The Great Cedar Shingle Cartel: How Washington’s Mill Owners Colluded to Halt Production
In a bold move to stabilize collapsing prices, nearly all of the state's 141 cedar shingle mills agreed to shut down for two weeks, forming an association to enforce quality standards and living wages.
The story, cleaned up
A cleaned-up reading of the newspaper page: spelling and layout repaired, one story lifted off a crowded page. It follows the original closely but it is not a transcription. The original page is below; read it if a detail matters.
The wild rumors floating around to the effect that its shingle mills in Washington were to be shut down for the benefit of the manufacturers of the Washington Cedar Shingle Manufacturers' Association are, fortunately, a fact. That is, it is a fact that the mills in Washington will close for two weeks, beginning next Saturday.
During the past season the lack of demand for red cedar shingles has led to a cutting of prices, and finally to the making and shipping of an inferior quality of shingles to meet the low price. The manufacturers saw that this would soon lead to a total loss of market for Washington cedar shingles, and steps are now taken to form an organization, the purpose of which was to insist on a good grade of shingles and a fair price.
Practically all of the 141 mills in the state are in the association, and action was taken to insist on a good quality at shingles, and so limit the production to keep prices at an reasonable level. For this reason the mills will close for two weeks next month. The association will only ship out the best quality of shingles, and it is hoped to establish a reputation for Washington shingles so that the stamp of the association will be prima facie proof of their quality.
Some of the mills agreeing to shut down have at present large orders for shingles, but they are at such figures that there is no profit in making them, and if the market can be raised, the industry will be helped all over the state. The association has heard from over 90 per cent of the mills in the state, and it is a settled fact that they propose to hold together for good shingles and living prices.
This 1906 story captures an early, aggressive attempt at industrial cartelization by Washington's resource sector. While modern antitrust laws would likely view this price-fixing agreement as illegal collusion, the article frames it as a necessary defense of 'living prices' and quality against market collapse—a narrative that still resonates in debates over labor unions, supply chain controls, and the balance between corporate power and consumer protection.
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