The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1897-06-10
AN ICE TRUST.
INCREASE IN PRICE ASCRIBED
TO ITS MANIPULATIONS.
The Effort to Shut Out Some of the
Product-How the Council Com
mittee Stands.

The recent difficulty between SAM
tary Inspector Greenewald and certain
ice dealers in the city has directed pub
lie attention to the ice question in gen
eral, and the result is an upheaval
among the consumers as we'll as the
dealers. There is hardly any chance to
( doubt the existence of what may be
properly termed an ice trust. How
ever this may be. the fact remains that
ice is dearer this season than it has
been for years.
The cause of the increased price of
ice is ascribed directly 10 the successful
manipulation whereby a great deal of
the product has been shut out OF the
market this season. Whether or not
this is true may be a matter for future
determination. The present ice ordi-
nance is defective in MANY respects,
and under it good ice may be shut out
OF the market as easily almost as the
impure product.
The first battle between the ice trust
and the small dealer opened when Hills
of Mill Creek was refused a permit to
sell his ice This statement must not
be construed as a reflection upon the
health commissioner. AS a matter of
fact, he is doing his duty as the ordi-
nance Drescribes. But the law defines
that the ice must come up to certain
standard when analysed, and there is
no chance for a middle ground. As a
result ice that would be perfectly SER
viceable for cooling purposes is being
debarred from the market.
Mr. Hills ice. for example. is of a
good quality. the water being taken
from the same source as it has been for
the past ten years. and there has never
been any kick against the product. But
under the ordinance Hills ice, so the
sanitary inspector says, and he ought
to know. does not come up to the re-
quired degree of purity and a permit
can therefore not be issued to him.
Hills has now something like 5000 tons
of ice that he cannot dispose Of The
other dealers, taking advantage of the
unjust ordinance, have fought hard to
keep the Mill Creek product out OF the
market and so far have succeeded
Ice is now being sold for IS per ton as
compared with 81 last season, and the
appreciation is assigned wholly to the
success Of the opposition in barring
Hills product from the market.
With a view of reducing the cost of
ice Councilman Wiscomb has intro
duced an ordinance amending the pres
ent law so as to permit the board of
health to admit TO the market a second
class ice for cooling purposes. If this
amendment can be adopted the Mill
Creek ice viii come into the market
and viii force down the price probably
SO per cent. The ordinance is now in
the hands of the committee on sani-
tary rules and regulations, which
stands divided on the proposition.
Councilman Stewart and Haywood
want the old ordinance to stand, while
Wiscomb and Buckle want ii amended.
Mulvey, who is also a member OF the
committee, but is now absent in the
east, is said also TO favor an amend
ment.
Several of the large butchers in the
city were seen yesterday and they were
unanimous in declaring the council
should do something 10 admit sec
ond grade ice for cooling purposes, as
under the present conditions the larger
dealers have a monopoly of the bust