The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1898-12-18

HVWtFeT.
anta-r on the part of the mills and IS for
the purpose of controlling the output and
stock. thereby keeping the market il hand
and regulating the price.
History OF the Movement.
The plan Of uniting - ,asxe n number
OF mills IN cooperative movement 10
close down during the nisdwinter season
originated year ago with Victor r. Seek
man. editor Of the Pacific Lumber Trade
Journal OF this city. Mr.. EecSulaa, who Is
one OF the best posted men in the country
on industrial matters. had observed with
regret the terrible giut in the shinEse mar
ket the preceding spring and the constant
stagnation in trade and the ruinoasay lew
prices that brought disaster TO many mills,
He set about analyxing the conditions and
tracing out the causes. u series OF
strong articles he demonstrated the re-
suit WAS due chiefly to climatic conditions,
followed up and taken advantage OF by
snrewd spectators in the Eastern states.
In a nutshell the situation was as fol-
lows: The market for Washington shin
giles - almost exclusively in the East and
is reached by rail shipment over the threa
tranScontinental lines that diyerge from
Seattle. While the state has an enormous
cargo trade in lumber, both foresSn and
coastwise, its cargo shipments OF shingles
are inconsideraole. The heaviest Of these
go 70 Hawaii. and the vast prepondeTance
OF rail shipments over those by water viii
be apparent by glancing al the fact that
the shingles shipped 10 hawaii this year
amount To only .. ts1,1as pieces. while those
shipped East by rail amount 10 2.5Si. tSyl.
80 pieces, or more than lqp times much.
New in the Eastern slaves the ni3winter
season, with its heavy SHOWS and intense
cold. puts an end TO all work on the out
side OF buildings RoofiE- cut OF the
question and the sale of shingles = stopped.
Meanwhile the mild and temperate winter
of Western Washington enables the mills
to run at fun capacity. So they had been
running, and piiing up shingles until the
market was overstocked and the bottom
dropped out Of prices. Then the specuia-
tors. the shrewd middle men, stepped III
and bought shingles Tor a mers song.
W men the spring building season opened III
the East and the shingle market ought II
have resumed Its normal condition. the
manufacturers were confronted by this
vast stock which their own improvidence
had thrown into the hands OF the speed
lators. Thus matters went on from year
to year, and the vast ans choice output
| of shingles in this state was being sacri-
feed. The mills were force: to sell shin
giles at less than the cost of production.
Mills in the Movement.
| Having pointed out the evil. Mr. Beck
man promptly suggested a remedy, viz. the
closing down OF the mills. He sent out
| letters asking cooperation, and Ia re-
ssponse the following mills agreed to join
IN the movement.
Buckley Lumber Company. c. A. Black
man & Co, Puget Sound Saw Mill X Shin
gle Co. Mudgett Il Phillips, Edgewood
Single Company, Northern Lumber Com
pany, American Lumber x Single Conn
pany. Snohomish Shingle Company. Enter
prise Shingle Company. Stetson & Post
Mill Company. Bryant Lumber * Single
Company. Esgert & Johnson Company,
T.. j. McNeely q Co. Seattle Cedar Luul-
Der Company. Clipper Shingle Company.
| Olympia Shinge Company. Edmonds Red
Cedar Sningle Company, Portland Shin
gle Company. Gausiin q oarth.ey. Snoho-
mish Cash Grocery, Grays harbor Com
mercial Company, Wickersham Shngie
Cedarville Single Company, Nooksack
Single & Lumber Company. Connor.
Twigg * Frazier, Mount Baker Shingle
Company. Lincoln Single Company. Mon
arch Shingle Company, MarysVile Shin
gle Company, observation-disclosures MIL
Company. John Anderson & Co. Hamilton
Shingle q Lumber Company, Lake What
Banking Company. Little Falls Single
Company. Ferguson * Taylor West
Coast Manufacturing & Investment Com
ters, st.mson Mil Company, Card
Perry. Reed & Green: Webb & Co. Atlas
pany, W. II. Cooper. J. IL. Parker r.
Shields. Munroe Bros. Viora Shingle Com
pany. A. s. Hooker, Kerry Lumber Com,
Metcalf & Wade. A Y. Gray, j. c. O'Con-
ner. keefe * Perkins. James Sobey X Co.
Lewis Bros. Empire Mili Company. Taher
Mn Company, a, W Peterson. J. ".
Mill Company, United Shingle Company.
c. II. Knapp, Eagle Shingle Company,
King Lumber Company. j. II. Miller &
Son. Newaukum Mill Company. Richmond
Lumber Company, Sterling Mill Company,
| 5. ii. Siemons IL Son. perickson 4 Co,
Acme Mill Company. Winsor Lumber Com
De Can. Sinnett Bros. stocker x Cady.
| Preston Mill Company. Standard Mil Com
pany, j. Owen. August HolmQust, Nag
| ley Bros, +. Harrington, q. *. Hiatt. u.
| J. Cain d Co, Nelson * Neal. O.. ~ Onn,
| II. L, Thomas d Co, Burns x Rugg.
| Clark Single Company. u. 5. Miller. l.
| Il. koenig, j. c. Waugh. Strubel Bros.
| H. c. Richardson Star Shing,e Company.
| Knapp & Dix NJ. j. Daring W. c. Sparks
Blackman Bros. Carlson Bros, William
Malone. Union Mill Company. Morgan
| Bros.
These mills represented fully 50 per cent.
| Of the shingle capacity the state. Many
| OF them held down through the months
| Of December and January. When the
spring market opened the result was egi-
dent and shingles sold at better figure
| last spring than they had since 1893 This
| is the plan under which the mills are noy
closing down. Far from being an evidence
of gloom or death or hard times. II IS
proof that the mill men have the situation
| well in hand. and that they, ana not the
| spectators. viii be In the saddle when the
spring market opens.
Draw backs of the system.
Concerning the working and origin of
| this system Mr.. Beckman said recently:
Certain ii Is that the movement origin
ated by tho Pacific Lumber Trade Journal
| " successful. and had II not been for un-
| expected and untoward contingencies that
| came up during the spring months every
| dealer and manufacturer in the Pacific
Northwest would have made money.
Yet the closing OF the mills last winter
was not without drawb backs although they
| AID not materially affect the results.
| Some OF the mills broke faith ana Others
| under various pretcxts continued To run
| until il became an utter impossibility to
| hold the balance to their original agree
N.4fF oh
| ruary l. This lack OF unity caused hard
| feelings and some OF the mills that did
| not act In good faith are now determined
| to run throughout the coming winter, UNI
| less. Of course prices become so low as 10
! be Improbable. and the danger point haa
nearly been reached.
Must He Unanimous.
The closing Of the mi'is viii prove the
| salvation az the trade and / m only too
| anxious TO help the good cause. but the
| closing must be practically unanimous and
sincere"
In reference to a statement that The