218 



THE INDIA RUBBER WORLD 



[January 1, 1915. 



THE RUBBER TRADE IN AKRON. 



THAT the 5 per cent, increase in freight rati granted 

 tern railwa D ember 18 by the Interstate < ore 

 i ommission will result in stimulatiri ; thi local rubber 

 wa thi statement made, when interviewed, bj I V 

 i ling, president oi the G lyeai Tire & Rubbei Co.; 

 11. S. Firestone, president of the Firestone ["ire & Rubber 

 i VV. A. Means, treasurer of the B. F. Goodrich Co., 



and other officials of Akron rubber companies. When 



itions are normal the railroad companies placi big oi 

 ders for rubber hose, belting and other supplies, but during 

 the past year they have ordered only rubber supplies to meet 

 3 requirements, according to leading officials oi the 

 local companies. That the new year will usher in another 

 era of prosperity i- the general impression in local rubber 

 circles. All the manufacturers are preparing to meet the 

 demand for Akron products that they feel confident is sure 

 to come. 



But Akron rubber men view with some alarm the con- 

 tinue. 1 deadlock between England and the United States De- 

 partment of State over the embargo placed on all crude rub- 

 ber from the East. While practically all of the Akron com- 

 panies have a fairly large supply of crude rubber in stock, 

 they are forced to depend almost entirely upon the Brazilian 

 product and this source of supply, it is feared, may prove 

 inadequate if the embargo on the Eastern product continues 

 for an indefinite length of time. In the face of the large 

 volume of business which Akron companies are preparing 

 to handle during the early months of 1915, a short supply 

 would prove a serious handicap. 



* * * 



I hi the strength of rumors that the annual reports of The 

 B F. Goodrich Co. will show earnings of more than $6,000,- 

 000 on common stock, an unusually heavy demand has been 

 created during the past month for shares. Holders of the 

 stuck at the present time are at least $5,000,000 richer than 

 they were a month ago, and indications are that it will go 

 even higher before the next annual meeting. Much atten- 

 tion has been attracted to the increased demand, created 

 originally by Eastern investors, for Goodrich shares, and 

 local brokers predict that they may reach $30 before the 

 first of February. 



Goodyear and Firestone stocks have also been actively 

 traded in during the month by local investors. 



* * * 



Perhaps the most interesting news of the month in local 

 rubber circles was the report at the annual meeting of stock- 

 In. lders of the Goodyear Tire & Rubber < ... that the com- 

 mon stock had earned 36 per cent, during the year ending 

 October 31, 1914. Despite the war in Europe and the general 

 business depression, the company reported the most pros- 

 perous year in its history and the figures in the company's 

 books presented at the meeting bore out this statement. 

 The net earnings for the year were $3,391,000; the cash on 

 hand $2,862,000; the unappropriated surplus $4,052,000, which 

 equal- 40 per cent of the common stock of the company. 

 The stockholders re elected the directors — F. A. Seiberling, 

 C. W. Seiberling, G. M. Stadelman, I. II \dams, P. W. 

 Litchfield, H. II. Manton and J. 1'. I. nis. 



* * * 



interest to the rubber trade- was the Akron Automo- 

 bile & Electrical Show, the first of it- kind in this city, held 

 from December 12 to 19. Practically all of the local rubber 

 companies exhibited, in addition to a showing of the products 

 of the leading automobile and accessories manufacturers of 

 the United States. The exhibits represented a value of more 

 than $30 Nearly 50,000 people visited the exposition. 



\ permanent organization to promote a similar show each 

 year has been effected and the substantial support given the 

 promoters this year will enable them to begin 1915 with a 

 surplus. \ modest dividend was declared on the first show. 



the members "t the organiaztion are E. T. Jones. \ndy 

 Auble, Jr. C. C. Wclker, G. W. hunk and W. L. Stouffer. 

 * * * 



I". A. Sell. tiling, president of the ( ,... dyear Tire & Rubber Co., 



visited Washington late in December and called on President 

 Wilson, lie went to the British Embassy, armed with a letter 

 of introduction from the White House, and had a talk with Sir 

 Cecil Spring Rice, the British Ambassador. Later, he said that 

 he was going to London to laj his protest before tin- British 

 government. * * * 



Additions under course of construction lo the Firestone 

 plant, which will he ready lor occupany early in 1915, will 

 give thi- company more than 100,000 feel of additional floor 

 space. At least 10 per cent, more men are being employed 

 than in the closing months of 1913, according to President 

 II. S. Firestone. Reports made at the annual meeting a few 

 weeks ago showed sales for the fiscal year in excess of 

 $20,000,000. * * * 



The Rubbertown Tire Co., of Akron, has been incor- 

 porated, with a capitalization of $10,000. The incorporators 

 include O. J. Schwab, local crude rubber man; J. F. Darcy, a 

 New Yorker, and X. M. Greenberger. It was stated today 

 that those interested are not connected with other rubber 

 interests, and that the company will be an independent 



concern. 



* * * 



The "Made in Akron" -how. which was to have been staged 

 in this city early in January, has been postponed until later 

 in the year. Many of the largest concerns intending to ex- 

 hibit were Akron rubber companies, and their officials be- 

 lieved that a better showing could be made if more time was 

 given to preparation. 



An order of the Ohio State Board of Public Works in- 

 creases the rates to local rubber companies using water from 

 state lakes from 3 to 5 times the rate paid in past years. This 

 increase will cost the companies more than $25,000 per year. 



* * * 



The purchase of a site in the business section of the city- 

 last month paves the way for the erection of a community- 

 garage in which Akron rubber men are interested financially. 



Owing to the increase in the number of automobile tire 

 users in Akron many of the big tire concerns, including the 

 Goodrich, Goodyear, Firestone and Miller companies, have 

 established service stations for the convenience and benefit 

 of their patrons. * * * 



Photographs of the interior of the new mansion erected 

 by H. S. Firestone, president of the Firestone Tire & Rubber 

 Co., have been taken for the Tiffany Studio — which directed 

 the work of interior decorating — and will be reproduced in 

 several of the leading magazines of the country. 



Mrs. B. G. Work, wife of the president of The B. F. G 1 



rich Co., has ordered 50 dozen pairs of socks from a Detroit 

 knitting company, to be delivered to the Vacation War Relief 

 Society, which is collecting supplies for the Allied soldiers at 

 the front. 



Mr. C. B. Raymond, secretary of the Goodrich company, 

 i- in California on a tour of inspection of the company's 

 branches through the West. 



Mr. Frank Sell, of the Goodrich office, has been transferred 

 to the company's 1. ranch at Omaha. Mr. Sell and his family 

 left last week for the Xebraskan city, where he will begin 

 his work January 1. 



