Amarillo daily news. [volume] (Amarillo, Tex.) 19??-current, 1921-01-30
SHORTAGE UNIQUE
EXCEPT IN F|NANCEs
SAYS RUBBER MAN
OFFICIALS or RUBBER INDUSTRY
STATE TIRE SHORTAGE IN
SURE NEXT SUMMER

A shortage OF anything except cash
In these days 81 surplus is unique.
Nevertheless. officials of the rubber In
dustry are unanimous In their predlc.
lions Of an acute automobile tire short.
age before the. early days Of summer
according TO reports emana,ing from
Akron. the rubber center.
Analytical surveys comparing present
consumption u tires with present pro.
ductlon show indisputably. say the
rubber company stntistcians. that re-.
serve stocks are shrinking rapidly and
VIII BE- almost entirely exhausted I've
fore the heavy buying days ~ the
spring.
During the past few months since
tire manufacturers curtnilcd produc
ton" says the u. r Goodrich Rubber
Co, consumption 81 tires has greatly
exceeded production. Great threads
have been made into the surplus of
100000 tires which was said to cxls
last September lst.
According o. 1920 auto registration
figures. there are now a.29j e52 motor
vehicles in use. Figuring conscrva
lively each car uses three and one
half tires per year. In other woldi
about 52Oo0.OOO tires are needed nm.
nually, or about ?.7l0.OO0 each month
exclusive ~ those needed To equip new
cars
production since last September has
been at the rate ~ not more than s..
100000 tirea a year, tr about eco. 00l
each month.
Consequently. 100000 more tires
are being consumed each month thnH
are being manufacturcd--thc produc
ton rate being Just about one. fourth
the rate Of consumption. The slrplu,
stocks which existed last fall are rap
idly dwindling as result How long
II VIII h. before they disappear en-
tlrciy can easily h. computed
Recent reductions IN tire prices
have stimulated buying. Experienced
motorists recognize that this II the
right season Of the year To buy tires
Those who are waiting for warm
weather may not bc able 10 purchase
standard makes M by that time the
full effect Of the 200. O0Oa.month DIFF
ference between production and con
sumption VIII become apparent.
"The surplus ~ last fall cannot he
counted up To- ward of shurtag,
when the full buying movement starts
II has been greatly depleted already
and II must b. remembered that there
nm 10. Il - p
100000 tires TO permit the func,ionlns
of the distribution system.
''If large percentage ~ mo;orlsts
begin buyinc simultaneously, there win
not he enough tires to 20 around.
Whatever sssrplhs ~ tires may exist
prior 10 that time will he exhausted.
dealers stocks win De depleted. ami
many motorists will have to wait until
production again catches up with con.
sumption.
''The possibility IL spring tire
shortage Is greatly increased by the |
open winter. Countless motorists are
driving their cars this winter who |
formerly placed them In storage. II. /
the weather continues mild. II can 10
safely estimated that several million |
more tires win he required In tho |
spring than II the weather had beea |
severe"
Officials 81 Akron rubber companies |
are optimistic regarding the outlook fos |
1921. They point out that the rubber |
industry was one ~ the first 81 the \
large industries % sense the rctrcnch |
mont movement and curtail production |
accordingly. and hence viii be one Of |
the first to he favorably affected wheo |
normal conditions return.