554 



THE INDIA RUBBER WORLD 



[July 1, 1919. 



doubtless other States will fall into line, all of which is of vital 

 interest to lire manufacturers. 



In proportion to populations, both England and France have 

 made and are making more progress than America. Congress 

 has appropriated $275,000,000 for expenditure up to and includ- 

 ing 1921, for iniprovemnt of the 2,500,000 miles of roads in the 

 United States. France plans to spend $152,000,000 on her na- 

 tional system of highways comprising 65,000 miles, while Eng- 

 land has appropriated $50,000,000 for expenditure on her 

 150,908 miles. 



England has 239 citizens to every mile of road ; there arc 108 

 Frenchmen to every mile, and in America there are only 42 per- 

 sons to the mile. According to these figures the highway system 

 of the United States will not equal the ratio of French mileage 

 to area until we have 5,000,000 miles of highway, while 7,500,000 

 miles will be necessary to meet the English ratio. 



STRAIGHT-SIDE TIRES FOR FOREIGN MARKETS' 



IT is now a conceded fact that the mileage obtained from a 

 straight-side tire is normally greater than that obtained from 

 a cHncher of equal size This is because the absence of a bead 

 permits a given weight of car to be carried on a larger volume 

 of air or inside diameter than does a beaded or chnchcr tire of 

 the same cross-section. It has played no small part in increas- 

 ing tire guaranties from 3,500 to 5,000 and even 10,000 miles or 

 more. 



These facts are generally admitted in the United States and. 

 subject to demonstration, abroad just as they were here in the 

 beginning. The prejudice of foreign buyers disappears when 

 they are convinced that a straight-side tire will give more mileage 

 at a given cost than a clincher tire. Therefore the problem of 

 popularizing straight-side tires in foreign markets hinges on 

 two things — the attitude of competitors and the ability to get 

 replacements. 



It may be conceded as a fact that the Continental European 

 tire manufacturers will do everything they possibly can against 

 the straight-side tires for the reason that they are better equipped 

 to build clincher tires. The European car manufacturer will also 

 combat the straight-side tire because it is an American develop- 

 ment, and he will find the European tire manufacturer helping 

 him on every hand. There will also be the European tire dealer 

 to aid them, so that the elimination of the clincher tire will not 

 be accomplished without a great deal of propaganda work and 

 can never be accomplished without united action upon the part 

 of the American car and tire manufacturers. 



W iRthci or not tliis can ultimately be brouglit about, depends 

 upon one thing only — the ability of the purchaser of an American 

 car equipped with straight-side tires to get replacements wherever 

 he may go with his car. This means practically universal dis- 

 tribution of straight-side tires, and is a problem which belongs 

 primarily to the tire manufacturer, although looking at the ques- 

 tion in its broadest sense, it is one of mutual interest to him and 

 the automobile manufacturer. 



The equipping of American cars for export with American 

 clincher tires does not solve the problem, for these are inch- 

 size tires and not interchangeable on the same rim with European 

 millimeter-size tires, vyith the exception of 34 by Ayi and 880 by 

 120 m.m., the former, however, being made only with straight 

 sides. Moreover, it is as difficult in most foreign markets to 

 obtain an inch-size clincher as an inch-size straight-side tire. 

 That the problem is susceptible of solution, however, was 

 recently indicated in Argentina, where a change from 100 per 

 cent clincher tire equipment, metric sizes, to 100 per cent straight- 

 side equipment, inch sizes, was made without the loss of a single 

 sale. This was brought about through co-operation with tire 

 manufacturers who were notified in advance so that when the 

 cars arrived there was already a stock of inch-size, straight- 

 side tires to be had. 



The same result can be obtained in all markets, with the pos- 

 sible exception of Continental Europe, through the co-operation 

 of American tire and automobile manufacturers, as evidenced by 

 distribution which the more aggressive tire manufacturers have 

 already efifected throughout the world. 



In Continental Europe it is doubtful if this change can be 

 brought about for some time, because the local manufacturers 

 are at home and we are meeting them on their own ground, 

 where they have every patriotic and local element supporting 

 them, but it could doubtless be done even there through united 

 team work of all American manufacturers of cars and tires. 

 The straight-side tire is a better proposition for the ultimate 

 purchaser, and if we can give him the same replacement service 

 that is afiforded with the clincher tires, we have helped him and 

 thus have helped ourselves. 



So long as some of our American manufacturers equip with 

 clincher tire equipent, so long must all equip with cUncher tire 

 equipment. Not one of us would be willing to sacrifice his indi- 

 vidual market and see some other American manufacturer take 

 it, because this would not bring about the desired result. Team 

 work and the united efifort of the American manufacturers can 

 accomplish this result while the efforts of one alone would be 

 unavailing. 



ipiom a paper by D. B. Richardson, foreign 

 baker Corp., read at the .Automobile Export I 

 New York City, March 7. 1919. 



USE TIRES OF RIGHT SIZE. 



A nation-wide campaign will soon be launched by tire man- 

 ufacturers to educate automobile manufacturers and dealers 

 in the economic importance of equipping cars with tires of the 

 right size. At the same time an eflfort will be made to check 

 the wasteful practice of carrying too many "spares." This 

 movement was inspired by the reports of the Commercial Econ- 

 omy Board to the effect that out of 21 cars in a test only seven 

 were equipped with tires of the size recommended by tire manu- 

 facturers. 



Car makers are now recognizing the principle that tire mileage 

 is governed almost as much by the weight of unsprung parts 

 that bear directly on the tire as by the total weight of the car. 



Tire manufacturers will endeavor to drive home to the makers 

 and distributors of cars that the thing of first importance in the 

 selection of tires is size in proportion to the weight of the loaded 

 car ; and second, size in proportion to the distribution of weight 

 between sprung and unsprung parts. Selection of tires in sizes 

 recommended by manufacturers will reduce the number of 

 spares necessary to carry on extended tours. This will be em- 

 phasized in the educational campaign of the manufacturers. 



