The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1894-04-18
THE OFFER REJECTED
Single Manufacturers Vote
Down Dealers Terms.
The PRICE REDUCED AGAIN.
Cuts BY 1ndivfd uals Cause the Assoeia-
tios Co Cone Down-Probahis
TataFs Of the Trade.

The vose of tie shingie mills Of wash
tngton and Oregon has been taken on the
proposition Of the Shingle Shippers Asso-
csation that It's members be Above &c 10 buy
from the manufacturers 81 any price they
can agree upon, provided they maintain
the association price Ia the East, and re-
suited ia q majority Of about four TO one
against the proposition. This ends nego-
fiataons for tie present between the two
associations. bat the manufacturers still
have hopes of some arrangement. In an
swering the question of the officers OF their
association ~ 10 the dealers proposition.
the manufacturers said that, while they
wanted 70 name the price, they also
wanted the right 20 sell direct TO Eastern
dealers
Meanwhile manufacturers have been
cu.ting prices, some Of them being men,
bers OF the association, and the latter has
met the CT. by reducing Its price from
81 30 TO 81. - for single car loads and from
si2o TO <iIo for fifteen car load lots. As
10 the effect OF this Gu. and the rejection
OF tue dealers offer, special dispatch
from Tacoma says:
As regards the dealers, those who
handle the product Of the associated mills
W%a fAosL oSoRtsSsipn Eis%cSt
probably secure some orders, provided al
ways the Eastern dealers are given to
understand that the pric. named by the
association 10 the price o! snlngie and that
there will De no further cut. But, If there
remains doubt as TO the future price and
hopes are entertained that another GU.
may follow, orders will be backward and
the dealers 10 have got stated amount OF
shingles TO sell and mnss-or will sell them,
even at r;sinous price. cannot sell at the
81 10 rate. a still further cut Will be ade
but the indications are that the dealers
are perfectly willing 10 maintain the asso-
citation price, and will do 80 simply be-
cause at that price they can make more
money than if the price goes below the
cost OF manufacture.
As 10 the cut: Some big and some lit.
tie mills viii he forced TO ssupend opera
tlons, although the 81 10 rate will not cut
much OF figure because there are very
few firms that order in fifteen car load
patches. Some mills have closed down al
ready. Others cannot afford TO pay inter
est and insurance and remain closed Tney
will not 20 on manufacturing. Tue ST. 10
rate is close to bedrock, or tho cos, OF
manufacturing. and after deducting 2ia
cents per Loo. which the manufacturer
has TO pay into the association. together
with other necessary expenses, he will re-
cetve less than $i.05 for his product. at
which price he cannot afford TO operate
his mill, unless he Is wiling to simply
turn one dollar over for another dollar.
aud running more chances of losing than
making q fraction of l per cent. This
new price will bother wholesale grocers
and others who have been quoting cut
prices, or have large supply of shingles
on hand that cost them more than $LI0
Some believe the Manufacturer Asso-
cation cannot exist under the cut rates
and all are greed upon one thing. viz:
standard Eastern prices, that cannot
be broken. Even If i. is lower price
than thar named by the Manufacturers
Association it should be agreed upon as
the real price. So long as the price is not
standard and firm Tor a stated period
the Eastern buyer will keep putting Off
orders.
Summarizing the situation. the Nest
Coast Lmmberman, IN its issue tomorrow,
will say:
ITO sum up, the present situation is
about as follows: The manufacturers
have an exclusive association. represent.
ing nearly all the mills in the two states.
which has determined TO maintain prices
without regard To the Western dealer; the
dealers have an association. allowing
them 10 buy and sell shingles at their own
prices without restraint: the big manufac-
turing dealers are members of both asso-
Citations and. by the rules OF the manusac-
turers, they cannot cell their shingles
below an established list. There is a
great deal OF underground talk going on
about war or iiI-feeling between the
shingte deaiers of this Coast and the man
ufactarers. This is all wrong--no such
feeling exists in a general way. Some
narrow minds aiiude to our dealers
as 'scaipers" and like 10 east some
slurs on them. As matter of fact
there are bound 20 he differences of
opinion between the dealer and the manu-
iactarer At times. There is no doubt bu,
what some of our dealers are inclined 10
skin little too deep; on the other hand
there are mi.Imen Who would not bear too
close watching. but one black sheep does
not make flock, and our reputable mil!
men and dealers are not responsible for
the crooks that get into the business.
Millmen are more likely to get pinehei
by dealers 900 miles away than tney are
by those ut home: In fact. We think A
gooily number OF ouE best miiluen have
reason to KNOW this. The Western dealer
will always remain necessary feature IN
the shingle business Of this Coast"
The following are the shipments OF ium-
Der and shingles over the Northern Fac III
railroad in car loads during the frs, three
months OF 1894 as compared with The same
period Of issaS: