August 1, 1919.] 



THE INDIA RUBBER WORLD 



621 



ers with the material and also to educate the public to demand 

 its use in the new buildings. 



FIBER SOLES IN EUROPE. 



In the early stages of the war, to give another example, the 

 writer had a hurry call from Switzerland for American com- 

 position soles made from rubber or any other material. A 

 similar call came from Rumania a few weeks later. In both 

 instances the fact was communicated to a number of American 

 rubber firms likely to handle a large development of this kind, 

 but only one firm made use of this opportunity. Before the 

 war it was difficult to convince the European public of the 

 usefulness of rubber heels and soles, or any other waterproof 

 leather substitutes. The few firms which imported these goods 

 in Europe did not do a very large business because European 

 opinion was generally adverse to the use of anything but leather 

 in footwear. Leather has become exceedingly rare in Europe 

 and shoe prices have mounted to figures which would be in- 

 comprehensible even in our own country. Composition mate- 

 rials have been introdced quite generally and great numbers of 

 the European population have reconciled themselves to wearing 

 them. We have made great progress in this country during the 

 last few years in the production of rubber soles and heels and 

 our manufacturers might find it well worth their while to 

 study the European situation for the purpose of making a profit- 

 able use of its opportunities. 



AMERICAN TIRES FOR EUROPE. 



-As a third example the automobile industry may serve. This 

 industry, though highly developed in Europe, is comparatively 

 a small factor in the American market. It is reported that the 

 European automobile industry will start building small pas- 

 senger and carrier automobiles on American lines, adopting, if 

 possible, the design of American rims and tires. The outcome 

 will be a greater demand for small American tires, not only in 

 Europe but in other parts of the world where European auto- 

 mobiles will be sold. 



All three tendencies, and there are many more to be found 

 under the cover of the present industrial reorganization, have 

 not come about spontaneously. They are rather the result 

 of a slow evolution of earlier causes. The war, however, has 

 hastened the development and has made a necessity out of what 

 was five years ago only a convenience. It has cost the makers 

 of rubber heels and soles thousands of dollars to make the 

 public acquainted with the advantages of wearing rubber heels 

 and the educational campaign is still going on in this country. 

 In Europe, the war has acted as an educator in this respect and 

 Europe is now ready to accept the leather substitutes made of 

 rubber or any other material. The same refers to building 

 material and automobile tires. 



FOREIGN OPPORTUNITIES IN RUBBER. 



But the evolution now taking place in favor of employing 

 rubber is not confined only to building materials, wearing ap- 

 parel and automobiles. It is prevalent in medical and surgical 

 appliances, the electrical industry, plumbing, steam and indus- 

 trial engineering, and the large circle of doinestic industries 

 where the guiding hand of the rubber manufacturer is required 

 to make a fact out of what at the present time may only be a 

 tendency. There is hardly a rubber manufacturer in this coun- 

 try who has not been asked during the last five years whether 

 a certain article might be made with advantage from rubber. 

 Many of these inquiries have been turned down, not because 

 they were unsuitable but because the factories were too busy 

 to consider them. In many instances the desired articles have 

 been manufactured, but their use has not extended beyond their 

 particular field. Now is the time to follow up these leads; the 

 inquirer should again be approached and his particular require- 

 ments investigated. The work will fall principally to rubber 

 manufacturers specializing in certain articles or to the special 

 departments of large enterprises. This will be an advantage 



as the investigation will be conducted by men competent to give 

 the new proposition its best chance for a complete success. 



As to the foreign side of this evolution in the demandl for 

 rubber goods our industry will find plenty of material. The 

 need of the foreign consumer for the employment of new 

 materials is very great. No doubt much of the biisiness which 

 would have fallen to our manufacturers if they had taken hold 

 of these suggestions early during the war, will now flow in the 

 direction of foreign rubber manufacturers who are just as keen> 

 to take hold of any new development, but a good deal should 

 still be left to pay for the trouble of making the necessary ex- 

 periments. It is not as a rule very difficult to perfect a technical 

 process or an implement of some sort if once its usefulness has 

 been established. But it requires much astuteness to introduce 

 its use generally and thereby make the article worth its in- 

 dustrial production. 



The influence of this present development on our foreign 

 trade will soon show. We should witness a rapid growth in the 

 demand for many articles new to the industry and those which 

 have been in less demand in former years. Upon the ability 

 of our industry to forestall this development and to direct it in 

 channels favorable to our owrt manufacturers, the future success. 

 of the American rubber industry in new markets will depend. 



THE MILEAGE GUARANTIES INCREASE, 

 Following the recent reduction of pneumatic tire prices on 

 the part of several leading companies comes a more or less 

 general increase in mileage guarantees and adjustment basis 

 for tires ranging from about 30 to 75 per cent of the previous 

 guaranties. The movement was started by The B. F. Good- 

 rich Co. and its subsidiary, the Diamond Rubber Co., and a 

 canvass of the trade shows to what degree other companies are 

 falling in line : 



Racine non-skid fabric 5,000 



Racine cord 7.500 



South Bend 



Stron.KhcId Ford sizes 



Stronghold Other sizes 



1,000 



7,000 



7,500 



..6.000 



Several companies have made no change because their mileage 

 basis was already high enough. A few of the larger firms give 

 no mileage guaranty as a basis of adjustment, preferring to 

 adjust claims on poor material or defective workmanship in 

 the individual case. This method, they believe, gives greater 

 satisfaction than setting a fixed scale which is often inapplicable 

 to the case in hand. 



About five years ago an unlimited guaranty covering the full 

 life of the tire was adopted for Goodyear passenger-car tires, 

 and that form of guaranty has now been extended to solid and 

 cushion tires. No matter how far a Goodyear tire has been 

 driven, whether it be .S,0(X) or 50,000 miles, or how long its period 

 of service, a fair and equitable adjustment will be made if it 

 proves defective. 



FRAZAR & CO. BUY NEW YORK BUILDING. 

 Frazar & Co.. a firm well known to the rubber trade through 

 its chemical department, which supplies the "States" brand 

 of antimony, zinc oxide, magnesia, etc., has recently purchased 

 the Trinit}' Court Building at 72-76 Trinity Place. This will be 

 known as the Frazar Building and after extensive alterations "wiH 

 be occupied by Frazar & Co. for their New York offices. '• 



