The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1893-05-22
THE SINGLE TRADE.
Little Prospect Of Improvement
in Eastern Market.
BEARS ARE VERY DETERMINED.
Mr.. Crane Tells Of the Dine ulties In the
way-scsreisy Of Cars and
Poor Product.


Crane. shingie dealers, returned last week
from six-xeexs' trip If the East. during
which time he visited al the principal
lumber markets IN the Middle Western
states. including Toledo. Chicago, 81.
Louis. Kansas City. Omaha, Des MONIES
and Minnesr.,iis the red cedar shin gle
market in the East is terribly democrat
ized.'' said he 70 observation-disclosures
reporter yesterday. Prices are from ID 10
81 cents off the association figures. with
very little prospect Of . restoration n the
near future. I found that the wholesale
houses had large stocks on hand. and
we're willing 20 sell at the very lowest
prices 10 the retailers, evidently expecting
that prices would stay down, If not
indeed 60 lower The retailers also
seemed 10 think that the bottom has not
been reached. and they are making very
light orders. carrying small stocks
and buying just enough to supply
the curren. trade. Most of the
large stocks OF the wholesale
houses was accumulated last winter
and early in the spring. With large sup
plies on hand, none Of the wholesalers
are now placing any orders. and they all
seem anxious to get rid OF what they al
ready have. just as all dealers act in
falling market, when they sell IN advance
OF purchases, whereas on a rising o. firm
market their purchases are in advance of
sales. The big wholesalers are terrible
bears. and say that they will We. buy
shingles here for 81 per 1000. They sit
down in their offices and figure out just
what it costs out here TO manufacture
shingles. and they say 10 their brokers'
and agents that they will pay just that
much for shingles and no more, calculat-
ing that the intense compe ti,ion here be-
tween manufacturers will keep the SELL
ing price down 10 cost OF production for
some time TO conc.
Again found some dealers who have
been handling the red cedar shingles in
past seasons who are no, handling them
at all this year. They say that there is
too much uncertainty as TO prices and
whether they will get their orders filled at
all or not on account of the scarcity OF
cars, and that many of the mills are put
ting very poor grade of shingle in the
markei--poor in quality and poorly
packed. These men all say that good
cedar shingle is the best thing OF its kind
on the market, but that it is shame TO
chop up such good lumber into poor
shingles l myself inspected the white
pine product in the market, and found
that these structures are very just. Too
many OF our small mills are not sufficiently
attentive 70 getting their product on the
market in good shape.
up in Wisconsin / talked with lum-
herman. who said that movement was
on foot among the white nine manufac-
turers to induce the railroads which carry
their product to market to discriminate
against the red cedar article. This can be
done by these reads refusing TO make Joint
traffic agreement with the Northern Pa
ci;ic. Great Northern and Union Pacific
roads. These roads are naturally more in
teresied in taking care of the industry on
their lines, and would have a longer haul
from the pineries of Wisconsin and Mime
sofa ana from Chicago into the prairie
states of Iowa, Missouri. Kansas and Ne
braska than they would by taking the
Puget sound product at Minneapolis or
Omaha from the transcontinenta. lines.
Another demoralzing factor is PER-
sistent effort made by irresponsible deal
ers TO bear the market. Price lists quot
ing absnrdiy low figures are sent out
broadcast over the East, and are sent to
manufacturers here with the view 10
stampeding them into throwing their pro-
duct on the market at any price. Those
who are engaged in this bear raid are
chiefly Eastern scaipers. although some
have been sent out by local dealers. They
can not I'LL orders at these prices. nor do
they expect To do SO. Indeed, their object
in doing so is not 10 find buyers, but sell
ers.
There is large and growing demand for
spruce aud cedar lumber and also for large
dimension fir In the East. and while the
shinglc trade Is paralyzed in the West tho
activity Of the Puget sound statesmen is
constantly opening up new territories for
our product in the far East. There is a
wonderful amount o! ignorance among
Eastern lumbermen about our lumber. and
| have often thought that il would be
good idea for the luinbermen here to COM
blne aud establish large yards well stocked
with ali kinds and sizes of puge, sound
lumber in the principal Eastern markets.
not only as an object lesson, bu. for COM
mcrcial and advertising purposes.
ION my way home | stopned at the
Worlds fair. and Was proud of our state
tul.ding there. But the man who erected
the immense Flagstaff there should have q
chrome. Instead OF having the appear
aace OF being single towering stick, which
would impress everyone Who gazed at il,
sGcn effect IS entirely lost by the manner
OF splicing the risces together and twenty
10 thirty feet OF the pole is lost altogether.
Instead of sinking the bands which bind
the splicing. they stand ont prominently so
that Il child could see that the pole is bu.
several sticks .spiiced together The upper
end, iasieai Of being gracefully tapered
dosn, IS fully six inches across, bv which.
undoubtedly. much oil The altitude ha,
been lost,