738 



THE INDIA RUBBER WORLD 



[September 1, 1917. 



THE RUBBER TRADE IN AKRON. 



By Our Regular Correspondent. 



DERHAPS the latest and most reliable statistics regarding 

 ^ Akron's great rubber industry were given in an article for 

 the July issue of "Export American Industries," by Vincent S. 

 Stevens, secretary of the Akron Chamber of Commerce. This 

 article entertainingly reviews the phenomenal growth of this 

 "city of opportunity," its present variety of industry and extent 

 of civic and social work and improvement. It is pointed out 

 that in addition to its gigantic rubber goods factories, Akron 

 has one of the largest cereal mills in the United States, very 

 extensive clay product plants, large book publishing houses, ex- 

 tensive furnace factories, important agricultural implement in- 

 terests, and one of the largest fishing tackle factories in the 

 world. 



Regarding the rubber industry, Mr. Stevens writes: 



The first rubber factory in .\kron was established in 1869, in 

 a building 40 by 100 feet in size, with 25 employes. Akron at 

 that time was a town of 10,000 inhabitants with a somewhat 

 limited reputation as a promising town of cheap canal trans- 

 portation. This pioneer company has grown to be the largest 

 rubber factory in the world, employing at the present time 19,000 

 persons and covering a floor space of 90 acres. It is said that 

 this company makes' no less than 8,000 different and distinct arti- 

 cles. Other rubber companies have multiplied until there are 

 now 24 active companies in Akron, with a combined output of 

 50,000 tires and an equal number of tubes per day, besides im- 

 mense quantities of rubber clothing, boots and shoes, hose, belt- 

 ing, surgical and druggists' goods, and an almost innumerable 

 variety of other hard and soft rubber articles. These companies 

 have an aggregate capitalization of $171,000,000, and employ a 

 total of 55,000 persons. Of the total of 120,000 tons of crude 

 rubber imported into the United States in 1916, 60,000 tons were 

 consumed by the Akron factories. Of the estimated demand 

 of 20,000,000 tires needed this year for the 4,000,000 automobiles 

 in use in this country, 15,000,000, or 75 per cent, will be made 



in Akron. 



* * * 



Labor Day for Goodrichites will be a dizzy round of pleasure, 

 according to the plans for the second annual field day of The 

 B. F. Goodrich Co. The varied activities will appeal to all tastes, 

 and there will also be novel features, such as a "secret" hand- 

 shaker, who will pass $10 to the fiftieth person shaking hands 

 with him during the day. The program of events includes the 

 following : 



Folk Dances — Russian, Macedonian, Croatian, Lithuanian, 

 Italian Tarantella ; fencing exhibition ; tableaux and national 

 dances ; soccer — Goodrich "Bearcats" vs. Goodrich "Tigers," 

 prize of $27.50 to winning team ; numerous track and field events 

 for men, and special events for women, with money prizes for 

 each event ; horseshoe pitching contest, prize of $10 to the win- 

 ner ; tennis singles and doubles for both men and women, $5 

 prize; cricket— Goodrich "Eagles" vs. Goodrich "Hawks," prize 



of $27.50 to winning team. 



* * * 



The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co. will also hold a big picnic 

 and field day at Seiberling field on Labor Day, for which many 

 events are being planned. 



The Goodyear motor truck service from Akron to Boston has 

 proved a decided success and four large trucks are now used, 

 carrying tires to the East and returning laden with tire fabric 

 from the Goodyear Cotton Mills, at Goodyear, Connecticut. 



* * * 



The .August issue of "The Firestone," the house-organ of the 

 Firestone Tire & Rubber Co., contains an interesting editorial 

 entitled "Open Wide the Windows of Your Mind," in which 

 all-round development and breadth of vision are urged as valuable 

 assets for the men who make a business of the manufacture and 

 sale of tires. 



* * ♦ 



The total volume of business done by the Miller Rubber Co. 

 in the first 7 months of 1917 shows an increase of approxi- 



mately 85 per cent over the corresponding period of last year. 



In 1916 the volume between January 1 and August 1 amounted 



to $3,599,000. In the corresponding period of this year, the total 



volume amounts to $6,605,000. 



The comparative sales for each month are as follows : 



1916. 1917. 



.lanuary $416,780 $706,160 



February 347,786 774,646 



March 503,755 856,257 



•April 466,145 1,082,869 



May 555,597 1,055,216 



.lunc 658,768 1,091,162 



.hily 650,205 1,039,463 



$3,599,037 $6,605,776 



* * * 



The Mohawk Rubber Co. recently completed an addition to 

 its factory and has installed new equipment, including boilers, 

 mills and calender. A permit has been secured to build a new 

 garage, to cost approximately $30,000, to house the company's 

 cars and trucks and those of some of the employes who use their 

 cars in going back and forth to work. This building will also 

 include a carpenter shop and some additional storage space, and 

 will be constructed of brick, iron and concrete. The Mohawk 

 company is now running to full capacity, and by the addition 

 of some curing capacity will probably increase its production 

 about 20 per cent during the coming year. 



* ♦ * 



The Kendall Tire & Rubber Co. has purchased the factory and 

 equipment of the Meyer Rubber Co., at Massillon, this state. 



* * * 



The O'.Veil Tire & Rubber Co. has increased its capital stock 

 from $25,000 to $100,000, in order to finance its rapidly growing 

 business. Plans have been completed for a new factory building 

 which will increase the present space fivefold. The O'Neil com- 

 pany manufactures tire accessories, air bags and tire repair 

 equipment, and intends adding the manufacture of soles and 

 heels and other rubber specialities to its lines. 



* * * 



In order to conserve its resources and not draw on capital 

 and surplus at the present time. The Swinehart Tire & Rubber 

 Co. recently paid its regular quarterly dividend of Ij^ per cent 

 on common stock in new preferred stock script instead of cash. 

 The company took action early in the Spring to authorize an 

 issue of $500,000 preferred stock, anticipating the conditions that 

 have since prevailed, but owing to the declaration of war on 

 April 12, the issue could not be floated except at a sacrifice, 

 which the company did not feel it advisable to consider. 



* * + 



H. Q. Tennant has been given charge of sales in the home office 

 of The American Rubber & Tire Co. Mr. Tennant has had con- 

 siderable experience with several of the larger rubber factories, 

 principally in sales promotion work. 



THE RUBBER TRADE IN RHODE ISLAND. 



By Our Regular Correspondent. 



■"PHE rubber plants in Rhode Island are running at capacity, 

 ■*• following necessary shut-downs for stock taking, overhaul- 

 ing and repairs of machinery, etc. Notwithstanding the fact 

 that the production from every plant is far in excess of that ever 

 before credited to them they are still behind their orders, and 



indications are that the rush will continue for months to come. 



* * * 



The Alice Rubber Shoe Mill, of the Woonsocket Rubber Co., 

 at Woonsocket, which employes 1.500 operatives, resumed opera- 

 tions on .August 17, and the Millville rubber mill and the felt 

 mill of the same company, at Millville, are now in full operation 

 after the vacation period. 



* * * 



After a shut-down from August 13 to 20, business at the 



