Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1883-04-12
SPRUCE MEN.
Lumber Manu1aeturers' Pro,.etiv. Union.

| fr0tecttye N.
There was a meeting of all the principal
lumber manufacturers on the line of the
Boston, Concord Montreal, Grand Trunk,
Portland Ogdensburg and Passumpsic rail-
roads. Lewiston, the Kennebec valley and
the Connecticut river valley, at the Falmouth
Hotel in Portland on Tuesday for the purpose
of fixing ruling rate for spruce lumber by
which all shall be bound to sell. The follow
ing reasons were given by prominent manu-
facturers Tuesday for calling the meeting
The gentlemen stated that the past had been
very hard winter, with a great fall of snow ::
the cost of labor and supplies has been
heavier than usual. For these reasons it is
said to be fact that it has cost a dollar a
thousand feet more than it did last winter to
| get the spruce to the mills. On the other
| hand The prices of manufactured lumber are
lower, if anything, than last year, and less
than the manufacturers can afford to sell this
| season. During the season so far there has
been little demand for building spruce, but
there is much building in prospect during the
summer and there is every reason to expect
large demand soon. 1t was supposed that
the amount of logs in the mills would turn
out TO be very large. but upon comparing
figures the dealers find that they have much
less lumber than was at first reported
The present price Of spruce lumber in Bos-
ton and points where the freight rates are
about the same as to that city is Sl4 30 a
thousand. 1t was therefore proposed to raise
the price about a dollar a thousand, to form
combination and agree to stick to this rate
xa for
similar in plan to the Connecticut River and
Northern Lumber Association, which has
been successfully operated for the past three
years. large number of the gentlemen in
terested IN the proposed association held a
meeting IN the morning at the Office of the
Berlin Mills Company, and the matter was
talked over and committee appointed to
prepare list of prices, and plan of an as
ISOLATION. and to report at adjourned
meeting at the Falmouth Hotel in the after
noon. The committee met at the Falmouth
at one O'Clock and the report presented
at the general meeting at three o'clock in
parlor No. ,. The attendance was very large
and the discussion of all the points raised
was general and spirited. The meeting was
called to order by the chairman, Mr. Edwin
Clement OF Portland. The meeting was then
organized under the name of The Lumber
Manufacturers Protective Uuon. Officers
were then elected
The constitution and bye laws were reported
by select committee and were unanimously
adopted Meetings are to be held semi
annually at places to be designated bd the di-
rectors. The schedule of prices of lnmber
was also established by unanimous vote of the
association, but will not be made public for
the preseAt All changes to be made BY the
board of directors. Lawrence Brothers, South
Gardiner, Elias Mlliken & Son, Augusta
n. Totman q Sons, Fairfield, f.
Totman < Co., Fairfield, and S. A. Nye,
Fairfield, with a large number of other
firms were parties to the transaction. In the
course of the debate the fact was brought out
that the cut of logs of 1882 and 1888 fell con-
siderably below the cut of the winters of 1881
and 1882, which was. even TO the gentlemen
present, matter of surprise, it had been
expected that it would considerably excede the
cut of the previous year. Owing to the hard
winter, and the enhanced cost of producing
logs, the object of the association is to
regulate prices, at fair profit, it having cost
at least one dollar a THOUSAND more to produce
logs this season. The gentlemen present at
the meeting represent seven Fights of the
manufacturers that ship by rail.