Rock Island Argus., 1900-05-23
A LOCAL ICE TRUST,
An increase of IS Per Cent to
Rock island Con-
sun1ers.
MUST BUY COUPON BOOKS.
Action of Dealers Seems to be un.
popular With
People.
MUST BUY COUPON BOOK

THE ARGUS is in receipt of a care
fully prepared article on subject o
popular discussion. which is in par
as follows:
"A few months ago quite a lively
protest was made by citizens general
" when the announce ment wa:
made by the milkmen doing
business in this city that they had
decided to increase the price of milk
| l cent per quart and had formed q
combination for that purpose. The
| milkmen, however, did not very long
enjoy the fruits of the increase, as the
murmurings of dissatisfaction on &C
count OF it grew louder every day.
and furthermore the specter of milk
inspector as a result of the discomfort
of the milk consumers became visible,
threatening considerable annoyance
and perhaps less profits than if milk
were sold under the old price of
cents per quart. They therefore
abandoned their attempt to maintain
trust and concluded to return to
the former price. During the time
that the combination existed. how
ever. although tickets were sold to
consumers, no complaints were made
that a milkman refused to sell a quart
or pint of milk to anyone that did
not see fit to purchase a dollars worth
of tickets and pay for them in ad-
vance.
"Hardly had the milk trust been
disposed of when a new cause of
troub Bile, in the shape of the present
ice trust, came into existence, with
all the one sided features generally
accompanying such a trnst. While
the announced increase over last
years prices does not on the surface
appear to be large, yet by the changes
made in the method of selling it
amounts to at least 75 per cent to the
ordinary consumer. In addition to
this increase is the further annoyance
that not piece of ice, large or small,
can be bought unless a coupon book,
costing at the rate of $2.5 and $2.75
per GOO pounds is first purchased.
Hardship on Poor.
This is a great hardship on poor
people who can afford to purchase
ice only occasionally, as they have
been able to do heretofore. What
storm of Indignation would be raised
if in severe weather n coal dealer re-
fused to sell 100 pounds, or even
bushel of coal, to person not able to
pay for a larger amount. The total
expense of mining and delivering
in Rock Island ton of soft
coal is 81 So. while that of
cutting and storing a ton of
ice varies from 124 cents to 20 cents,
according to the location of ice house.
1t will therefore be seen that a ton
Of coal delivered in Rock Island costs
from IL to Is times as much as ton
of ice stored in the ice house. Not
outstanding this difference in point
of cost, under the present trust
prices the consumer is forced to pay
Just about twice as much per ton for
ice as he does for soft coal. Even al
lowing for shrinkage of ice, extra cost
of delivering. etc.. the difference in
the selling price of the above two ar
ticles is altogether out of proportion.
This high-hauded action on the
part of the ice men may result in a
benefit to them, but it is
an exceedingly unpopular one among
tAe people, and in the end Is certain
to prove disastrous to the former.
The facilities for obtaining ice in this
part of the country in the winter are |
too great to necessitate entire de- |
pendence on the ice men. Many |
citizens are doing without ice
rather than pay the exorbitaut |
prices now asked; others are endeav- |
bring to get along on the least posi-
Die quantity, and great many have
the intention of building a
small ice house on their own premises
-ather than to be at the mercy of the /
ce autocrat another season"
After receiving the foregoing COM
THE ARGUS interviewed
he different ice dealers, all of whom
they had a mutual under
had advanced the price cents
Der 100 pounds, and would sell from
he wagons to only those having cou-
ION books. as the drivers were ,un.
to receive money from pa
rons; and would not sell in quanti-
les less than 20 pounds. The deal
n order to regulate the prir e
# ice and to systematize the
business. as in former years it had
'een carried on without profit. The
lea ers in the agreement are the Rock
sland Ice company. Consolidated Ice
ompany. Herman F. Schmact. John
'iegrist. Twin-City Ice company and
fartin Wejnberger.
The idea of the ice man. however,
8 not a popular one.
When Nature
~ ha haaf