The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1892-08-17
CYPRESS sHINGLE MEN SCARED.
They Appeal for Rates to Compete
with the Invading Cedar Shingles


with the Invading Cedar shingles.
The inroads of Washington cedar
shingles on the Eastern markets has
alarmed the manufacturers of the Southern
cypress shingles. At present the 60-cent
rate to Chicago leaves cedar shingles only
small margin, but the talk
about a Accent rate which has
been INDUCED in by President
Hill, of the Great Northern, has aroused
the cypress shingle men to agitate for
lower rates. The following letter was re-
Gently addressed by one of the largest cy-
press shingle manufacturers of Louisiana
To ID. Miller, traffic manager of the Queen
4 Crescent system:
Being aware OF the fact that the rates from
the South to the North and East, as explained by
you 20 the writer, are already as low as we could
reasonably expect them to be, we beg to call
your attention to the low rates now being
made from the Pacific coast to Chi
cago and the East on Red Cedar
shingles and lumber with prospects of
still lower rates in the near future The pres
ent rate rom Washington aud oregon to Chi
cago is 30 cents per 100 pounds. Recently Mr.. ].
J. Hill, president OF the Great North
ern, promised the shingle manufact-
urers in a speech al Tacoma that he would
make them rate of a. cents to Chicago.
or still lower II necessary, III order to mar
ket their product east OF the Rocky mountains.
year ago the red cedar shingles began to en-
creaeh upon Ohio, Pennsylvania and territory
further east. During tho last winter and this
sprng the manufacturing output in that terri.
tory has been increased threeiold and
naturally the manufacturers there will
DC obliged to look for the DISPOSE
ton OF their goods in the Eastern territory
Their shingles are extremely light in weight
anu compared with cypress weigh but very little
more than hail and on this account the further
east they go. so much harder competition do
they become. Red cedar timber grows large
and the cost of same Is much less than
cypress while their expense OF manu-
featuring IS also considerably less than ours
At ,o-eent rate To Chicago their product will
net them more at the mill than ours, aud on
this account IL cehooyes us 10 suggest 10 you TO
seriously consider this matter and If possible to
use your influence 20 prevent a still lower rate
being made from the Pacific coat We hsvo
studied the situation quite thoroughly and
by INQUIRY through our lending customer,
throughout the country aud through our travel
ing men, we learn that the shipments to the
North aud East will be greatly cur,ailed IL any
further deduction Is made. In fact can
sidering the amount of product that will h.
urged into this territory the present low rate al
50 ecnts from the West Will hammer us cor.
siderably ia marketing our product on a nrou,,
able bssia
The writer of this letter makes q mistake
in speaking of the rate from the Coast 10
Chicago as 50 cents; il is TAI cents. Com.
menting on the letter, the ST. Paul Timber.
man says:
Tie rate on shingles from New Orleans, which,
is the center % = large cypress manufacture. i,
81 cents. and from points in Louisisns
ca the southern Pacific road about
II cents Inasmueh as the cypres,
single bona dry weighs $50 pounds
or an vcraye OF all the shipments per
hsps ST. pounds. while the red cedar come.
down 10 30 pounds per 1900. il viii be seer
that there is, In Of such reduction in rate,
from the Coast, serious problem ahesd for tn,
cypress manufacturers.
The interstate commerce commission in It's "a
nous Eau Claire decision. upholGs the doe
,rins OF leaving the natural advantages {,
those who hold them and not trying To brIus
all the manufacturers 10 an equality REGARDLESS.
of their location or the quality of theiI
product Therefore while the Oregon anl
Washington manufacturers could consistent,
bc given the benefit Of the extremely high
weight % their goods, conversely the Louisiana
shingie manufacturer should retain tn
advantage of their nesruess 10 market; aut
II the proposed re,s of 10 cents from
Tacoma TO Chicago were made, :he Louis,au,