The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1895-09-07
NEW LUMBER TRUST
Most Of the Big Mills Of the
Coast Have Joined.
PRIces ADVANCED ALREADY.
It II Said the Combine Can Meet Com
petition or British Columbia Mills
Employing Coolfe Labor.

San Francisco. Sept. e-The Chronicle
viii say tomorrow morning that one OF TIE
greatest lumber combines ever known has
Just been formed. II includes nearly al
the big mill owners in Oregon and Wash
ington- On Tuesday the Central Lumber
Company fled articles OF Incorporation
with the county clerk. naming capital
stock Of the concern az $4,000, OF which
amount s. 90 only had been subscribed.
The directors OF tho new corporation are
Clarence A. Thayer. Charles c. Steven
son, jr., Newton III. Hickman, Charles l..
Cron, John VI. Rhoder. James Webster
and John III. Nasterson. The movement
10 establish a lumber trust has been on
foot for the past two years, but II has
been delayed by the fact that some Of the
mill owners held back. II was not because
the manufacturers did not realize the I'M
portance OF the step. but It was hard 10
get any one 70 take the initiative.
The Victoria and Vancouver mills have
been shipping material into San Francisco
and other parts OF the state, according
to the lumbermen. for less than the cost
OF manufacture on the American side.
That this statement IL not exaggerated
is evidenced by the fact that some OF the
manufacturers doing business in this city
have been compelled to close down their
mills and purchase from foreign owners.
If the new combine is a success IL VIII
be far reaching in its operations. Not
only II IS intended to fight the mills OF
British Columbia on the coast, but the
trust VIII reach out for foreign trade, of
which at present the American rhanufac-
turers have a small share. II is argued
that there Is a big field for this trade,
which requires only capital and energy TO
develop into source OF immense profit.
The board of directors with which the
Central Lumber Company has incorpo-
rated is not a representative one, and il is
~ hob Ia hot will
very long. The combine has already alb
sorbed such well-known firms as the Pine
Lumber Company, the Simpson Lumber
Company. the California Lumber Com
pany. Pope & Talbot, the Golden Gate
Lumber Company. Wilson Bros the Gar
diner Mil Company, w. J. Adams. the
Gray's Harbor Commercial Company
Preston g. McKinnon. the E. X. Wood
Lumber Company. the s. L. Slade Com
pany. Benton. Holmes & Co. and number
of others.
II the plans OF the combine have been
fully formulated. the managers are not
ready TO make them public l.. ]. Holt,
OF the Simpson Lumber Company. and d.
n Bib. OF the Golden Gate Company,
have had the matter in hand. and both
gentlemen have been working with untir-
Ing zeal. Their aim is 10 get every mill
owner OF any prominence on the Coast
into the combine and until that is accom-
piisHeu IL Is SAID nothing further viii be
done. Be this as IL may the fact remains
that within the last few DAYS there has
been an advance in prices. and il is pre-
dicted that another rise may be expected
within short time, as per agreement of
owners. -. III. Bibb. when seen this even
ing. said that to publish anything concern
ing the workings Of the combination would
be premature. Mr.. Bibb admitted that the
lumber market had been in a depressed
condition for the past three years. and
that 1t was about time that the mill own
ers took steps for their own protection.
lie refused TO talk about the future plans
or the concern. saying that to do so would
inture its plans
III is asserted that for the past three
years the lumber fraternity Of the Pacific
coast mas been losing annually round
million dollars. The milling capacity dur
Ing that time is said to have been between
l,oo0o.0 and 1900 600 600 feet of lumber
yearly while the demand, including Off
coast cargoes. has never exceeded 900 Oen =
oOo feet year. To make the situation more
distressing, the Victoria and Vancouver
mills nave a capacity of between 200 600 ono
ana SoVOoo,eoo feet year. and they come
IN ulrect competition with the American
n!Is, cutting under them In price In
southern California there has been a build
ing boom OF late. but, according to AR
Bibb, the bulk Of material Skinned IA
Southern ports has come from British Co
lumbia.
one OF the most important moves which
the trust will make will be TO keep ,ip the
price OF material. How they can do this
IN the lace OF such strong connection
from the British Columbia mills is one Of
the secrets Of the combine