Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1894-03-30
THEY WIN EIGHT II.
LARGE CONSUMERS OF ICE WILL OPPOSE THE
INCREASED PRICE.
Butchers, Hotel Keepers and SalOOnis!s Hold Nest
ings and Appoint Committees to Look
Into the Matter.

The announcement that the price Of
ice will be increased during the coming
summer, has stirred up veritable hor-
nets nest of opposition. The heavy
consumers Of CONCEALED liquid are de-
termined that they will not stand the
advance, If there is any way to prevent
it. They are discussing methods Of OBJ
tanning Ice elsewhere, or that failing, Of
constructing and operating plant the
cooperative plan.
Yesterday afternoon the saloon keep
ers and hotel proprietors held meeting
at McLaughlln's hall, corner Of Twelfth
and Water streets. 1t was we'll attend
ed, about one hundred and fifty persons
being present. Henry Bieb erson acted
as chairman of the meeting, and Charles
Amick as secretary. After the object
of the meeting had been stated, Secre-
tary c. w. Conner, of the Wheeling Ice
and Storage Com peny, dropped into the
hall and proceeded to defend the posi-
ton of his company. Some opposition
was manifested, but Mr.. Conner was
granted the privilege of addressing the
meeting. Mr.. Conner dwelt upon the
natural shrnkage in ice during the
heated term, and spoke of the prevail
ing prices in other cities. He held the
ice dealers in measure responsible for
| the present trouble, and stated that If
satisfactory arrangements could not be
made with the dealers by the
different interests represented in the
meeting, he would be willing to meet a
committee to further consider the mat
ter. This was understood to imply that
Mr.. Corners company will engage in
the retail business during the summer.
The situation was informally dis
cussed, the sentiment of opposition to
the increased price being unanimous.
! The question was, how TO secure a rem
edy This was finally disposed of by
| the adoption Of motion TO appoint a
| committee OF five to confer with the ice
| dealers. with view to securing salts
/ factory terms from them. The COM
mittee, consisting of T. b. Carney, j ohm
SheeKy, P'J. Gavin, j. p. O'Malley,
and Harry w. Mcclure, was further in
structed TO secure information relative
to the cost Of new ice plant.
The suggestion of a new plant was
! discussed in q manner which shows
! that the consumers are in earnest in
! their opposition to the increased price.
1t was stated that plant could be
: equipped and DE placed in operation
I within three months and many of the
gentlemen present expressed willing
| ness to subscribe to stock. The COM
| mittee will meet the ice dealers at the
Mcclure House at 1920 o'clock this
morning.
At the meeting Of the Butchers AS
ISOLATION Wednesday evening, the pro-
posed increase in the price was discuss
| ed and a committee OF three appointed
to look into the matter, for the purpose
OF ascertaning if ice can be secured
cheaper elsewhere. This committee
will probably act In conjunction with
the committee appointed at yesterdays
meeting. The butchers committee is
composed of Hermann Hess, Fritz
Luikert and Charles Hoffman.
A REGISTER reporter yesterday in
terviewed Secretary Conner, Of the
Wheeling Ice and Storage Company.
| Said Mr.. Conner: "Our position
in this matter has been miSrepre-
sented and is not generally understood.
We hold that the proposed increase in
price is perfectly legitimate, on the
basis of the law of supply and demand,
which regulates prices in everything.
| Ice manufacturers have to compete
with the natural product, and this years
crop is very small and the ice very thin.
Last year we sold ice at wholesale for
! SO a ton. This year the price will be
81 ton during eight months of the
year and S. a ton during the four hot
months, about an average increase OF
81. so a ton. Ice will be proportionately
increased in price by the retailers.
Purchasers Of small quantities who last
year paid 35 cents will be charged about
so cents a hundred. The impression
prevails that the price of 81 ton,
which we quoted. is for ice ct the fac
| tory, but it was intended for ice deliv-
cred.
The price which we have fixed for
this season is lower than ice will be sold
at Pittsburg. To the small consumer,
it will be twenty cents a hundred
pounds cheaper. Nor can lake ice be
broughtinto Wheeling and sold cheaper.
| I have a letter from one OF the largest
lake ice companies Of Chicago, offering
TO furnish ice delivered In Bridge port.
in quantities Of 1000 TOPS, at S4.75 per
| ton"