000,000, and it is ex- 

 pected that for the present year it will reach the $7,000,000 mark 

 in output. Last year its net earnings are reported to have been 



nearly 40 per cent on its $2,000,000 common stock after paying 

 the preferred dividends. The sum of $322,710 was spent out of 

 earnings on new buildings and equipment and $750,000 trans- 

 ferred from the surplus to capital account. Extra cash divi- 

 dends have been paid in 1912, 1914 and 1915, to a total of 110 

 per cent, besides the annual dividends, and the rights to pur- 

 chase the new issue of $1,000,0(X) common stock are held at a 

 substantial premium. 



* * * 



President George B. Dryden and Vice-President George C. 

 Reeves, of the Dryden Rubber Co., Chicago, Illinois, were in 

 Boston several days the middle of the month, making their 

 headquarters at the Boston office, which is in charge of J. A. 

 Ford. This company, which makes a large variety of molded 

 goods, is finding a heavy increase in the demand for its fiber 

 soles and rubber heels, which are being used extensively by 

 shoe manufacturers. 



* * * 



The award of contracts for 16 dirigibles by the United States 

 Government will doubtless result in at least a share of the busi- 

 ness coming indirectly to the American Rubber Co. factory of 

 the United States Rubber Co. at Cambridge. Thjs factory has 

 made a special study of balloon fabrics, its line of this material 

 having been used for the United States Navy balloons ordered 

 of the Connecticut Aircraft Co., one of the concerns which has 

 secured a share of the new contract. 



THE RUBBER TRADE IN RHODE ISLAND. 



By Our RcgiiUir Corrcsf'intdcut. 



■ I 'HE demand for rubber goods of every description continues 

 ■^ on the same record breaking plane that has characterized the 

 industry for more than two years, and it is uncertain when there 

 will be any appreciable diminution. While the European War 

 with its enormous demands, unquestionably has a most sub- 

 stantial effect on the unprecedented activity of the rubber 

 factories, tliere is no denial of the fact that the normal demand 

 for ordinary production is increasing at a rate seldom, if ever, 

 equaled in any other industry. This is especially true as regards 

 the manufacture of automobile tires and other accessories. 



All the factories in Rhode Island are still being driven to 

 capacity, notwithstanding which the accession of orders exceeds 

 the output and has done so for months. From every plant comes 

 a similar complaint that more operatives could be utilized to good 

 advantage, but that it is impossible to obtain additional help. 

 The scarcity of help is all that deters, in several in.stances, the 

 extension of plants by the erection of new buildings or the con- 

 struction of material additions to the present buildings. 

 * * * 



Deeds and mortgages involving all the rubber manufacturing 

 plants in Rhode Island that are subsidiaries of the United States 

 Rubber Co., were placed on file in this city, Woonsocket and 

 Bristol, on March 7, transferring to the parent corporation all 

 the holdings in this State and elsewhere. The mortgage, which 

 covered over 230 typewritten pages and is for $97,252,900. covers 

 not only the properties in Rhode Island, but in six other States — 

 New York, New Jersey, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Indiana 

 and Michigan — and is given to the Central Trust Co. of New 

 York, to secure the principal and interest on the recent issue. 



The Rubber Goods Manufacturing Co.. a corporation controlled 

 by the United States Rubber Co., also placed on record a mort- 

 gage to the Central Trust Co. of New York, as trustees, 

 covering properties in several States, to secure gold bonds a.g- 

 gregating $27,293,100. 



Previous to the filing of the mortgages here and elsewhere, 

 deeds were placed on record conveying all the property in Provi- 

 dence. Woonsocket and Bristol, as w-ell as in Millvillc. .As a 



