The Washington herald., 1921-04-24
TIRE INDUSTRY
SPEEDING FAST,
AKRON REPORTS
Nine-Month Slump Ends
With Tire Companies
At 500 Normal.

AKRON. Ohio. April ss.-The City
Of Akron. Ohio, the rubber metropo-
lis OF the world. so-calied because
1t produces 4s per cent Of the world
output OF rubber goods and IS per
cent of all tires manufactured an
nually. is rapidly returning to nor-
NAL Industrial conditions. The back
bone Of the slump. which hit Akron
more than nine months ago, has
been broken.
Rubber factories are beginning to
re-employ and are Increasing pro-
duction substantially. With the an
nouncement. that the Firestone Tire
and Rubber Company will put on
1000 additional men by May l, and
with other rubber companies speed
ing up production in proportion, ev-
erything indicates q steady return
TO normal activity.
Produces 1900 Tires Daily.
With automobile factories resum-
ing operations, original equipment
tire business Is increasing. Fire
stone reports a big increase in origi-
nal equipment orders for April, as
compared with March. This COM
pany increased production on April
Is from 10000 tires daily to $4,000
tires daily, and will operate two
daily eight-hour shifts.
This places the Firestone Tire and
Rubber Company at more than SO
per cent of peak production - the
highest mark reached in nine
months. Firestone, at its peak last
May, was making $4,000 tires daily.
The four big tire companies in
Akron - Firestone, Goodrich. Good
year and Miller-despite the tire in
dustry slump. had, in 1920. total
sales aggregating s5o2.s72,63s. as
compared to s42s.0s5,1o1 during 1918,
an increase Of s73,4ls.136.
Factories Fifty Per Cent Normal.
Present statistics show that all
Akron factories are working on an
average of not less than SO per
cent Of normal. This means they
are doing business now at the rate
of almost 275.ooo.ooo a year, a sub
stantial business for any city to
be doing under present conditions.
In many respects many good re-
suits have come from the tire indus
try slump in Akron. One clear evil
dence is that Il has taught employ
ers not to be reckless or extrava-
CANT, as in the past. 1t has elimi-
mated the transient and undesirable
element of labor and has produceo
greater efficiency in factory work.
/ Plans Civic Improvements.
The slump has given Akron time
| to catch up with herself in civic
Improvement. No city can increase
in population from 6e. 1000 to 2os,o0o
in ten years and have civic devei-
opn:ent keep pace with industrial
growth and population increase.
Conditions are now different. The
city is regaining its balance.
Nearly s75.ooo.oo0 worth OF pub
lie Improvement Is contemplated.
Boulevards and hundreds of miles
| of paved streets are to be built. The
| city has created a planning COM
mission which is arranging an e1-
tensive program of civic improve
ment and city beautifcation. 1t has
purchased 700 acres of land for a
public park.
1t is increasing its hospital facili-
ties, widening its main thorough
fares, planning a new postofice, is
erecting new hotels, and is also
planning three new thesters. In
addition there are many home
building programs under way.
In short, Akron has had time to
catch her breath again, and will
be better and cleaner city to
live in.