The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1901-07-23
Trust Raises the Wholesale
Price to So Per Ton.
Winslow & Raney at Once Quit
Business.
TWO RETAILERS LEFT.
They May Struggle on For a
While Longer.
The Matter Placed in the Hands
of Lawyers.
MIR. Dickey Says He Has to Ship
i'm lee.

W. L. Dickey. the local ice magnate,
raised the price of ice Monday to the
local dealers for the second time this
month. The advance in the price of ice
which went into effect yesterday
morning was one dollar per ton, max
ing the price IS. This move on the part
Of the ice trust will force to the wall
the alleged independent dealers.
Winslow & Raney, one of the promi-
nent firms which have been in business
here for years, and which has supplied
about 500 families of the city, will to-
morrow suspend business.
AT the opening of the season the ice
trust placed the wholesale price of ice
to the dealers at $3.50 per ton." said
Mr.. Raney this morning. I'VE were
told that the price would not be raised
to us during the season. We wanted to
make contracts in writing with Mr..
Dickey, but this he refused to do, say
ing that his word ought to be good
in a matter of that kind, and that we
could rest assured that the price
would rem ain the same.
THE first advance took effect on
the first of the month. We were ar
bitrarily raised so cents a ton for ice.
We of course had no recourse. We had
no contracts, having been forced to
take the ice magnate's word for the
statement that we would not be raised,
and consequently the only thing we
could do was to yield as gracefully as
possible.
I'VE Just could stand that raise, but
it is impossible for US to sell ice at the
same rates and pay IS per ton for It,
We would be losing money on all the
ice we delivered, and we cannot do it,
You have a little natural ice: what
will you do with that?" was asked
I'VE will probably deliver that to our
customers who have been using it, as
long as it lasts. We have made no
arrangements for the future
The firm of Winslow & Raney was
organized about thirteen years by Mr..
Winslow and John Troutman. About
six years ago Mr.. RAney bought the in
terest owned by Mr.. Troutman, and
has continued in the ice business ever
since.
The firm of winslow & Raney was
one of the three which were allowed
to survive the forming Of the ice trust
here last year. About half dozen
dealers were last year forced to sell
out and quit business.
The few independent dealers have ex-
listed here under the dictation of the ice
trust.
After the Peoples Ice company
gained control of the ice business here"
said Mr.. Raney, I'VE were forced to
adopt the coupon book system by the
trust"
A. ]. Henderson, another independ-
ent dealer, has decided to conduct his
business for a time at least It will
have to be done for glory sI can
not make good wages. and in fact I
a
rate. but guess 1 will keep up for a
while"
Mr.. Raney declares the action of the
ice trust is according to a premeditated
plan to force the dealers out of busi-
ness. Mr.. Raney has placed the affair
in the hands of Austin & Hungate, and
if there is any legal relief possible 1t
win be secured.
Mr.. Dickey, who claims to own all
the stock of the Peoples Ice company,
said this morning to a State Journal
reporter that the price of ice at whole
sale was raised to protect the CON-
pany.
I'VE are shipping ice in here at cost
of Sc per ton. We are getting two car
loads per day We haven't a. contract
with the dealers to supply them at any
stipulated price. and consequently we
We're obliged to raise the price.
Are you not furnishing ice to the
large butchers and other large con-
sumers at s4 per ton2''
Yes" he answered "They have a
contract with US and we have to fur
nish ice to them at that rate"
The dealers to whom the price of ice
has been increased a dollar a ton to
who take quantities large enough to
secure the rate of 20 cents per hundred !
or s4 per ton. will lose a dollar on every
ton delivered.
People are beginning to realize" said
H. G. Langdon, who is fathering the
cooperative ice plant idea, that some
measure Will have to be adopted for
self protection in the ice business. I
have been meeting with much success
in selling capital stock of the company
for a cooperative ice plant, and be-
lieve that this arbitrary advance in
the price of ice and the hot weather
taken into consideration will arouse
the people to think about this matter.
I'VE must have some arrangements
n AIDE before another summer so that
people viii not be at the absolute
mercy of the ice trust"