New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1900-06-09
ICE AT FORTY CENTS NOW.
NEVERTHELESS TRUST OFFICIALS WILL
NOT ACKNOWLEDGE IT.
PUBLIC HATRED FOR ITS ExToRTIoN NOW
MIXED WITH CONTEMPT FOR ITS
SILLY BUSINESS METHODS.

The Ice Trust is selling its ice to-day more in the
style of an East Side shoestr.ng pedler. who asks
different price from every customer. than like
substantial business concern At present one can
buy ice from the trust for 80 hundred If he
Is poor for 40 cents If he is good kicker and 60
cents is the rate for such willing to pay it,
This fdiotic way of conducting great enterprise
exasperates more customers than it pleases. Every
who is being charged at the of 60 cents is
angry because he thinks his neighbor may be get
ting it for 40 cents. and many who have succeeded
in getting it for 10 believe they might have
secured still lower rate if they had kicked
hard enough and the consequence is that the trust
is hated all around cordially ever, while to
the feeling of hatred is added a flavor Of
tempt What other sentiment be felt after
conversation like the following, which took place
yesterday?
=, RePorter-Has the American Ice Company re-
Vice-Presdent Schoonmaker-No.
Reporter-Is it not true that you have come down
from 60 cents hundred to 40 cents?
Nice-Presdent Schoonmaker-No.
VLe-Presdent schoonmaker-That may be- but
we haven't cut the price.
That's just about what you might expect" said
a merchant to whom this conversation re
peated. from men who would take a lot Of poll
ticans into their game and allow those politicians
to hold the gift stock in their It's
childish. I almost that after making
many rates for ice the company dare not sue any
man who refused to pay an ice bill made out at GO
cents a hundred. I think any judge jury would
say it attempted extortiOn and throw the
out of court. If the trust has decided to
make the 40-cent rate general why does it not
come out boldly and say so, instead of adopting
this sneaking method? Perhaps it has long
been accustomed to underhand ways that it can't
bear to any other"
Superintendent Winch was just about as lucid
Vice-President Schoonmaker In fact, his
plantations were as clear as mud. They were about
follows:
Reporter-Have you reduced ice 40 cents?
Wv Wineh-There has been no reduction Why do
Gals know very little now about the affairs of
duced the newspapers will reduce it. Go and ask
the newspapers if you want find the price of ice.
I've sworn off talking One of the papers quoted
me as swearing l never swear, and l say that was
Reporter-But I know positively that some of
your customers are getting ice for 40 cents.
Ice might be sold at less than GO cents. But you
don't understand the business.
Reporter understand, then, that you do make
special rates to some people?
Winch-Certainly not but there are some condi-
tons under which do business that would be
hard for you to understand
Winch. but I do clearly understand that your COM
pany is selling ice at several different rates at
Winch-May be so. but there has been no cut in
our price
This sounds a good deal like conversation be-
tween the White Knight and Alice IN Wonderland
but It occurred in this city yesterday and is truth
fully reported. The inference would to be
that any one who pays 60 cents for ice now is
throwing away his money unnecessarily.
The many city officials and their clerks who have
offices in the Park Row Building had ice in their
coolers yesterday. owing TO dispute be
the American Ice Company, which has been
supplying them until recently under contract with
the city. and Mr.. Ham. the proprietor OF big
restaurant in the building, who claims the ex-
elusive right under his lease to supply ice to the
only 80 hundred, but the city officials. of
course prefer pay the higher price 10 the
Tammany Ice Trust.
This will be extremely busy day for the Ice
Trust lawyers. Various legal proceedings brought
by The Journal and The World are scheduled
TO come up before Justice Gaynor. in Brooklyn
and Justice Chester in Albany No comment
could be obtained Yesterday from Mr.. Golfer or ex-
Judge Dillon upon the published opinions of Cen
eral Benjamin F. Tracy and ex-Judge Roger A
Pryor. who hold that the Controller has good
ground which 10 abrogate the Ice Trusts con-
tracts with the city.