The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1913-07-20
Cheaper Automobile Tires
Not from Operproduction
London Dealers Say Lowering of Price Due Rather to More
Settled Condition OF the Rubber Market and Re
moval of the Speculative Element.


the canvas casing Is such very consider
able factor in the manufacture OF tires that
any further small decrease In the price
OF rubber will not affect the cost OF the
finished tire very much"
Mr.. r. G.. ALBERT. the London manager
of the Dazin Tires. Ltd. also remarked
on the present low profit on the manu-
facture OF tires. AT present" he said
tires made OF first class materials
only. and holding a guarantee. are
good investment for the buyer but not
for the manufacturer. This opinion, OF
course. is limited only to the first class
manufacturers. To be able to compete
at the actual prices such manufacturers
are obliged TO cut down their expenses II
they want to leave aside all second class
materials. So Il Is impossible to look for
any further reduction In the price OF tires"
representative OF the North British
Rubber Company, No. l69 Great Portland
street, said
i do not see that tires can be ex-
pected to decrease in price much bevona
what they are at present The fact is
'hat We in common with other COM
panies. have reduced our prices about
fitty per cent during the last eighteen
months. Prices have been reduced on
three occasions since the boom the last
oeing only about n week ago. This ,s. az
course. owing to the reduction in the
price of rubber.
mere has been no over-production.
though the production OF rubber has In.
creased fortunately. for the prices of .he
IA" material were much too high during
the boom. and the present price IS mora
Ike what it ought to be. Rubber fires
are, roughly, fifteen to twenty Der cent
c"eapeF than they We're just before the
Doom. and tire manufacturers can hardly
AFFORD TO produce them any cheaper than
they now staLd."
Inc London agent OF the Russian Tire
company. which owns at Riga one of tha
largest rubber factories in the world
would not admit, either, that there had
oeen any over-production of the raw ma
ter'ai. and could not understand how the
reduc'ion in price OF tires could be attrib
uted to the situation in America.
Some companies" he said. "hava
been cutting prices to try to cantur.
the trade; but so far our corpanv baa
nv NOAio 81. w e IN London under
instructions from Riga but I can see
no indication OF our prices being re-
duced owing to the present decrease in
the price of the raw material There ia
no telling when It may rise again; and
it is not SO easy to raise prices for the
finished article after they have been
once reduced
I'VE find that persons are as ready as
ever to pay Il good price for q good
reliable article. q trio that can be re-
lied upon to wear welI and give them
no trouble on the road"
At the Continental Tire Company it was
said that consequent on the fall In the price
OF rubber a reduction OF fifteen per cent
In the catalogue price OF tires had been
made on June Is The price OF our tires
always bears relationship to the price OF
the material" II was observed
At the Michein Tire Company. one OF
the manag gers ad:-''The price OF our tires
is regulated by our directors But the
value OF rubber for the time being has, of
course much to do with It.. l believe We
were the first TO make the reduction OF
fifteen Per cent that has ruled for the last
week. The result OF cheaper tires has been
an increased demand for them"