New-York tribune., 1900-04-05
SQUEEZING THE POOR.
r TRrsT DOUBLES ITS RATES TO
FAMILIES.
..vcuANY LEADERS WILL PROFIT BY THIS
ryToRTIoN FOR WHICH THERE is
NO REAL EXCUSE.

mar Of New-York are already beginning to
= forward to the summer Of 800 with appre-
sxion because the Ice Trust has raised the
=. n ice for families 10 50 cents a hundred
rr5s Last summer the price was 80 cents.
= e me of the prime necessities of life in this
~ " !, hot weather and this increase of 100 per
- -, means that for the cake of fee that cost five
- last summer 10 cents must now be paid, and
rss .ban all. there is no guarantee that the Ice
r-,e, nav not be charging 81 hundred by July.
. oor.raIs The field absolutely. it is said. and
- :. seems 10 be no relief al hand for the pres
=. :, least Perhaps some day the city will sell
= = g. citizens as II now does water.
~, onIv viii the family feel this extorton
..c,lv when his ice bill is presented for pay
s,+ but he will pay an indirect tax through the
,,reased cost OF his groceries, meat. fish. etc. be-
n.,,se the Ice Trust has raised the price of fee
- sbonkeepers 10 p cents hundred pounds. Last
,.s, the rate 10 this class OF trade was Is to II
,.s hundred Now that the retail dealer will
80 N nav more for keeping his wares fresh. he
,,in he forced 20 charge more for them, and the
,,s,orner will have TO pay more this summer
.bsn sst unless he is content TO supply his table
,r,fb salt meats and dried fruits and watch the
.ssIth Of those dependent on him suffer for lack
:. tbe proper food for hot weather.
Tho only excuse given for this sudden increase
q %, per cent in the price OF this needful
modify is a short crop Of natural ice. which has
ssuen about y or % per cent below the normal.
4 is said But against this short crop must be
81 the fact that a vast quantity of ice has been
carrjed over from the crop Of the winter before
les which was stored provide against just
s,eh an emergency; and the additional fact that
,be cost Of turning out manufactured ice is lower
than ever owing TO constant Improvement in the
methods Of making It. and in the machinery en-
moved for that purpose. One might imagine. per-
hans that when The trust raised the price OF
natural ice so high and arbitrarily. plants for
all Si6 IN
get 3 share Of the business, but 1t takes long
tine to set up an ice plant. and no sooner is
one constructed than the trust offers TO buy 1t
or threatens the owner with a reduction in rates
that viii make his plant unprohtahle. This is
Inc method which the Ice Trust has followed in
ms city for years until il controls most of the
ie factories. and has the few others too terrified
Ner-Yorkers are themselves much to blame
for the great power which they have allowed the
Ice Trust 10 gain. They have never hesitated in
the past 10 buy from the trust. whenever IL tenn
porsrily put its prices below that of the ndepend
ent dealer. They never have been fsrsighted
enough to pay g cents a hundred TO an antitrust
iceman Il the trust offered ice for 30 cents This
was well eXemplihed last summer. when the trust
ers who bought their ice by the load and peddled
# among the househoders at slight advance on
wholesale rates. TIE trust offered each Of these
men q bonus for the route he had worked up. and
if he accepted, took him into lis employ and bound
min for a term Of years to set up in the ice
business for himself 4gain. Some Of these who de-
sired 10 be their own masters. refused TO sell out
Trust wagons were sent out on these routes with
orders 10 sell ice al cut rates. The result was
socn apparent in the rapid falling of Of the inde-
pendent dealers customers, and he was forced to
take the trusts terms.
Since the trust-the American Ice Company-has
doubled its rates this spring. there has been
marked advance in its stock in Wall Street. Richard
Croker John ]. Carroll and other leaders in Tam
many Hall there is good ground for believing.
heavy stockholders in this monopoly: which is
dent. How unnecessary is the 100 per cent rise Is
.hown. By the fact that lest year the trust paid
though selling ice al 20 cents hundred