The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1897-01-05

Tas Central Lumber Company. OF Cali
fornia, tne most stupend0us trust ever
organized on the Pacific coast. Is thing
OF the past. No such combine was ever
effected for the control OF a market in
this end % the world. and the Inability 20
maintain It's organization Is what nom
sympathizsrs with the scheme prophesied
AZ the time Cf its inception. The conal-
tons OF its agreement were the sti1est
ever promulgated and were a practical
mortgage, bill OF sale and ali around cinch
on the operations OF the mills and the
members OF the trust.
The P0st-Tntelllgencer has reviewed the
cases In which Puget Sound vioiat0Es ..
the agreement were brought up vita
round turn, and the assembling IN San
FRANCHISES Of such members as could be
brought 70 sit on the cases. The big iun-
bar trust on January ! passed out % ex-
fstence, and its history VIII furnish
chapter 20 that OF the coast that win
shOw the lmpracticabihty Of holding down
The very feature that furnishes life 10
trade
Victor s. Beekman. editor OF the Pacific
Lumber Trade Journal. was seen last
night by q observation-disclosures reporter IN
relation 10 the crash Of the combine, AMI
remarked that the expected had occurred.
"Thls" said Mr.. Beckman, referring 10
mined upon few days ago. and In let
ter 80 the Pacific Lumber Trade Journal
President f.. j. Holt corroboEatad the fact.
II had a hard row 20 hoe from the start,
but It's plan was the best ever gotten up
on the Pacific coast, inasmuch as II cor
troiied every cargo mill on the Coast but
three and at one time the outlook was
rosy. indeed. But. like any business prop
ositIon. the supply and demand. keenness
aud competition, mans cupidity and ne
Cessltea and natural opposition sIad 20 be
considered and the rocks upon which the
Central Lumber Company broke were
sharp. In the first place the projectors
confidently believed that the demand In
1895 would exceed that Of 1885. That being
the belief they were confident that price
cutting would be impossible. Bat the de-
mand did not come up TO expectations
the proportion OF supply and demand be-
Ing, according TO Mr.. Holt, 10 l instead
OF 10 ]. as compared with eighteen
months ago. The anticipation OF en-
hanced values prior TO the formation of
the company. Furthermore. caused the pill
Ing up OF great stocks OF lumber In san
Francisco and other California distributing
poiats at lower prices. 50 thar when the
new list became operative the inevitable
followed.
NO one purchased lumber from the
mills. but everyone scrambled for the
small trade IN sight In the endeavor TO get
ria OF The stock in the yards. Then came
a clash between the retailers and the
members OF the Central Lumber COMPANY
and the breach was never healed. The
first struggle for supremacy, due to small
margins. large stocks and a small de-
nand. t01k Place Ia Los Angeles and the
Central Lumber Company came out sec
ond best. The fight was renewed in San
Francisco and Oakland. and It was ham
uer and t0ngs from midsummer 10 one
month ago. when several members OF the
company withdrew and prices were practi-
cally suspended. Today lumber Is selling
a. barely cost in san Francisco.
however during this period the mill
men ~ Washington. oregon and British
columbia were simply spectators Tybav
could not understand why orders were
not coming tn and why their dividends
were 80 small. At the same time one mill
In British Columbia, four in washington
ana four IN oresoa not members OF the
company. had started into the cargo trade
and were cutting the price from - cents
70 g. per i00 feet and were running over
time while Central Lumber Compauy's
niiis wer" id!e or running only part time.
This caused lard feelings toward the com
pAHF4 especially among the smaller mill
men. who were compelled to operate their
plants IN order 20 meet obligations. on
top or THIS came accusations that the
larger firms were securing all the trade
Tor themselves Finally one miu broke its
agreement with the company ana Others
faleWc3 suit IN short order SO pro-
nounce3 became the bad feeling that had
the company held out 80 is doubtful II II
could secure sufficient support 10 con
tlnae
ia san Francisco. too. rumors were
thick for g time % members breaking
faith, and the accusers were not cherv
about meationlEg names. The same is
true ~ other sections of the state
And the failure came about through
existing conditions and not through any
fault Of the officers aud committees. The
officers were capable and conscientious
business mea who labored early and late
Tor the benefit o. the trade and the COM
mittee could nor have been 81 better tina
Der. bat everything was against the COM
pany ana failure could only result
yet. while The company has ceased 20
eNist. We firmly believe shat when con-
ditions are altered. conHd .n-e restored
aad ihe demand improves there utlf be an
Opportunity Tor a company similar 10 fhe
Central 1am0yr Company, Tass every
tlinacrman en- shn Coast rea,.xes. ThA
bad the company. the opportunity Is carry
t1r Same uut, uN things aF.nr f4Nars hla.
every one engaged fn tho IurraRr bus ness
on rfe Coaef would be rtcher 81 u0eket &C.
da2. Therefore tire protectors shouh3 nor
Pc discouraged The time - couinE-tt
fuRy not 3'e u~Nt year or che wear AFTER
vf,Na tae lamheTnuea win 81 lato a similar
e~~ rvert avs uw3er aususcsous CON-
C.-ra. ana far1 nhoen- x-hKe the Central
AHnet~ Company VIII emerge fron the
fre etaafsns3 ans retlveoatsf
I'm t6e rfoa -.rse rs-are go gre ashes -
the Central icm.er Company ~ Calsfar-
n'a-H aof Nr Hrrkws-e ..Ne3 t-ark IN one
- the h3E a'a Nr chairs in the roturfa %
f@ Hase. N1Tt erFa. where ete fn-rry.rsx