The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1894-12-14
A SINGLE COMBINE.
WV of Salvation Sought BY
Means of a Trust
AL The MILLS TO BE LEASED.
The Entire Output 10 Be Sought by
tn. Trust ss . Grad nsify Rising
Prtee-A stfH Contract

Another determined EFFORT - pc1ng II1a1~
TO bring the prices OF cedar shingles Up
TO a living basis. this time BY the organ
izatsou OF a trust under the name OF the
Washington Cedar company. which wSs
Incorporated week ago. The plan IS 10
control the entire output OF the Sound
country BY iron-elad contracts, which are
now being submitted 70 the mauufactur-
ers for signature. though very sparsngiy
At present.
The active workers In this unique plan
are Neiharge & Co. OF this city, who are
the originators: W. T. Wilson and d. II.
McMulIen, OF the Puget Sound Lumber
company. The Washington Cedar COM
pany was organized with Cyrus +. Clapp.
c. r. Neiharge. n. H Latimer and W. R.
Forrest as incorporators. with a capital
lzatlon OF $4,000. or these, two are local
bankers. one. c. T. Clapp. is money
broker and banker. and one. c. E.
Nelharge. single dealer. The contract
which the shingiemen are being asked TO
sign is looked upon BY many as Of a very
iron bound character. and many mill
men say that it Is not looked upon very
favorably BY the shingIeElen.
In brief. this trust proposes TO lease the
mills of the country for one year al the
nominal figure OF 81. and agrees TO take.
beginning January ], 1895. the entire cut
of the Sound country, providing all mill
men sign the contract. at the rate OF Sl05
for star a star and sl.25 for extra clears.
These figures viii be increased 5 cents
per thousand at the first of every month
until April !, when the price will be S1.20
for star a star and $40 for extra clears.
After that the price is TO remain station
AIRY for the rest of the season. Single
men say that this is simply starting at
cost and only increases at a ratio which
naturally may be expected at the opening
OF the average season
Under this new contract while the mills
are merely leased to the trust the own
ers are permitted to operate them. but
there Is a proviso or claNe in the con-
tract which binds the trust to take only
a certain quantity Of each mills output
IN proportion 10 the total output of all
mills. IL IS said by some shnglsmen who
have had an opportunity To learn the fun
nature of the contract that. If the mill.
man insists on the full capacity of his
mill. the trust Will take the remainder at
a merely nominal figure. something near
20 cents a thousand.
But few Of the shingle dealers in this
city appear to have any interest in the
proposition or have been invited TO asSo-
ciate themselves with it. The promoters
themselves have observed the utmost
secrecy and refuse TO discuss the matter.
They have been in close conference dur
ing the past few days with many mill
men and assert that within the next day
or two they viii have accomplished
enough that the project may. with safety
To itself, be made known in all its de-
tails.
The main object seems To be to control
the market by getting control of the out
put. do away with that class of dealers
who are transacting a business without
capital. and make IL possible for them to
cut prices below those established by the
trust. Some of the large dealers in the
city who were approached on the subject,
but who have no connection with the
new organization. say that, while they
VIII not be connected with il. they expect
to reap some of the benefits which are ex-
pected TO accrue. BY making IL impossible
for the small dealers without money to
get shingles. IL will only add to the
profits OF the large and responsible deal
ers. who VIII either lease mills indepen-
dent of the trust or viii be given a pro-
portion OF the trusts output to dispose of.
1t is said. however. that Neiharge * Co.
are expected to handle the bulk OF the
output.
Men who are acquainted with the project
say that IL is not by any means yet an
assured fact. and that the next few days
viii determine If the proposition Is to
take permanent shape. If the millmen
do not look upon it favorabiy the whole
matter Is to be dropped.l