220 



THE INDIA RUBBER WORLD 



[January 1, 1919. 



THE RECONSTRUCTION CONFERENCE. 



THE Reconstruction Conference of the Industrial War 

 Service Committee called by the Chamber of Commerce 

 of the United States, held at Atlantic City, New Jersey, 

 the iirst week in December, brought delegates from nearly 400 

 industries to consider the present industrial situation, and 

 readjustment upon a peace basis. Between 3,000 and 4,000 

 business men were present to take part in the deliberations. 



The business of the convention was greatly facilitated by 

 dividing the various industries into 35 related groups and after- 

 ward assembling these into ten major groups, combining and 

 representing the ten leading industries. 



SUBJECTS PRESENTED AND RESOLUTIONS PASSED. 



The scope of the convention, which lasted four days, can best 

 be appreciated by the subjects of the resolutions presented by 

 the clearance committee and unanimously adopted at the closing 

 session. These included : the cancellation of war contracts, dis- 

 tribution of surplus government supplies, removal of restrictions 

 on industry, development of pivotal industries, industrial 

 cooperation, filling of vacancies on Federal Trade Commission, 

 industrial relations, relocation of labor, development of public 

 work, readjustment of taxation, provision for shrinkage of 

 values in inventories, return to owners of railroads, against 

 government ownership of telegraphs, telephones and cables, the 

 construction of a great merchant marine, development of port 

 facilities, investigation of public utilities, development of hydro- 

 electric power on waterways, common service of ocean tonnage 

 to secure to all nations their immediate needs for food, raw 

 materials and transportation of their products, appointment of 

 a commission to visit Europe to study reconstruction needs, and 

 to be available to the peace delegates of the United States for 

 any needed information relative to the industries, government 

 encouragement of the development of foreign trade, closer rela- 

 tions with South American countries, protection of property 

 rights of Americans in Mexico, provision of educational facilities 

 to prepare young men for foreign commerce, maintenance of 

 forest products laboratories, uniform system of cost accounting, 

 council and trade committees to coordinate with the various 

 war service committees, organization of a representative associa- 

 tion in each industry, to be a member of the National Trade 

 Association. 



GROUP 20— THE RUBBER INDUSTRY. 



The rubber industry was assigned to Group 20, which included 

 also saturated and coated textiles and allied products. It held 

 two meetings, both of which were presided over by Frank A. 

 Seiberling, president of the Goodyear Tire and Rubber Co., 

 Akron, Ohio. Representing the industry were the following: 



Erucp Bedford, Luzerne Rubber Co.. Trenton. New Jersey; 



E. B. Brinkerhoff and T. B. Coughlin. British-.^merican Manufacturing 

 Co., New York City; 



T. W. Curtis, A. G. Spaulding & Bros., New York City; 



Harry T. Dunn. The Fisk Rubber Co.. Chicopee Falls, Massachusetts; 



S. H. Dodd, Vulcanized Rubber Co., New York City; 



Harvey S. Firestone, Firestone Tire & Rubber Co.. Akron. Ohio; 



Georpe E. Hall and J. W. Fellows, Boston Woven Hose & Rubber Co., 

 Cambridge, Massachusetts; 

 G. B. Glaenzer, American Hard Rubber Co., New York City; 



M. L. Heminway, secretary War Service Committee of the Rubber In- 



"j.'^W. Maguire, Brunswick-Balke-Collender Co., New York City; 

 C. W. Seiberling and D. R. Stevens, The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co., 



R?H. Sutherland, Mansfield Tire & Rubber Co., Mansfield, Ohio; 



F. E. Titus, The P.. F. Goodrich Co.. New York City 



H. Weida, India Rubber Co., New Brunswick, New Jersey, and 

 W. M. Milne 



THE MEETING OF GROUP 20. 



Mr. Seiberling in his address commented upon several subjects 

 which were to be considered at the conference, most of which 

 are included in the above list of resolutions. 



J. W. Curtis, of A. G. Spaulding & Bros., addressed the meet- 

 ing on the injustice of taxing rubber-soled tennis shoes, golf- 

 balls and other sporting goods at higher rates than articles of 

 luxury. 



Alvan Hunsicker, vice-president of the Standard Oil Co., 



New York City, called attention to many points which were later 

 made subjects of the general resolutions. On some of these 

 general discussion followed. 



W. H. Manss of the War Service Committee made a brief ad- 

 dress, and after the appointment of a committee on resolutions 

 the meeting adjourned. 



At the second meeting of Group 20 the committee on resolu- 

 tions presented the following: 



NO. 1— COMMITTEE OF BUSINESS MEN TO EUROPE. 



Whereas, The deliberations of the Peace Conference may develop ques- 

 tions which will involve the welfare of American industries, and 



Whereas, There is apparently no provision made by the Government to 

 have present in Europe a delegation of representative American business 

 men, therefore be it 



Resolved, That it is the sense of this meeting that a delegation of rep- 

 resentative American business men be sent to Europe to vohinteer tlfeir 

 assistance to the United States Peace Commission. 



Whereas, It 

 ) provide fo£_an adequate 



IS appa 



2— FINANCING FOREIGN SALES. 



that in exploiting export, business it is necessary 

 ide for an adequate system of financial credits, therefore be it 

 fED, That the proper agencies of the Government be urged to in- 

 vestigate the fiscal methods practiced by the Governments of other nations 

 with which American industries must compete, and that there be established 

 facilities for meeting competitive business in foreign markets on an equal 

 footing. 



NO. 3— TAXATION. 



Whereas, The scheme of taxation in the revenue law about to be enacted 



titemplated a very extraordinary and possible increasing expense for an 



iiied 



lS, Under continued 

 large sum by dii 





uld have been wise to 

 amount needed by the 

 approximately be detcr- 



Whereas, On account of the close of the _ 

 Government will be much less than contempla 



WHERE.^s. The amount that will be needed 

 mined, therefore be it 



Resolved, That any scheme of taxation should embody provisions for the 

 distribution of the amount necessary for governmental current requirements 

 over a sufficient length of time to avoid an undue assessment on business 

 at this time and that the present excise tax o>perative under clause 600 

 of the existing law as well as the proposed excise tax to be levied under 

 clause 900 of the proposed bill be eliminated and that the burden of taxa- 

 tax feature is concerned be more widely 

 fair and equitable to all. 



basis that wi 



NO. 4— MINIMUM AND MAXIMUM PRICES. 



lEREAS, The 



was compelled 



ivernment in order to help 

 the face of a rapidly advancing market, 

 mum price on certain raw materials and finished produc 



Whereas, Upon the signing of the ai ' ' 

 demand was suddenly removed, thereby creating a condition that threatens 

 abrupt liquidation with a possible drastic decline in values, therefore be it 



'Resolved, That we urge upon the proper governmental agencies the es- 

 tablishment pf a fixed minimum price on all such materials on which a 

 maximum price has been fixed and that these fixed prices be revised period- 

 ically until such time as values are reached more nearly on a pre-war basis. 



NO. 6— GOVERNMENT MATERIALS ON HAND, 

 Whereas, The sudden release of materials now held by the Government 

 purchased for war purposes beyond the military requirements for the im- 

 mediate future would seriously dislocate many lines of business by forcing 

 upon the market a volume of materials and supplies far beyond the needs 

 of the consuming publi'c during the readjustment period, therefore be it 



Resolved, That it is the sense of this meeting that the Government hold 

 these materials in storage for a sufficient length of time to permit those 

 industries which were engaged in the manufacture of war munitions to 

 readjust their business more nearly to a pre-war basis and that the ultimate 

 release of these materials and supplies be made in installments covering a 

 reasonable period of time so as not to disturb the stability of the market 

 and that these materials and supplies when offered for sale should first 

 be offered to the sources of supplv which furnished thcra, and that any 

 surplus not taken in this manner be disposed of through the recognized 

 " ■' ■ ' ' -ials and supplies and not by public auction or 



NO. 6— HIGHWAYS. 



Highway improvement is of such vital importance to the welfare of the 

 nation that we urge the immediate creation of a separate and distinct 

 Federal Highways Commission whose duty it shall be to construct and 

 maintain a system of National Highways and that appropriations be made 



NO. 7— CRUDE RUBBER. 



Whereas, The rubber industry is among the largest industries of the 

 United States, and 



Whereas, This industry is entirely dependent upon foreign markets for 

 its supply of crude rubber and accordingly its expansion and its possibility 

 of competing in the export trade of the world is entirely at the mercy of 

 the economic policy of these foreign governments, be it 



Resolved, That we urge that no export tax be placed against crude rubber 

 discriminating against the United States which if imposed would cripple the 

 rubber manufacturing industry and wholly exclude the United States from 

 competing in the export trade of the world. Be it also further 



Resolved. That some guarantee shall be given by all foreign governments 

 owning or controlling the supply of crude rubber, that manufacturers of 

 rubber goods in the United States shall be able to obtain their supplies 

 of crude rubber upon as favorable terms as the manufacturers of all other 



Singularly enough, when these resolutions came up in Major 

 Group No. 5, Resolution No. 7, relating to crude rubber, was 

 tabled, the others passing, with slight modifications. 



