Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-01-27
INCREASE IN TIRE
PRODUCTION SEEN
Misunderstanding Equipment
and Rush Orders, Causing
Squirt in Industry.

Record-breaking original equipment
orders, specifying rush delivery from
car makers have causec the pneumatic
tire industry to squirt projection until
output levels now are nearly as high as
were achieved during the peak produc-
ton and selling season Of 1928, accord
ing to B. H. Cram, president of Grams
Automotive Reports. Inc. Automobile
manufacturers tire specifications are
now running from so to rs per cent
higher than a year ago and everything
points to continuance of this heavy
demand during the first six months Of
q tfo year. The automotive industry took
slightly more than 100000 castings
last year and 1t now seems certain that
the industry's 1929 requirements will
exceed 100000 tires Original equip
,nent tire demand during November and
December was exceptionally heavy and
climbed to new records, running as
much as 200 per cent of original equip
ment requirements of corresponding
months of the previous year.
Akron District Boom.
Between so and IS per cent of all
original equipment tires taken by Amer
lean car manufacturers are produced i'll
the Akron district by four companies
hence the heavy original equipment Or
ders are directly responsible for mainte-
nance of record-breaking production
levels IN the Akron zone. The three
major Akron tire companies, Goodyear
Goodrich and Firestone. are reported to
be producing, combined, nearly 10000
tires per day on the average, while other
companies in the Akron district are
contributing at least another 10000 per
day, making total average daily out
put III excess Of 100000 castings in great
er Akron. This is at a rate of better
than $4,000, 900 tires for the year, which
will represent considerably more than
so per cent of total domestic tile pro-
duction for 1929.
Final figures for 1928 show 4 produc-
ton of slightly more thar. Tz,1O0, 900
pneumatic castings and Shipments ag-
gregating between $500, 600 and TO-
100000, with about 100000 increase
in inventories.
Demand for Spring Deliveries.
Manufacturers deliveries to dealers
under Spring dating orders are eX-
tremely heavy for this time of the year
In fact, careful analysis of the tire
industry situation indicates that pro-
duction and deliveries are now holding
to levels almost certainly abnormal
Even though the movement continues at
this pace for the first four or six
months, it is practically certain that the
industry will operate on reduced sched-
ules IN the latter half of the year.
Crude rubber prices have strength
efted materially, due principally to heavy
buying and increased activity on the
rsrt of spectators on the New York
market. Persistent rumors of attempts
of the British to create a selling pool to
dictate prices in the future nave also
had a bullish effect on crude prices,
The new strength shown by crude prices
has served the tire industry OPPORTUNITY.
making it possible for tire manufac-
turers to circumvent the necessity of
meeting recent price reductions as an
nounced by mail order houses. In view
of the higher crude prices, there already
are expectations in many quarters of
higher tire prices in the Spring.