The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1894-02-22
SOME DEALERS KICK.
Four Firms Refuse to Join the
Single Trust.
THEY MAY BE CRUSHED our.
hss they Say sAs Assscsasfsa Cssses
Lass-cssaen Conmlssss ravors
Rams Hers comprsmiss.


ganszs any trade for tie rnasasenance OF
prices BY snv plan Of the nature Of trust,
several Of the shtngse dealers and manu.
iactrrers have refused to have anything IN
40 sth the new organization OF their
trade. Ths number Of manufacturer re-
naming independent Is comparatively in
significant, but several Of the largest firms
OF dealers definitely refused 70 join the
association AZ the meeting held on Tues
cay, which vas the last opportunity given
them. and there promises 20 be q lively
Eight In consequence.
The independent dealers are Graham &
Pat;en. Carssens x Baker and the Rainier
Seaar sninsse Company, OF Seattle, and
. A. Gibbs It Co. OF Tacoma. The indie
pendent manufacturers only represent
twelve blocks ous OF total in Washington
aaa Oregon Of over 500 As rule the
manufacturers who have stayed out were
not n position 20 comply with the terms
OF the agreement, 50 that the real kicking
comes from the independent dealers
Ihe objection made by the latter 10 that
the nxing OF price-at which shingles may
De sold By the manufacturers does not
give the dealers fair play and that, even II
they waived that objection. the margin
ie't to the dealer 10 too small TO pay his
expenses and . living profit The manu-
facturers' price for star A star Is Sl.25.
and the dealers price Si.s0. and rs the
dealer has to put up . forfeit OF 2Js cents
per loo. this leaves him only margin OF
LIS cents This. the directors claim. is
not enough and at Tuesdays meeting they
proposed that they Se allowed TO buy at
any price they conld. % long as they
maintained the association price In sell
ing to Eastern men, This proposition
Was rejected and the outsiders say the
only inducement offered to join was that
the present price vas only made for few
months and that 1t was intended. as soon
as the spring trade opened, 10 raise the
price and leave the dealers . larger
margin. To this the outsiders reply that
they are not buying options on the future
and they want something more than
vague promise to induce them to tie them
selves down as the association contract
requires. The argument Of the association
men IL that to leave the price to be fixed
oy The dealers would not help the manu-
facturers At all, as the very object OF the
organization was TO maintain q price at
which they could make living. They say
that the kicking dealers are only scalpers
who wish to cut prices TO the limit and
take advantage Of the financial straits Of
the manufacturers.
The result Of the controversy IL that the
few outside dealers will be treated as out
laws by the association. whose members
Will only sell to association dealers. it's
expected that the outside dealers will then
have to depend for their supply of shin.
giles on the twelve blocks of the indie
pendent mills and will do some lively
scrambling to get this product. which will
not be nearly enough for all. Thus the
calculation IL that when the spring trade
has fairly opened they will have more or
ders on their books than they can ill and
that, as the Eastern buyer wants prompt
delivery. O number OF these orders will be
cancelled and given to the association
members. The hope of the so-calied
'sealpers" Is supposed by their opponents
to be that they can keep the market in a
disturbed condition and thereby cause or
ders to be held back until some of the
weaker members of the association break
away. and thus start the process of disin-
tegration. The officers of the association
are confident that they can hold their
members in line. and that before the fight
is over the outsiders will be glad to make
terms and fall In line. They say, how
ever, that they are well able 70 take care
of themselves and predict that the asso-
citation will not hold together more than
sixty days if the present plan Is continued.
c. Il. Patten, of Graham Il Patten,
summed up tho arguments OF the outside
dealers about as follows:
I'VE claim that the condition OF the
market ought to be allowed TO Il < the price
20 be paid TO manufacturers: If the de-
mand Is good they will get good prices.
bat they cannot otherwise. The associa-
ton Is a device to help out tae weak man
ufacturers and enable them to get the
same prices as the strong ones. whether
their product 10 as good or not. The fact
is that all manufacturers do not make the
same quality of shingles. and we would
rather pay more than the association price
TO some firms than pay the full price to
others. The dealers in the association are
not the strongest financially, and there
are scslpers among them who have ad-
yanced - per cent. on the invoices price.
aud have never paid the manufacturer a
cent mora. We have often paid 80 per
cent. cash and settle on getting returns,
undertaking the settlement of all claims
for shortages and disputes with the rail-
roads. We propose TO run our own busi-
ness and have no fear of not being able to
bay enough to Gil our orders. nor DO We
intend 10 cut prices either"
A. the conference with l. A. Nadeau, OF
the Northern Pacific, and T. p Shelby, Of
the Great Northern. the two latter agreed
to recommend that the new tariff on Ium-
Der and shingles should not go into effect
on March l, as announced. and they have
taken the matter up with the officials at
their respective headquarters. As the two
companies cannot act without the consent
Of their Eastern connections. which pro-
rate with them. IL will take several days TO
get decision. Ii had already been de-
ciied to postpone the change and il is
probable that a months delay will be Oh
tanned. This will give the shinglemen an
opportunity TO discuss the matter thor
oashly with the local railroad officials.
aad also 10 arrive a. an agreement on the
subject OF minimum weights and the full
loading of cars. 1t IS not likely that any
thing will be done at present towards se-
curing the general adoption of more
compact package, a. the manufacturers
are no, in position 10 incur the experse
OF changing their plant
WONT EVEN PAY THE FIPKR