The herald., 1898-04-27

us pcuulcIS, du0 ioohihS dPoA ehSAA hOt
as competitors, but as one struggling to
make dollar and worthy the sympathy Of
those making many and easy.
But these men did not calculate ahead.
The peddlers, as they referred to them
slightingly, crowded them out of business
to such an extent that they were either
compelled to refuse to sell them any more
ice or to consider them as competitors and
cut their rates below them if necessary.
for they could best afford to do that.
OF course, when once the big concerns
began to slash prices there was nothing for
| the insignificant peddler to do but try to
sell his horses and his wagons to ne men
| that were driving him out of business. and
this they did, the National company aging
most of the stables, for that is all there is
to the ice peddlers business, that and ut
most set of booNs besides.
That brings this cool subject to the pres
cnt status. On March 1st last, not able
any longer to continue the losing fight, the
three principal companies dispensing ice
| got together and framed rules tnIt they
were to adhere to. They would not sell
| their wares to second dealers; they would
keep faithfully to a schedule of prices ar
ranged, and they would. as much as is
| consistent with strict business, avoid in
terfering with each others affairs. By this
latter clause is meant that they would not
supply person or firm who is already
customer of one or the companies without
| the consent of that company So, If you
are not satisfied with the man bringing
your CONCEALED water you cannot get the
goods from any other firm without the con-
sent of the party you are trying to rid your
self of.
| Prior to March LIST there were any num-
| ber of companies in the field. but now there
are only three-the Union, the National
and the Ice and Cold Storage companies.
These companies supply ice to nearly en-
| tire Southern California, for. while there
are factories in Santa Barbara and San
Diego, they cannot compete with the local
| houses. The concerns mentioned have not
| the capacity to make al the ice they can
dispose of and three factories-two in this
city and one in Azusa-are kept busy sup
plying them, the local men having con-
tracted for their entire output.
The three feeders are the Los Angeles Ice
company, the Home Ice company and the
Azusa Ice company of Azusa. These
| houses were in the retail business up to last
March, but thelf stronger contemporaries
forced them out. Thecombination Is own
ed and backed by eastern capitalists and no
local money Is invested in the three con-
cerns Whatever these men agree upon as
to ice is strong as holy writ V country
dealers and to city customers, for hero
| there is no alternative.
S. A. Bulfnch, local agent Of the Union
Ice company, can better explain matters
There is little cause for this hubbub over
the price of ice," he said, ''for, by COM
| parison with the advantages the east has
in this direction, we are selling 1t at rea-
sonable rates. We are now charging 81 for
n hundred pounds when the order is for
twenty pounds or less per day, and as low
as 27ib cents when the order IS for two tons
o1 more. OF course this is material in
crease over the prices Of last year, but
below those g two years ago. when there
was no cutting and fighting. The three
companies in the combination have been
losing big money for two years, and, rich
as we are, we cannot afford to continue 1t
longer. We haze succeeded in driving the
small dealers out OF business, ana that. of
course. is something. But it has been a
terrible losing game for two years.
During the two years I speak of, or up
to last March, there has practically been
no stipulated price for ice. and we sold
it for whatever we could get rather Chan
have it melt in our storage rooms. don
doubt that last year some persons got ic1
for less than one-half cent pound-it
would not surprise me If they got 1t for
nothing, for it was an awful and dis
astrous war. But those who can remem-
Der the schedule of prices of two years .,
more ago will agree with me that the pres
ent prices are below those, and there
was no objection then, why should there
be now. The public should realize tina,
fights of this kind cannot continue for
ever and If they did there would be no one
here to supply them with ice.
"In the agreement governing this com
bination we have Disseminated in favor OF
no one. and where formerly merchants lie
oeived special rates they are now compelled
to pay the same prices as family, because
we argued that If a private house can con.
sumo as much ice as business house II
should be given the same advantages as to
prices.
1.-THE east has facilities for procuring ice
that we have not got and cannot get. Take
New York. They get most of their ice there
from Maine-natural ice, too-shipped on
| schooners and barges at but little cost.
The only natural ice used on the Pacific
coast is that taken from around Truckee
and the Summit-about 900 tons In a
season. This is not shipped south of Te-
hachapi, as the freight rates on ice to this
city are prohibitory-S5 a ton.
$50 We are compelled to manufacture our
ice and at a much greater expense than in
the east for everything is higher here, and
we must send to the Atlantic seaboard for
our ammonia even. View the matter i'm
partially and you will see that while we are
o combination in this city. our prices arc
far from monopolistic."
Street Opening Protested