The Shingle War: Mills vs. Middlemen

The manufacturers have declared war on the brokers and as a consequence many shingle mills throughout the state have closed down for an indefinite period. In many small towns these ever-recurring shutdowns are nothing short of a calamity as they are entirely dependent upon the shingle and sawmills for their prosperity. The consumer surely will derive no benefit from the close-down—whether shingles be high or low he pays about the same figure for the product. It is the gambler in shingles—the broker—who reaps the harvest. The broker bets the Eastern dealer he can deliver shingles at a certain figure and to make good he squeezes the manufacturer. The brokers have been able to dominate the situation mostly because of the inability of the small manufacturers to handle their output direct. The shingle business has presented very alluring possibilities and many men have gone into the business on a shoestring. Failing in the past to form a selling association that would do the business, the reply of the manufacturers to the slash in prices has been curtailed production. A selling association which will include if possible every straight shingle mill in the state seems the only way out of the dilemma.