The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1899-05-21
Eyidsuces That the Mills VIII
hot Keep Late Agreement.
OWNERS ARE o.srsvsrFvL.


Wei informed shfngie men contend thar
unless sheee - q change OF intention on
ths part Of the shingle mall owners VINO
participated In the iats meeting o. rnann
facfurers. held IN this city and which de-
feYTninea TO order . shutdown OF inc
mills less than third Of the mills par
t,cfpasing will observe the agreement
rhsre = the very best reason for beiiss-
anx that the raili owners who agreed 70
ctosA down for the sake Of maintaining
prices are already growing suspicious OF
the good intentions OF each other. ana
that all the PRINCIPAL mills In the combine
are preparing 10 sake advantage OF the
FIRST evidence that the agreement II not
being kept and to opeE up fuii blast soon
after the shute8own.
The fact Of the matter II that In all the
years OF organizing and forming 81 COM
binations Amcng the shinxie manufacture.
ers there never has been . time when
seeds OF dlatrsst did not exist among the
manufacturers. and there were always a
few who broke faith and refused TO keep
tho agreements entered Into. On account
Of this fact II has taxed the patience OF
the leaders In the combination schemes
TO keep their organizations alive. and
often. In the formation Of new combina-
items and the Inauguration OF new agree
ments concerning Shutdown. scale OF
prices etc, ~ has required the skill OF a
diplomat to keep the structure from going
10 pieces before II was launched.
Yesterday enc Of the principal manufac-
1ursrs who figured I'm thu organization Of
tbs last sningie mill combination said he
was satisfied the agreement would not be
kept by the manufacturers. and that with
In q day or two after the sime agreed
upon when the mills are TO close. the ope-
rators would secretly erdeavor TO keep
pace with their orders and would turn on
steam II necessary to do H. Said he.
I'VE Will shut down a week from next
Monday. This IL the agreement which all
adhered TO. Unless I am nightly miss
taken, however. we viii star; up again 81
Tuesday morning. Why Simply because
there IL such demand for shingles that
u would be folly for tho mills to iong re-
main closed. And further, / am satisfied
that the agreement viii not be kept. but
that on tina other hand, the mills that
have signed wilt secretly run, IL necessary.
to fili their orders
'.The truth of the matter ~ that the
demand Is 80 good that II the manufae-
turers would adhere to the present scale
and refuse TO give nnderweights, they
would mako money. We cannot I'LL our
opdern-we Are constantly behind. and
there appears 10 he no reason to suspect
\ falling of In sales. at least for the pres
ent. We are satisfied with present prices.
providing no uuderweiGhts are allowed
There il money In the business What is
money for us IL money fer every other
mill. II IL idle 20 say that men who have
their money invested in expensi7e plants
arr going 10 willfuily throw away a profit
ahie business.
II am free 10 say thar We would willing
ly abide By the agreement made In Seat
tie n we wer~ assured that every other
mill In the combine would do likewise
! am afraid, however that when the
critical time comes some OF the mills. while
making a presense OF closing down, with
continue To do business. We would be
making ourselves ridiculous to close up
and allow some competitor to continue
making shingles and taking orders from
our own customers But that's Just what
the prospect Is. We don't propose to be
caught tn any kind of "A trap like that"