New Britain herald., 1930-04-30
Rubber Secrets Well Guarded,
 But Spies Find a Way
Knowing How


 In 3 certain big rubber concern in tho Middle West a new method of preparing the caoutchouc had been perfected.
 It greatly cheapened the process.
 One of the members Of the firm having perfected this method him. self being chemist, the secret was well guarded.
 There was no announcement made Of this improvement in the method While it cheapened the process in tire and other soft and semi-soft article making, it did not in any manner interfere with the yulcaniz- ing processes.
 Certain top-grade articles were put out by this concern at lower prices than usual. They made the same or even a little better profit than they could make before the new process was put in use.
 The keen rivalry in tho business awakened some to the fact that this concern was underselling. Call it the -Arap company, because that isn't the name. regardless of whether one spells 1t forward or back.
 One salesman reported to head Quarters about this, a salesman for a company other than the Arap.
 Tt won't last" the sales manager told him, they are Tossing up an inferior quality of goods and will soon be found out"
 Cheap grades of rubber are easily made and more easily detected Ger tain cheap rubber toys may be brok- en, they are of such impure quality. while good rubber cannot be bent in the fingers and broken.
 .. That's the trouble" the salesman Insisted. "These articles the Arap Go. is putting out are top grade"
 Officials of the Arap Co. expected there would be considerable uncas- mess among their rivals. Especially did they exepect this when they be gan filling contract with a mail order house for an immense quantity of automobile shoes. These were bet ter quality than most mail-order tires and yet low in price.
 Rival mail order concerns started Investigating.
 The Arap people were extremely careful as to the employees. New ones were investigated before being taken in. They had an idea that efforts would be made to learn the secret process.
 a Analysis of the finished product wouldn't help, but in certain stages determine the secret.
 Now and then would-be employees being secretly investigated, were found to have left good jobs in vari- ous places for no apparent reason These men were not employed, for while 1t would be difficult to prove that they were sent by rivals to get these jobs and learn things, the chances were that this was what was being done.
 There were always daily visitors tC the big plant. These were guided
 
 accommodating such sight-seers k one of the best forms of advertising
 And frequently young men were given jobs, men entirely green in the business, as it was necessary to kccI lip the force.
 A general watch was kept oVci them. If they showed signs of bcinl at all familiar with the work, they were under suspicion.
 :. One day there were forty or moro visitors to the big plant because there was a state convention of { popular secret order in the city.
 One of the officials was chatting with the governor of the state. whc Was a visitor, and keeping an eye or the crowd in a general way. Somc were examining the crude rubber others inspecting it in various pro cesses, some stretched and bounced samples and chatted and Gossipe( about it-they smellcd and evcG tasted it, cut it, asked foolish Qucs tions and did what any crowd O surious visitors would bc expected 10 do. They were surprised that Sucl soft, resilient material was so dift1 cult to cut with an ordinary poc6c knife. One man seemed 10 cut sam pie easily.
 How strong he is.' someone said
 The official continued 10 chat wltl the governor, but saw another pock cting some samples. He saw Stl another applying tho flame Of ; pocket lighter to Q small piece. Thcr