New-York tribune., 1900-05-13
ICE TRUST PROFITS.
MONOPOLY OFFICIALS .CONTRADICTED
BY EXPERTS


stung by the vehemence of the public indigna-
ton which they have aroused by their exorbttant
and unjustifable increase in the price of ice to
small consumers officials of the Ice Trust at
tempted yesterday show that the natural ice
crop was so short last winter that this summers
high prices are inevitable. One of these officials
W. A RaIlantine. who is quoted as saying;
people M + to fd think + that buy bro, e fOF OF
s Thr 1Sn anH 10 se 9ot APPRECIATE the fact that We
pay for our ice it lies in the Ice houses that we
haGe nG devsr 1ad it, it ali S Thh
which have to reckon on losing about half OF
what purchase by reason of shrfnkage.
Experts who were consulted yesterday about
these statements of Mr.. Ballantine said that they
altogether misleading. Natural ice. they de-
clared Is and stored for about 10 cents ton
on the Hudson. It costs another 10 cents a ton to
take it from the st6rehouses and pack 1t on scows.
About 90 must be added for freight
charges this city, another 10 cents ton for un-
loading and about 90 per cent of it, not 80, as Mr..
BaIIantine alleges Is lost by melting. This brings
the net cost Of Ice delivered at the piers in this
city 10 about Go cents ton say the experts. All
added 1t after that except some further shrink
age and the of delivery to customers by wagon.
is clear profit The cewagon hands get S2 or sl4
a week Even supposing that the meltage In the
wagons should bring the entire shrinkage UP 10 80
per cent which it does not experts declare, the
cost of natural ice delivered the customers door
is less than 81 80 ton and the trust demands and
gets 81 10 a ton from the very largest consumers
and 60 cents a hundred, sl2 ton, from the
small ones.
John D. Schoonrnaker vice-president Of the Ice
Trust is also quoted declaring yesterday that
the shrinkage in ice is 80 per cent and the cost of
getting ice from Maine is 81 ton, but he also ad-
n.itted that large quantity of ice had been offered
TO the Trust at 81 a ton, and had been refused.
And why not when the Trusts artificial ice plants
in this city can AMI do out ice at average
cost of 81 a ton. according to expert evidence.
Moreover ice rates from Maine TO New-York by
schooner last year only 30 cents ton r..
The following directors of the Ice Trust, Charles
w Morse president John d. Schoonnaker, vice
president; David W. Hunt, John r. Bennett, Nes-
ley NJ. Oler, Charles B. Church. Edwin Campbell
John Bauer, John l.. Kavanagh and Charles Devoe.
yesterday cited by Magistrate Zeller TO appear
before HIM in jefferson Market Court tomorrow 10
show why they should not be proceeded
against for conspiracy in combining to control the
price and product of Waiter howard, OF The
New York Journal IS the complainant, and the
defendants named accused OF entering into an
unlawful arrangement, agreement, com olnatlon,
conspiracy among themselves and between
themselves and the directors OF the Consolidated
Ice Company and the \niCkerbocker Ice Company
for the purpose OF restraining and preventing COM
petition in the supply and the price or ice
In nit of the Ice Trust
crush all competitors there are a few small
rivals this city whom 1t has not been able to
absorb and of these are selling ice cheaper
than the Trust The East Side labor leaders are
deeply stirred the rapaciLy of the Ice Trust
L will be discussed at tO-days meeting of the
Central Federated Union. resolution will be in
troduCed calling the city to furnish the means
for building u plant owned by the people to manu-
facture ice. Part of the resolution calls for the
issue of the bonds necessary for carrying on this
work and the various labor unions will be pledged
TO subscribe for majority OF the bonds so Issued