The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1900-09-28

market there was destroyed. About this
same time the Southern Pacific put In
Is cent rate on lumber from Portland to
San Francisco as against a 3eiz cent rate
effective from Puget sound. The import
ance OF this is shown In the fact that for
the first six months OF the present year
out OF a total shipment of 20, 0o0. 900 feet
OF lumber to all outside points from Puget
sound mills, 600 feet went to san
Francisco. The action of the Southern
Pacific completely shut out Washington
lumber from the California market. and
since that time all the lumber consigned
there has been sent from Oregon. Thus
Il was that the only market left to the
Puget sound mills was that at home and
small export TO Australia.
The rate of 50 cents to the Missouri
was not available and so finding ourselves
facing a crisis we resolved TO petition the
railroads for reduction Of 10 cents In the
rate 70 the Missouri river, which means a
saving Of from 81 to $3.50 thousand on
lumber delivered East. The latter saving
is on timbers sold by the thousand feet
and weighing $500 pounds to this measure
ment.
What Rate Means.
I'VE found that in the territory west OF
Aurora, Neb., by securing this reduced
rate we could compete with the yellow
pine mills OF the South on common lum-
Der. which is 70 per cent of our saw log
Heretofore our market for this product
has been Montana, California, North Da-
kota. small amount 10 Australia and the
local markets. We also found that on
specialties and upper grades we could
compete with these same mills as far
east as Omaha, st. Louis and Kansas
City. The territory mentioned is all COW
cred by the Burlington. Great Northern
and Northern Pacific.
AS will be seen by the statement In the
circular sent out 10 the mills the consump-
ton OF the s02 lumber yards in Kansas
Nebraska, Wyoming, South Dakota and
Colorado for the past year has been 2o,05o
cars out of this amount Washington has
furnished only 345 cars under the so cent
rate. Under the 10 cent rate We can fur
nish, in competition with the yellow pine
mills. l2,000 cars out of a total used, every
year Of which, on our showing, we can
deliver. to the Burlington 1900 cars. The
revenue to the various railroads hauling
this number OF cars would be s24. 0oo
whereas at the present time they are re-
ceiving but $4,000.
las soon as we got the matter well
under way meeting was called here in
Seattle and the whole situation gone
over. II was decided that the plan was
feasible. and a committee was appointed
ton and Northern Pacific. The commit
tee was composed of Senator A. G.. Fos-
ter, Of the St Paul and Tacoma mill; c.
+. White, of the Grays Harbor CONNER
cial Company; j. A. Veness. of Prescott
e. veness. Winlock; c. J. Smith, of the
Kerry Mil Company of Seattle: c. ID.
Stimson. Of the Stimson Mill Company
of Ballard: NJ. NJ. Cole. Of the Rice Lum-
Beckman.
Method OF Procedure.
Sixty petitions were then prepared
and sent out to millmen in all parts of
the state to have signatures attached
in support Of the Application to the rail- all
signatures of many machinery men and
other Eastern shippers. on September
IL. when all our arguments were COM
pieted these petitions were forwarded to
NJ 10 N
general traffic manager of the Northern
Pacific, and to George Fl. Crosby, gen.
eral freight agent of the Burlington, by
whom they are being considered at the
tanned represented an annual output OF
/. 22f, 10000 feet OF lumber, 1882. 500. 900
shingles. 1.2ss,5oo.ooo feet of logs, besides
a mass OF other signatures and with
twenty-five petitions still out.
1.-THE first intimation we had that the
matter was progressing favoraby was
several days ago, when we were ADVISED
that the rate to Colorado territory would
probably be granted. Last night we
received advice from D. II. Mcmillan.
of the Atlas Lumber Company, who IL
mittee. that tho matter was still In
allowance, but that the Burlington had
resolved, whether the Northern Pa
cihc acduiesced or not. to grant the 40
Alliance. Neb.. and Brush, Col. This
gives to the Puget sound millmen new
territory In Western Nebraska. all of
Wyoming and all of Colorado. Beside
this we have every assurance that be-
fore the week Is out the through rate
to the Missouri river, asked for. will be
granted.
VIII Go to st. Paul.
"The committee will probably go to
St Paul tomorrow or Monday to have
a Joint conference with Mr.. Hannaford
and Mr.. Crosby and assist in getting the
rate through. | have today wired the
committee the standing OF the case so
far The committee is more than salts
fed with the action of the Burlington
road. which has been in a manner that
has made the success OF our. efforts prae-
tically sure and without which cooper
alton we could have done nothing. In
tho past this line has rendered valuable
assistance to the lumbermen OF this
stata and In westbound shipments
should not he forgotten by the hundreds
az shippers who derive revenue from
The lumber trade Their action has meant
everything TO the lumber trade ~ In the
state Of Washington, where 24Vo2 men
are EMPLOYED In the lumber mills, draw
ing nm annual wage OF sii26o.iI5 and sup