The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1896-12-03
PASSING OF the NUMBER Trust.
No Hope OF Saving the MiIimen's Mig
Combine.


Tarorna. Dec. 2-43peesai.--The Central
T4tmber Company. Of San Francisco.
which Is another name for the big lumber
frtst that VAS formed BIZ the large Pa
clnc coast mills year aEo 20 control
prices. has gone by the board. its usefsil-
ness han terminated. and January !. 1887.
VIII see On end 70 iss existence This II
the consensus OF ooinion among lumber
men throughout the state. As far as
coastwise shipments sre concerned, the
trust has already gone to pieces, for with
IN the last thirty days prices on msr-
shanfable lumber have been reduced from
sli TO $3.50 per s7sossssna. The Central
Taimher CcsnrAnyts prizes was 81 Til n
month ago when the disaffection and con-
sequent cutting ~ prices ON the part os
the retail men OF California forced the
frrFf 10 lower Its price,
The big manufacturers IN the comhina-
fion cling 10 the hope thar tAey viii DO
anls 10 hold the combination together for
another year. a. least for the foreign
cargo trade. The efforts OF the man
ayers OF the combine are now directed TO
this end. and 81 IL believed that the cor
porata existence OF the Central Lumber
Company viii DO continued for another
year. II will have practically no influence
on the coastwise trada.
The Central Lumber Company was fern
"a n little over q year ago hy thu big
mills OF the Pacific coast These con-
trolied the large majority OF the retail
yards In San FRANCISCO. and after months
or hard work the mills Of the Coast and
the dealers in California were united un-
der the central combine. Prices were soon
after raised, and the agreement entered
into was dated January !. issS. IT was
tn terminate In a year. by which time the
movers OF tas enterprise hoped 20 cement
tho organization 80 that Il would last for
years The attempt has been futile. how
ever. owing 10 tho diversity OF interests
az tho large number or mill men and deal-
ern. who became Identified with tia Gem
trail Lumber Company.
Mills that we're idie were paid percent
ege az tho profits nj the trust The small
err mills we're induced 10 Join the trust
and were to share IN THE advantages. The
pool effected was complete and tfsn mills
and tho dealers either made or lost money
together. II IL generally conceded that
both tho mills and the dealers protlted by
fhe arrangement.
The faevltahis fSiiowas: the smaller
mills nd the retailers with limited capita
soon began Kicking" They alleged mat
the big mile and <halr California yards
were making all the profits ~ the ce-abi-
nation and thsy were getting fhs wogs, OF
the deal. A meeting wns he'd "a month
ego AZ san francesca. waich vas attended
rv al tae prominent nnaherTnen OF Puget
sound. II lasted A week or sen DAYS. and
everv effort possible was made ~ hald the
combination together. T. u. Nortos OF
the st Paul s Tacouna Lumber COMPANY
81 4nsa city. was enc az chose who attended
the meettng. and he returned believing
shat the traas company wotid be reorKan-
ssed ard Continue for ano<her year Since
4heu, iroweysr the retailers Of California
wlss. had formed an inside combination ali
their own have heroue divnAea hv stns.an-
sions. amt the Inevitable cus IN prices
quickly followed,
The rupture among the retailers n Cab
fornka ~ what - iust ross interesting tka
Puget so,sna frtlIucn They view che ~.
nation VISTA alarm. believing that the "a.
sataerasAan ng the retail dealers asnocia.
tson will Aavs a Bad effect On thnEr sfso-ta
10 organize sha Central company nor an
ether year. This would seem q rsaseaahls
cont engton.
1ns movement sfat resulted "a tae or
xsnsaastnn Of ere Genxrai Lumber Conn
ter~xtesi e. etockhoisteF2 n TIRE FAefVe
pine r.usnncr Company. TIE sasser ca~s-
ranv controls y largo SSsrslaa 81 tie eae>
r.tt 81 she ruget Nenpa niiES. oaa iar.se
,,slt On Puget sossna e. pes n raesnacs 81
me ..fs. r l. Company as Il + knsvxn
srsa.,r sssEisaesa. afs = tae ST. Ysalsl 4
ara r~o,s,s imrsses Company, eF tas. essx
what course Il Will pursue rs the future
sine alcFe VIII s>sl-
qsfae Nsfnserntan - saS eaGv wsN sscs ,ff$-
..s,xx ssss matter ~ all MF. Merton. OF she
81 p>sa; sssail one Of ere suvs no nas eeess,
aresSss "a the ferssssssoa ~ sisa cosahsra-
kAs,n. was asked seaswnt far ass nlSn 81
ssae ssttsatacsa bat beyond sxaraaslaz gha
s.spe that tne aareefnStt between "a
s.sfits -s4a,sas Ne renewed geT another year
ne would rasss talk ahcas FNe matter