The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1907-07-01
Officials Of Crystal Ice
Company Issue State
lnent to the Public.
lS,,ON Il,Y NATTER
OF RECIPROCITY
Declare They Have Violated
No Law and DreadNo Investi-
gation--Grand Jury Will
Meet To-Day|a and May
Take Matter
Up

l z = 4 L "a ID. Z ~,
The July term OF the Hustings Cnur;
Will begin at 10 o'clock this morning.
"A grand jury has been summoned, and,
in addition to the usual cases certified
from the Police cou,'t. 1t Is expected
that the inquisftorB will devote con-
siderable time to an inquiry into the
question OF whether or not the law
has been violated In the matter OF
unlawful conlbinations in restraint OIL
trade. n TACT, 1t may be- stated posi-
lively that the grand jury Will make
u searching investigation of the ru-
NOR that certain Ice manufacturers or
dealers or both have entered into an
Hgrsement TO maintain fixed sched-
ule OF prices for ice, thereby elimlna-
ting competition in what is held to be
"a necessary at this season of the
year
Under Common Law.
II cannot be forecast with any posi-
tiyeness what grand jury may do
or attempt TO do, but should sufficient
evidence be adduced TO warrant fur
Fther inquiry an Indictment may be re-
turned.
I Such proceeding against an al
legged trust or combination to uphold
prices must be under the common law.
Slrslfia having no statute under which
A the Commonwealth could proceed In
i such "a case. II the frequently re-
iterated raHlors have any foundation
in fact the Jury may, return indict-
: sMents, and the cases would be tried,
either al ti1ls or the next term Of
Z court.
( Whether the grand jury will make
+, inquiry as to alleged eombination In
the sale of other commodities remains
ITO bcaseer. Up to this time there has
f been little agitation with reference to
anything but ice, though coal has been
Z mentioned. Dealers In either Ice or
coal profess entire Willingness to face
B any charge that may be Instituted, @
inssthe event Of such u procedure.
4 CommonweaIth's Attorney Minitree
y F'olkes would conduct the prosecution
4 Mr. Folkes declines to discuss the
matter for publication, however.
lee Company's Reply.
With reference to the complaints
(which have been published IN the last
Iew days with regard to poor service
on tho part of tho Ice companies, the
officers OF one OF the leading concerns
an the city have issued a statement,
dcnying the existence OF an lice trust
In Richmond. but admitting a sort OF
agreement between the various manu-
,facturers for exchanging Ice and for
...districtlng' the city. Since there ls
every reason to believe that this mat
ter will he invests gated by the grand
& Jury, the statement is OF peculiar In
;terest. The charges against the Ice
.companles which have been published
from time TO time In Interviews with
various people. included claim of
-,
to peddlers and dFalers outside Of the
"trust,' aud. -genlEally restricting !. the
tbusIness in the Hands Of few COM
spanies.
Company nlSp5e the positive statement
4 last night ts}at his company was maxi
ing more Zee daily than the demand
x called for, and that It is shipping ice
y away, In regard to tho charges that
his company has refused to sell Ice tc
Mr.. William King. of$fthe Plate Ice
Company, he said he had ls never .s been been
approached by Mr.. King, and added
that his company had ice to sell fol
cash al published rates to any one who
came forjsi
stutenient Issued.
The officers n the Crystal Ice Com
pany have dra7yn up the following
4 tstatement of their position, addressed
to The Times ID ispatch 4t.f-
"Concerning the discussion in YOU
+, columns Of the Ice situation in Rich
mond, and OF the quality Of the ice, TIL,
fCrystal Ice Company has this to say
The statements, made to The Times
2, Dispatch by the local retailers and Mr.
King are Absolutely untrue, SO far a
this company Is concerned. That ther
lis an abundant supply of Ice In th
,tt,, 10. ~ No Tar -,
\, shipping carloads Of ice out Of TIL
4 city almost daily. having shipped fiv
Gals during the past week-three Of
/. ono day--and We still have a surplu
gtfol' sale after ltayine already accepte
torders for four cars TO be shipped mex
n week. ID
i, lee Shipped North.
4 "Last summeT there was In the cit
a surplus Of Over $50 tons per day
ami this was shipped North. Thi
. summer there; is no scarcity in til
3 North; SO there can be no shortage o
ice in Richmond. ]. unless there shoul
be a serious q cctdent to one or NOR
Il of the large plants. whichis not prob
able, u
at is not itrne that the retailer
getting thei1sf Ice from this compdn
arc unable tos t,btainF the amount Of ia
they wisl, to- handle. although it "A
reported that such is the case wit
q the retaiiers buying from Mr. Kint
i and we presume It is true. as W
have been simplifying some OF thor
during tho warm SPELL
1NIt is not true that this coinpan
has over declined toisell MI. King ic,
N We have sold him for the past sever,
i teen years, but he has not applied t
t,us for Ice slice he has been buyin
'lrom another company, thinking per
Z haps that wei Would not sell him O
Z account8of t,SS methods he Has use
Of late to ia bfSIs2SsSur trade; but {ye hav
d lice to SELL a AtGsfbt Mr. King cai.S buy
sopenly for AT our factorSS when
ever we haises to- spare, ins1 1ead d
getting otherN tp buy itgssor }im d
we learn he M. asst week.
..4,t City Is ..DistrlctedJp
u |"Tho only eason we team a sst;sn ID
4 /, abe anirnostty displayed by MA Kin
u