The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1896-01-25
TO HOLD TOGETHER.
All That is Necessary for the
ehingiemen.
TO CONTROL THE SITUATION.
Good Prices In Prospect for the Com
ing Season if United Action
Is Taken.

THE shingle season is opening" said Fred
Allen, of the Seattle. Lake Shore & East
ern, as he culled over a lot OF bills OF
lading, tariff notifications and other
choice railway literature in his office yes
terday. This week marks the first move
ment, and orders from the East are be-
ginning 10 come in right along. | know of
one firm in the state that has received
orders for about twenty cars OF shingles
this week"
There is another side to the situation,
however as is evidenced by the COM
ments OF prominent lumherman yester-
day when he was asked about Mr.. Aliens
statement.
These orders come from Eastern buy
ers who are probably, as usual. trying TO
take advantage of the midwinter dullness
in shingles 10 buy for speculation. L am
glad TO say that the shingle men OF the
state are holding together pretty we'll in
their plan Of shutting down until the actual
demand for use sets in. The majority OF
single mills in the state will remain clos
ed down for two or three weeks vet. IL
may be that the Eastern buyers who gem
orally take advantage of our manufacture
ers' necessities at this season of the year,
are getting q trifie nervous over the situa-
ton. If our men only hold together a lit
tie longer, we shall be able 10 sell at bet
ter prices than any of the spectators will
pay
For the first time the single men of
the state are likely to exercise some influ-
ence in controlling the price of their out
put at the opening of the spring season.
said Victor II. Beckman yesterday. The
great trouble heretofore has been briefly
this: From December l TO March l there
is practically no demand for shingles in
the East, from the fact that building dur
ing that time is virtually at a standstill on
account OF the severity of the weather.
During this season our mills here have
been in the habit of running right along.
The consequence has been that they have
had to have money during those months
in order to meet their current expenses.
Buyers in Chicago and other Eastern
points were not slow to take advantage of
the situation to squeeze our manufacturers
by offering terms which our men here felt
compelled to accept in order to pay their
bills for labor and raw material. The re-
suit of this has been that when the spring
trade really opened in the East, and the
small towns and lumber yards began call
ing for shingles, these Chicago dealers
would proceed to dispose of the lots they
had bought up at speculative prices. Be
sides forcing our local winter sales at
ruinous prices, these Chicago spring sales
shut out our manufacturers from selling
during the early spring.
This spring. however you VIII see a
different order of things. BY strong and
united action, the single men of the state
have shut down their mills. in the face Of
the protest of merchants and workmen.
The spectators have found their occupa-
ton almost gone When the spring trade
opens, as ii must in the course Of a few
weeks, the shingle mills here can begin
at once to sell, not through the interme-
diaries of Chicago spectators and forced
prices, but direct to Eastern yards, which
need the shingles for actual and immediate
use 10 meet the opening building"
In connection with these statements
may be mentioned the fact that a circular
letter from one of the county lumber as
Citations in this state was seen yesterday,
making a frank statement of the situation,
and urging other shingle men throughout
the state TO hold together and not TO break
away from the agreement. The circular
sets forth the fact that the real competition
which the shingles of this state have had TO
meet has not been with the white pine OF the
East, but the ravages and squeezing of the
spectators. I'VE have been our own COM
pettors' 1t says in italics. 1t predicts an
advance of prices in the early spring which
will more than repay the manufacturers
for their self-den.al and resolution N keep
ing their mills closed down for a brief
period during the winter. In this predic-
ton the circular is supported by Seattle
lumbermen, who say that the shingle bus
mess for April, May, June and July this
year Will be enormous. or as one Of them
pithily put ii yesterday, The shipments
during those months will be corkers.'