New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1900-05-15
RAISING UP COMPETITORS.
ICE TRUST EXTORTION AND TRIBUNE
EXPOSURES MAKE BRISK DEMAND
FOR ICE MACHINERY.

The extortionate demands of the Ice Trust were
thrown into stronger relief than ever by the warm
weather OF yesterday. and indications were plenti-
full that the people becoming aroused as never
before the dangers of letting necessary OF life
like ice fail into the hands Of INSCRIPTIONS monopo-
lists. This evidenced for one thing by the
number of letters which Melanchthon j. Briggs,
attorney for the Consumers Cooperative Ice Com
pany forming received from newspaper read
ers anxious to learn all about his plans. and also
by more than fifty persons who called in person to
ask the Editor Of 'Cold Storage" the trade paper
which is fighting the trust. for Information about
fee making machines.
If the trust wakes up next to find forty
ice factories in the city for every one established
here now II will have only its own greed 10 thank
for the multiplication of its rivals.
THE Tribunes able article last Sunday,
printed under the caption Make Your Own Ice,
has evidently been widely read said L. o. Thayer.
the fee trade specialist, yesterday and has taught
many tradesmen what they did not know before,
that five and ten ton day ice machines are cheap,
compact durable and extremely profitable. and
with one of these IN his cellar the tradesman can
defy ice trust if ice is high. let
the machine lie idle without deteriorating when
natural ice is cheaper than the manufactured
article"
Mr. Briggs being asked what guarantee he could
give that his company would not sell out to the
trust when its plant was completed. replied:
We will place ali of our preferred stock in the
necessary on all matters. instead of a bare ma
jority. This will bind the close to us
that the trust will not be able TO get them away
from US, and Will bind the big capitalists In the
company so fast that they will not be able to ger
that will not sell out to the trust 1t would be
impossible 10 give.
Mr. Briggs then outlined his plan follows:
Flrst-To incorporate with 100000 capital 81 Ooo
oO Of common and $500 coo Of per cent preferred
divided into shares of s25 each.
consumers. and its holders TO choose one-haf of
Third-No sale or lease of any plant and no con-
sodation or combination with any other company
except of three-fourths of all the directors
stocghoIders as follows: Ice deiivered at dwellings
30 cents hundredweight; ice delivered in not less
delivered the factory dealers. 10 cents
hundredweight Retail dealers not to exceed above
i rade 70 CONSUMERS anu % Se 'e cent pieces -
best known in Wall Street, but, the success Of
this enterprise depends upon the action of the
enfg Are and 70 r., s fne
hackers and benefciaries until they have some evil
bly, be.
They suggest that every ice consumer-man
woman-in the Poroughs of Manhattan and The
Bronx who favors this plan write a confidential
letter to their attorney. NJ ]. Briggs. at No. go
Broadway stating their daily consumption of ice
and about the amount Of preferred stock they will
probably subscribe for in case further investiga-
plans are satisfactory to them
If four thousand or five thousand favorable re-
the consumers really in earnest and willing
TO take hand in the fight
Since The Tribune printed the interview with a
Broadway hotel keeper whose written contract for
ice at Il cents a hundred the trust repudiated
many other merchants are complaining of like
treatment. The manager of Smith & McNelrs
taurant was quoted yesterday as saying that the
trust was trying TO break his contract but would
A meeting of the merchants of Manhattanville
has has been called for Tomorrow night at Beekman
ave- TO organize an ice making company in OPP
position to the trust