dl 1d 18 JY a8 8 A A= al Sy \g : Ni Lo 1b ar b) mM |e 38 8 v 1 28 xn :n sh in ir 38 n 38 n 1b n 1, ra) y 1 1 8 is stated to be very high compared with that in Great Britain. In the United States, 1925, £1.828: in Great Britain, 1924, £500.* XXVII.—-STANDARDISATION. ) (a) In TE TYRE INDUSTRY. 121. As in many aspects of this industry, so in the matter of standardisation distinctions have to be drawn between the tyre manufacturing and general rubber goods sections. The tyre industry is still relatively young and many changes have been effected in the quality, sizes and dimensions of tyres. Such changes are still in progress and finality has not yet been reached. Alterations in the sizes and shapes of tyres involve manufacturers in very great expense in the making of moulds and changes in plant. - Tyre manufacturers generally favour standardisation, which they have endeavoured to obtain, but motor car manufacturers from time to time alter their designs. When a change occurs, tyres of the old type have to be supplied for a long time for the cars already on the road. Thus, in spite of efforts towards standardisation, tyre manufacturers in all countries are compelled to maintain a large number of different types of moulds for varying kinds of tyres. For instance, over 150 different types of tyres are required to meet the needs of cars in the United Kingdom alone. Tyre manu- facturers in Canada and the United States have worked fairly closely with the British manufacturers in the matter of standardisation, but the French do not join in at all. (b) GENERAL. RUBBER G-00DS MANUFACTURE. 122. Many of the firms engaged in the general rubber goods industry are old-established and conservative in their methods: This applies particularly to the firms in the United Kingdom and on the Continent of Europe. The industry has grown up through the manufacturer making the article required by the purchaser and not through the manufacturers giving purchasers a lead by establishing a trade in branded standardised articles. Some manu- facturer can generally be found willing to work to a particular order. Intense competition in the industry has also prevented standardisation in many of its branches. 128. This lack of standardisation results in uneconomical methods of working, and checks the adoption of Commercial practices which might be of great benefit to the industry—such as co-operative advertising and the use of a general trade mark. 124. Many striking examples of the present lack of standardisa- tion in the rubber industry could be quoted. We will mention three, which we ‘do not doubt could be paralleled by instances in * Trade Information Bulletin No. 644 published by the United States Bureau Foreign and Domestic Commerce. 329K ~N Tyres. Industry grown up on speci- alising. Standard- isation and co-operative advertising. Examples of lack of standard- isation.