The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1901-07-06
TRUST TOTTERS.
Charles Wolff Withdraws Sup
port From lee Combine.
Now Enlarging His Plant to 1870
Ton Capacity.
WILL SELL SURPLUS.
What He Does Not Use He Will
Dispose of Himself.
The MOesers Also Threaten to
Leave the Combine.
PRICES ARE REDUCED.
Trust Agrees Ten Pound Chunk
Shall Cost ) Cents
Council Committee Report to Be
Made Monday.
What He Does Not Use He Will
Dispose of Himself.
The Moesers Also Threaten Il
Leave the Combine.
PRICES ARE REDUCED.
Trust Agrees Ten Pound Chunk
Shall Cost ) Cents
Council Committee Report to Be
Made Monday.

The ice trust is tottering. The To
peka ice manufacturers are withdraw
ing their support.
Charles Wolff, of the Charles Wolff
Packing company announced positively
today that he viii furnish no more ice
to the Peoples Ice company. He is now
enlarging his ice plant to 100 ton per
day capacity and says he will sell the
surplus at prices within the reach of
the poor as well as the rich
.'Unless we enlarge our packing house
within the coming year which is not
likely said Chas. Wolff of the Wolff
Packing company to State Journal
reporter this morning. I'VE will see that
the poor people may buy ice as well as
the rich, and in any quantity they may
want
Il am not supplying any ice to the
Peoples company said Mr.. Wolff. nor
will 1 supply any more to them during
the coming summer. I am now being
forced to buy ice for my own use"
The Wolff Packing company has or
dered a new 13O-ton per day capacity
ice machine which should have been de-
livered and ready for use by the mid
die of July, but owing to machinists'
strikes in the east the delivery of the
machine has been delayed and conse-
quently it Will now be impossible to get
the machine here for use during the
hot. weather this year. 1t viii how
ever be in working order for the COM
ing summer, and unless the packing
house is enlarged to the extent that all
the ice manufactured by the new and
the old machine combined is used for
the packing house, the people of Tope-
ka will be served by the Violin Packing
company and the poor people will have
the privilege of buying ice in whatever
quantity they may want and at what
ever time and place as suits their con-
venience- The obnoxious coupon sys-
tenn will be abandoned and poor people
who have not the amount of money on
hand to pay for ice a month in advance
will then have an opportunity to secure
the commodity which is really a neces-
sity and not a luxury during the hot
summer months
I'VE want to deal fairly with the peo-
p1e,' said Mr.. William Moeser of the
Moeser Ice and Cold Storage company,
and just as soon as found that there
was a complaint regarding the methods
of the Peoples Ice company, gave Mr..
Dickey to understand that we would
not sanction anything Of the sort.
told him that we would annul our con-
tract with him and run the ice business
ourselves. And we would"
With the ice contract of the Moeser
plant annulled, and the supply of ice
from the Wolff Packing company shut
off. the Peoples Ice company would be
left without a source of supply and Of
course would be unable to control
prices.
The first concession of the ice mag
nate was to sell five cent chunks of ice
from the wagons for cash direct to oc-
casional users. The size of the chunk
has later been determined upon. The
ice magnate insisted that the chunks
of ice which are to be sold for a nickel
be cut to weigh six pounds.
Councilman Nichols, chairman of the
special committee of the council that
was appointed to investigate the ice
trust asked Mr.. Dickey how he intend
ed distributing six pound chunks. ''It
is an absurdity," he said, Ito speak
of saving off a six pound chunk The
usual weight of small chunk is ten
pounds.
Mr.. Noeser, who attended the confer
ence between Mr.. Dickey and Mr.. Mich
OILS late Friday afternoon insisted that