I've been working on getting the text of testimony of hearings before a subcommittee of the committee of government operations - House of Representatives, 85th Congress, Second Session. July 28 - July 30 1958.
Google has a "snippet view" but not the full text. I was able to find the full text today.
In there Robert C. Fernley, Secretary of the American Brush Manufacturers Association, discussed the decline of the American shaving brush industry. He includes a letter from Elwood M. Jones, Jr., President of Rubberset Co. that states that Rubberset stopped making shaving brushes as of August 31, 1957 and had sold all of their shaving brushes that they had in stock by 1958.
Here is the letter:
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Rubberset Co.
East Newark, N. J.
July 11, 1958.
Mr. Robert C. Fernley
Secretary, American Brush Manufacturers Association
Philadelphia, PA
Dean Bob: In reply to your questions pertaining to our shaving brush business, and also more specifically the situation In the shaving brush Industry during the latter part of 1957, here is our position and opinion of the condition at that time.
To begin with, I do not have to tell you that Rubberset Co. manufactured shaving brushes almost continuously from 1873 until August 31, 1957, when we elected to liquidate the shaving brush portion of our business.
Basically, the reason we decided to withdraw from the field was that, In our opinion, the market was a dwindling one. Moreover, our opinion was verified by a gradual reduction in our actual sales to the trade. I might add also that we believed ourselves to be reasonably well diversified in that we sold the drug and department store trade under our own label, we did a fair amount of syndicate business and door-to-door sales business under private label.
Also, in 1957 It became more and more apparent that the capacity of the industry to produce shaving brushes was many times that of the demand. In the case of Rubberset Co., we had machine capacity capable of producing at least four times our output. Even with our labor force reduced to the barest minimum, It was uneconomical for us to operate the division. The time and expense of factory supervision, purchasing and sales was obviously out of proportion to the return.
Sales of all Rubberset shaving brushes, Including Rubberset label and private label, declined from 1955 through 1957 as follows:
1955 ... (2.7%)
1956 ... (21.1%)
1957 ... (47.7%)
As previously mentioned, we elected to discontinue our shaving brush production on August 31, 1957, and we liquidated our Inventories during the ensuing months. It took well into 1958 for us to dispose of the brushes we had In our stocks.
If this Information is not specific enough, or if you wish additional detail, I'll be very glad to furnish It.
Cordially yours,
Elwood M. Jones, Jr., President
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Google has a "snippet view" but not the full text. I was able to find the full text today.
In there Robert C. Fernley, Secretary of the American Brush Manufacturers Association, discussed the decline of the American shaving brush industry. He includes a letter from Elwood M. Jones, Jr., President of Rubberset Co. that states that Rubberset stopped making shaving brushes as of August 31, 1957 and had sold all of their shaving brushes that they had in stock by 1958.
Here is the letter:
---
Rubberset Co.
East Newark, N. J.
July 11, 1958.
Mr. Robert C. Fernley
Secretary, American Brush Manufacturers Association
Philadelphia, PA
Dean Bob: In reply to your questions pertaining to our shaving brush business, and also more specifically the situation In the shaving brush Industry during the latter part of 1957, here is our position and opinion of the condition at that time.
To begin with, I do not have to tell you that Rubberset Co. manufactured shaving brushes almost continuously from 1873 until August 31, 1957, when we elected to liquidate the shaving brush portion of our business.
Basically, the reason we decided to withdraw from the field was that, In our opinion, the market was a dwindling one. Moreover, our opinion was verified by a gradual reduction in our actual sales to the trade. I might add also that we believed ourselves to be reasonably well diversified in that we sold the drug and department store trade under our own label, we did a fair amount of syndicate business and door-to-door sales business under private label.
Also, in 1957 It became more and more apparent that the capacity of the industry to produce shaving brushes was many times that of the demand. In the case of Rubberset Co., we had machine capacity capable of producing at least four times our output. Even with our labor force reduced to the barest minimum, It was uneconomical for us to operate the division. The time and expense of factory supervision, purchasing and sales was obviously out of proportion to the return.
Sales of all Rubberset shaving brushes, Including Rubberset label and private label, declined from 1955 through 1957 as follows:
1955 ... (2.7%)
1956 ... (21.1%)
1957 ... (47.7%)
As previously mentioned, we elected to discontinue our shaving brush production on August 31, 1957, and we liquidated our Inventories during the ensuing months. It took well into 1958 for us to dispose of the brushes we had In our stocks.
If this Information is not specific enough, or if you wish additional detail, I'll be very glad to furnish It.
Cordially yours,
Elwood M. Jones, Jr., President
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