Akron daily Democrat. [volume] (Akron, Ohio) 1892-1902, 1902-11-07
QUALITY
And Price Are
Subjects
OF Vital Interest In
Tire Trade.
Solid Tire Business Is Being
Affected.

The present condition of the solid
vehicle tire business Is regarded as
critical by many rubber manufacturers
and presents a subject of deep interest,
SAYS an Akron rubber manufacturer in
the India Rubber World. At least
two-thirds of the solid tires used in the
United States are manufactured in
Akron. Four of the manufacturers
confine their business almost exclus-
lively to this line, while with others 1t
constitutes an important department.
When the Rubber Tire Wheel Co.,
of Springfield, Ohio, now the Consol-
idated Rubber Co, of New York, first
put solid tires on the market, they
came to Akron to have them manufac-
fured, and for years the B. r. Goodrich
Co. were the exclusive makers. The
product made Akron famous for solid
rubber tires. Other manufacturers took
up the work and the business spread.
New concerns started up and rubber
manufacturers already established ad-
ded this to their line of products. The
royalty exacted by the Consolidated
Rubber Tire Co., under the Grant pat
ent, made It possible for others 10
furnish tires at n lower cost and still
maintain good standard of quality.
on May 9, 1902, the United States
circuit court Of appeals, at Cincinnati,
handed down a decision declaring the
Grant patent void. Had the decision
been otherwise infringing manufactur.
ers would have been liable for heavy
damages; hence there was great re-
joicing and general feeling of relief.
Now that the situation has had time
to crystalize, the full force of open
competition Is being felt. Prices have
been gradually coming down, and, be-
fore the recent conventions of car
riage makers, had reached point
below which they could not go without
either sacrificing all the profit or de-
teriorating the quality. At these con-
ventions it was demonstrated that
the carriage makers are the arbiters
of the situation. They make the price,
and 1t only remains for the tire man.
ufacturers to furnish the goods that At
AT the present time carriage makers
are at disadvantage because they
have not yet had an opportunity to
discover the psychological point at
which quality ends and prices com
mence.
There are two courses open to man.
ufacturers of solid rubber tires, neither
of which is very satisfactory. To keep
up the standard of quality means u
comparatively high selling price, and
necessarily serious curtailment of
business for the present, at least. On
the other hand to meet the present low
prices will compel manufacturers ia
furnish very much poorer tires, which
cannot help but prove a disappoint
ment both to seller and buyer. AS q
natural result the tire manufacturers
who adopt this course will suffer for u
condition created by the carriage man
ufacturers in their attempt to buy tires
1T price which will not secure th'
quality to which they have been accus
toned and which they expect to re
ceive One of the causes of the pres
cnt condition may he found In tn
fact that the present facilities for man
ufacturing solid rubber tires are n
least four times as great ms the con
sumption. According to leading Ak
ron manufacturer the business now Of
fers no inducement To capital and W
may expect soon to see an end to tn
organization OF new companies to max
solid rubber tires.
Akron rubber manufacturers ar
making plans for liberal represents
ton at the motor vehicle and car11ng
shows the coming season.
Our line of fine furs are superio
In quality and much lower In price.