January 1, 1915.] 



THE INDIA RUBBER WORLD 



219 



THE RUBBER TRADE IN BOSTON. 

 By Our vpondent. 



OPEAKING broadly, .it present writing, four days 

 '"-' Christmas, there is no rubber trade in Boston. Rubber 

 men in all line- except those influenced bj the weather are far 

 enthusiastic regarding business conditions. Business is 

 generally 'lull in these lines the latter part of Decembei 

 this year show- no exception but rather an emphasized condi- 

 tion .i inactivity. Automobile tire makers arc running their 

 works to reduced output. Mechanicals art- in retail rather than 

 wholesale demand, ["here was a good call for druggists' rubbei 

 Is up i" last month, since which time trade has fallen off. 

 The manufacture of rubber soles and heels is active, foi shoi 



manufacturers are using many of these in place of high-] 



leather. I he greater part of thi month of December, like the 

 previous one, has been too mild and too dry to give any im- 

 petus to the clothing and Eootweai trade, but the long looked for 

 snow statted the Monday before Christmas, with the effect ol 

 immediately stimulating these lines of the rubber trade. 



There is considerable talk, hereabouts, of the possibility of 

 capturing orders for several hundred thousand pairs of rubber 



ts for the armies of the Allies in the field. Just now there 



arc hints that a certain firm of exporters is "nearly ready" to 

 place orders for these 1 ts, and its agents have secured sam- 

 ples and prices from several of the rubber manufacturers. All 

 the manufacturers seem to know about it but under pledge of 

 secrecj refus« to give out any information. That large ship- 

 ments have already been sent to Great Britain from this port 

 and New York i- a well-authenticated fact. That such large 

 ■orders as mentioned above may be placed is not so assured 

 a fact. But there is no doubt that the soldiers now in the 

 trenches need waterproof and cold-proof footwear, and while 

 there are large manufacturers of rubber boots in England and 



Russia, there may be a g I opportunity for American rubber 



shoe manufacturers to supply a portion of the demand. 



Apropos of this, some of the rubber footwear manufacturers 

 received inquiries whether they can furnish 100.000 pairs of short 

 boots, and on what terms. This has led to the discovery that 

 no company is "long" on short boots, and it is rather doubtful 

 if that number of such boots could be found in the factories or 

 jobbing houses of the entire country. In spite of the compara- 

 tive mildness of the season, and the fact that the factories made 

 nearly or quite their full quota of advance supplies, the ship- 

 ments out of the country, and the demands of the regular trade, 

 have reduced the stocks of floor goods to comparatively small 

 proportions. 



It is reported that some agents of foreign governments are 

 now in this country trying to buy heavy shoes of leather for 

 army wear ; that some of them have been unable to make satis- 

 factory arrangements for such supply, and that they are now 

 investigating rubber-sole leather-upper footwear, similar to hunt- 

 ing boots, as a substitute for the leather shoes. 



* * * 



The B. F. Goodrich Co., of Akron, has for a long period had 

 a branch selling agency on Boylston street in this city, where 

 its tires were sold. Last month the company established an 

 agency at this location for the sale of its "Hipress" foot- 

 wear. .Mr. F. T. Moore, the regular branch manager, will have 

 general supervision over the agency. 



* * * 



We had a dog show in Boston the first week in December, 

 and as this was somewhat of 'a "society" affair, it was attended 

 by "many of the best families." Although the principal ex- 

 hibits were dogs of many varieties, perhaps the greatest atten- 

 tion was attracted to six pairs of rubber boots. These boots 

 were not of the standard variety, however, hut were made to 

 order for "Babykins." "Tiny Tim" and "Toy," three dogs of 

 aristocratic pedigree, and were worn by the canine pets so they 



wouldn't get cold feet. I hi- maj start a fashi will 



help out thi rubbei I .'.ear industry in dull 



* * * 



• Mr. rhomas \. Forsyth, ol the Boston Belting Co., has been 



uiied a trustee of the Bo ton I itj Hospital, to take the 



place in. i' H vacant by the resignation of Dr. Dowling, who had 



ei ii' pet intendent. 



* * * 



the Hubmark Rubb i Co eeded to the rubber shoe 



busines ol Lamkin & Foster, in this city, and took the 

 <n i ongress street which that firm had occupied for many 

 has removed to i m ol the upper floors at 297 Congress 

 where it will be loi ited until next spring. At that time it will 

 ipj a building on Summer street i (tension, near 

 the present -tores oi W. F Mayo S i o., I In I ongres SI 

 Rubber Co and the Regal Shoi < o This business is under the 

 management of Chester J. Pike, Jr.. son of C J. Pike, for many 

 years prominently connected with the United States Rubber Co. 



THE RUBBER TRADE IN CHICAGO. 

 By Our Regular ( dent. 



/"* ENER \l. conditions in the local rubber trade show a great 

 ^~* improvement over those of a month ago. Trade holds 

 about the same The volume of business in tires and till the 

 articles which compose the mechanical rubber line has been satis- 

 factory. The season lias been open until the last two 

 and automobiles remained out much longer than usual. During 

 the past two weeks there has been a great demand for rubber 

 clothing, with dealers anxious for the goods they would hardly 

 look at a few weeks ago 



* * * 



Proprietors of rubber clothing stores robbed one after .in- 

 in rapid succession about a year ago, last week received some 

 light on the operations of the gang that did the looting. Several 

 of the band, who were found guilty and sentenced to prison 

 terms, were brought back to the city to testify in a sensational 

 police graft scandal. One of them states that the gang worked 

 under police protection, and that the officers even assisted them 

 in some of the robberies. They would drive a wagon up to the 

 rear door of the store and make away with all the contents, in 

 many instances leaving nothing but the fixtures. The property 

 would then be sold from wagons in the slums of the city, valua- 

 ble raincoats, boots and overshoes being passed out at sacrifice 

 figures. When an honest officer interfered the crooks would 

 submit to arrest, to be later set free by higher officials who were 

 getting a part of the profits. The Goodyear Raincoat Co.. which 

 has stores at several locations in the loop district, was a fre- 

 quent victim. 



* * * 



J. E. Duffield. district manager of the Thermoid Rubber Co., 

 of Trenton. New Jersey, states that the company is closing one 

 of the most successful seasons in its history. Business on all 

 lines has been rushing. On the first of the new year J. H. Liston 

 becomes manager of the Detroit branch which this company has 

 established. Mr. Liston is well known in the local rubber trade. 

 and while his work in the northern city will be of a pioneer na- 

 ture great things are expected of him. O. C. Hendry, who was 

 formerly of the Texas branch of the Fisk Rubber Co., of Chico- 

 pee Falls, Massachusetts, on the same date became northwestern 

 representative of the Thermoid company. 



* * * 



Henry Spadone, president of the Gutta Percha & Rubber Co., 

 New York, was a prominent visitor to the city during the month. 

 F. McCullough, of the local branch, states that the business of 

 the company for the year just closing has been entirely satis- 

 factory, and has shown a marked expansion in many lines, par- 

 ticularly belting and packing. 



