Seattle's Laundries Form a Combine—and Put the Squeeze on Drivers

All the laundries in Seattle have united in an association and are maintaining a uniform schedule of rates. The chief object was to end the discount business among drivers and companies, which is said to have caused nearly every laundry in the city to lose money. Before the combine, a driver for an opposition concern would offer washing at 15 per cent less, forcing the regular driver to cut rates to keep the patronage. The association also ended unequal rates for different houses and issued a schedule: hotels, lodging houses and steamboats pay 20 cents per dozen for plain work under two dozen, 15 cents over two dozen, with lower rates when towels are included; restaurants pay 4 cents for napkins, towels and rags and 15 cents for small tablecloths; barber shops pay 5 cents for towels and 12½ cents for starched coats; saloons pay 15 cents per dozen for towels and 6 cents for starched aprons. Delivery drivers are charged for all goods taken out, and a discharged driver cannot take another situation until he settles with his former employer. The association includes the Cascade, Electric, Puget Sound, Seattle, White Star, Queen City and Model laundries.