January 1, 1919] 



THE INDIA RUBBER WORLD 



179 



doubts the ability of the United States to compete on this score, 

 for the ingenuity, resourcefulness and initiative of the American 

 manufacturer are proverbial. 



"The closing of the war cannot help being beneficial, and with 

 the many advantages of the position in which the United States 

 finds itself, optimism would appear to be thoroughly justified 

 in contemplating the future." 



gas defense division. 

 Dr. W. C. Geer, Chairman. 



"The Gas Defense Division of the War Service Committee of 

 the Rubber Industry has spent considerable time during the past 

 year in assisting the Gas Defense Service of the War Depart- 

 ment in writing their specifications for the various rubber parts 

 of gas-masks. We have cooperated with them in the develop- 

 ment of design, compounding, and manufacturing methods, and 

 a large amount of work has been done. 



"Since the gas-mask is purely a war munition, the ending of 

 the war means the closing of the w-ork and, therefore, as soon 

 as the orders from the Gas Defense Service ceased, due to the 

 signing of the armistice, the work of the Gas Defense Division 

 of the War Service Committee also ceased. There is nothing 

 more for us to do." 



HAHD RUBBER DIVISION. 



H. Weida, Chairman. 



"For the past eighteen months practically all the hard-rubber 

 manufacturers were making hard-rubber parts for war essen- 

 tials, requiring from 60 to 95 per cent of their total output, and 

 due to the governmental needs it was necessary to refuse to 

 take orders for the regular comtnercial lines which were enjoyed 

 before the war. 



"Now that the war is over, every efifort is being made to put 

 the industry back on a peace basis, with the idea of again serving 

 our customers with the same dispatch as before the war. 



"The future of the hard-rubber industry is very promising, 

 and with the increased manufacturing facilities of the United 

 States, brought on by the war, and the constant new uses to 

 which hard rubber can be profitably put, together with the possi- 

 bility of supplying the European countries with the same line 

 furnished them by Germany before the war, I am sure that the 

 very best years in the history of the industry are before us." 



INSULATED WIRE AND CABLE DIVISION. 



Wallace S. Clark, Chairman. 



"The cessation of active hostilities has meant the suspension 

 of manufacture and the probable ultimate cancellation of orders 

 for some $30,000,000 worth of insulated wire and cable. 



"The first effect of this will be to allow many long-standing 

 orders for the smaller sizes of commercial rubber-insulated con- 

 ductors to be manufactured and shipped by manufacturers. 

 Secondly, it should allow the replacement of depleted stocks 

 throughout the country. 



"It is felt by the division that this activity will largely carry 

 the manufacturers over the pause before the return of normal 

 business. In so far as the division has gone into this matter, the 

 attitude of the various government departments concerned in the 

 termination of existing contracts has been fair and reasonable." 



MECHANICAL GOODS. 



E. S. Williams, Chairman. 

 "The ending of the war finds the Mechanical Goods Division 

 of the War Service Committee in the position of not having 

 received official notification of the approval of the various recom- 

 mendations this committee made with regard to conservation 

 and standardization of mechanical goods. The committee sub- 

 mitted a questionnaire to all mechanical-goods manufacturers 

 and after due consideration, somewhat prolonged by the com- 

 plexity of the subject, a number of recommendations were made 

 to the Conservation Division of the War Industries Board last 

 summer. These recommendations cover a maximum number of 

 goods, allowable for belting, steam hose, water hose, and many 

 other lines. 



"The mechanical-rubber business has been built up on a multi- 

 plicity of styles and grades of goods, each produced to meet 

 particular conditions of competition and use. It is felt that while 

 there are great difficulties in the way of a standard maximum 

 number of grades, still, a great deal of good would be accom- 

 plished by the adoption of some such standards. The Conserva- 

 tion Division appeared to favor the recommendations made, but 

 for one reason and another official sanction and promulgation 

 was delayed and the signing of the armistice found the matter 

 still pending. 



"It is now hoped that the benefit of the work already done 

 will not be lost, and that the regular organization of the Rubber 

 Association will take up the matter and make such modifications 

 as seem advisable under peace conditions and try to bring about 

 an agreement on the subject which will be beneficial to all." 



MEDICAL RUBBER GOODS AND SUNDRIES DIVISION, 



A, W. Warren, Chairman. 



"The ending of the war necessarily caused the cancellation of 

 many large contracts from the medical department of the United 

 States Army, and while these contracts are now pending adjust- 

 ment, it is not thought among the trade that the sudden discon- 

 tinuation of the placing of large orders will in any way affect 

 this particular branch of the rubber industry. 



"--\s a matter of fact, most of the contracts had been placed 

 with specifications for delivery not later than December 31, and 

 while the contracts were unusually large for this particular class 

 of merchandise, it did not to any great extent interfere with the 

 commercial business, on account of the preferential rating given 

 the medical rubber goods industry." 



PNEUMATIC TIRE DIVISION. 



G. M. Stadelman, Chairman. 



"The ending of the war means the termination of the activities 

 of the Pneumatic Tire Division of the War Service Committee 

 at the same time the War Industries Board ceases to function. 



"Were it not for the fact that tlie Pneumatic Tire Division 

 expects to ally itself with the Rubber .'Association of America 

 as a division of that association, all of the good work which 

 has been done with respect to conservation and standardization 

 would he lost. It is my belief, however, that this work will be 

 carried on by this new body." 



RAILWAY SUPPLIES DIVISION, 



II. E, Ravmonii, Chair.max. 



"It is understood that the life of the War Service Committee 

 of the Rubber Intlustry will terminate January 16, 1919, coincident 

 with the annual meeting of The Rubber .Association of America. 

 Automatically its sub-committees will cease to be. The Rubber 

 Association will continue to serve the Government where needed 

 to wind up matters pending, inclusive of railroad needs. 



"My division of activity will have accomplished several impor- 

 tant acts of standardization, continuing for all time to come, 

 which the war's ending will not destroy." 



RECL&IMED-BUBBEH DIVISION. 



F. H. .^PPLETO.N, Chairman. 



"In my opinion, now that the rubber manufacturers are no 



longer making war goods, and therefore, are enabled to resume 



their regular lines, it would seem that the demand for reclaimed 



rubber should return to normal." 



SOLID TIRE DIVISION. 



J. W. Thomas, Chairman. 

 "It is to be hoped that our industry will recognize that, not- 

 withstanding the termination of the war, there is still a great 

 patriotic work to be done by many of the committees which 

 have been appointed. Generally speaking, the standardization 

 work of any industry tends to improve the general economic 

 conditions of the country. The prevention of waste and the 

 concentration of effort along certain well-defined lines is as 

 much a patriotic duty in times of peace as in war. 



