December 1, 1918.] 



THE INDIA RUBBER WORLD 



129 



CONSERVATION OF TRANSPORTATION. 



In a letter dated November 9, the Traffic Committee directed 

 attention of firm members to the following bulletin issued by 

 the chairman of the War Industries Board and relating to the 

 conservation of transportation facilities : 

 To all merchants and manufactttrers in the United States: 



Under present conditions it is obvious that the transportation 

 facilities of the country must be conserved in every practical way 

 in order that the movement of troops, supplies, munitions and 

 shipbuilding materials may be unhampered. The situation de- 

 mands that all needless and wasteful use of shipping space be 

 eliminated. 



It appears that one of the burdens which can and should be 

 removed is the unnecessary return of merchandise from mer- 

 chants to wholesalers and manufacturers. This double transpor- 

 tation of goods to and from the purchaser meets no essential 

 need but results in waste. To remedy this situation, therefore, 

 retailers, wholesalers and manufacturers in every industry and 

 trade are earnestly requested to cooperate with each other for 

 the elimination of all unjustifiable returns of merchandise. 



This request is not intended to interfere with the return of 

 «nerchandise when there has been an error on the part of the 

 seller as to price, style or quality, misinterpretation of order, 

 unauthorized substitution, or when merchandise is inferior or not 

 up to sample. When goods are delivered "as bought," however, 

 they should not be returned to the seller. If merchandise is to 

 be returned because of substitution or error of any kind, 

 notice should be given by the purchaser, within ten days after 

 the receipt of the goods, that return is intended. Ample time 

 should, of course, be allowed for explanation or proffered 

 adjustment. 



Salesmen should make "definite" sales only. In their travels, 

 furthermore, they can be of particular assistance by enlisting the 

 cooperation of their customers for careful selection and pur- 

 chase of merchandise so that returns will be unnecessary. 



Whole-hearted compliance with this request in the spirit of 

 husbanding our resources and eliminating waste of transporta- 

 tion, materials and labor will be a substantial contribution by 

 the merchants and manufacturers of the country to our general 

 welfare and the success of the war program. 



Conservation Division, War Industries Board. 



INCREASE IN TONNAGE OF RUBBER LICENSED. 



The Committee on Rubber and Kindred Products sent the fol- 

 lowing letter, dated November 21, to rubber importers and manu- 

 facturers : 



The amount of rubber that may be licensed for the present 

 quarter of October-December has been increased from 25,000 

 tons to 32,500 tons, as per advice received from the War Trade 

 Board, copy of which follows : 



November 20, 1918. 

 Rubber Association of America, Inc.: 



Supplementing our letter dated September 23, the quantity 

 of rubber for which import licenses may be issued by the War 

 Trade Board during the October-December period has been in- 

 creased from 25,000 to 32,500 tons. The additional 7,500 tons 

 will be allotted to manufacturers in Class B, under subdivisions 

 1, 2 and 3 on basis of an amount equal to 75 per cent of their 

 previous allocation for this period; and to manufacturers in 

 Class C, on basis of an amount equal to 33 1/3 per cent of 

 their previous allocation for this period ; but only to manufac- 

 turers in either class who have furnished information as to 

 production and consumption called for in questionnaires to date 

 and who have conformed to regulations governing production 

 since August 1, 1918, as announced by War Trade and War 

 Industries Boards. 



Provision will also be made for allocation to manufacturers 

 who were not in production previous to August 1, 1918, and 

 they will receive allocation to conform with production as au- 

 thorized by the War Industries Board. 



This additional allocation to be granted may be used for im- 

 portation of crude rubber from any source. 



War Tr.\de Board. 

 The Bureau of Imports advise they will issue allotments in 



accordance to manufacturers, for this additional 7,500 tons, which 



may be used for the importation of crude rubber from any 



source. 

 We are directed also to remind importers and manufacturers 



of the statement in letter of September 23 to the effect that 



manufacturers must utilize the full amount of their allocations 

 before any allotment will be made them in succeeding periods. 



(Editor's Note: — Details of crude rubber allocation for the 

 October-December period were published on pages 13-14, in: 

 The India Rubber World, October 1, 1918.; 



CLOTHING DIVISION MEETING. 



The Clothing Division of the War Service Committee of the 

 Rubber Industry held a meeting at the Vale Club, New York 

 City, November 20, at which all the manufacturers in that divi- 

 sion were represented. N. Lincoln Greene, the chairman of the 

 committee, presided. 



The meeting was held to consider the future of the organiza- 

 tion, as the War Industries Board, of which this body was a 

 part, would cease with the termination of the war. As ex- 

 plained by George B. Hodgman, of the Central Committee, a 

 convention of the rubber trade will probably be held in New 

 York City about the middle of December, at which it would be 

 decided to continue permanently, following the plans already 

 started by each committee, even though the Central Committee 

 and the War Service Committee were dissolved. 



It was therefore voted that a committee be appointed to make 

 recommendations as to the advisability of forming a permanent 

 organization, the chairman appointing thereon S. T. Hodgman, 

 of the Hodgman Rubber Co., and W. H. Yule, of The B. F. 

 Goodrich Rubber Co. 



It was voted to continue the Manufacturers' Chart of Calen- 

 dered Rirbber Clothing, with some revisions made that day, up ta 

 and including June 1, 1919, with the understanding that a meet- 

 ing be held 30 days prior to that date, for a readjustment, if 

 necessary. All restrictions on double and single texture rub- 

 berized clothing was removed, but each manufacturer is to make 

 special effort, along the lines of conservation, to restrict styles 

 as much as possible. No restrictions, however, are to be en- 

 forced on styles in either class for export. 



It was decided that the committee as a whole should apply 

 for membership in and reorganize under The Rubber .Associa- 

 tion of America. 



CRUDE RUBBER STOCKS OF SEPTEMBER 30, 1918. 



The following letter was sent to the rubber trade on Novem- 

 ber 19: 



By direction of the War Trade Board, statistics of crude rub- 

 ber stocks as of September 30, 1918, were collected from the 

 rubber trade in the United States bv The Rubber Association of 

 America, as per the questionnaire sent out at the time to both 

 importers and manufacturers. We are now authorized by the 

 War Trade Board to make these figures public. 



Manufacturers reported the following tonnage on hand Sep- 

 tember 30, 1918: 



