New-York tribune., 1908-05-05
ICE TRUST AND JEROME
THE LOST REPORT READ.
Tells Hoe Prices Were Regulated,
Sales and Production Limited.

The American Ice Company is charged with
making contracts for parceing out territory. regu-
lating prices limiting sales, killing competition ana
all manner OF similar things with fifty so-calleo
independent" ice companies. and broadly speak
ing. forming monopoly in restraint of trade. in a
report made by John r MacNeiie to the Attorney
General. a copy OF this report was introduced IN
evidence yesterday at the Jerome hearing Inc
original lost from the Attorney Generals Al
bany offices in the latter part of 1906 just before
Julius NJ. Mayer succeeded by Mr.. Jackson
With the report were valuable exhibits. They have
never been recovered, although Mr.. Jackson and
Mr.. Mayer made every effort to find them
The report contained figures which purport to
show that in 1906 the American Ice Company either
directly indirectly controlled practically the en-
tire Maine ice crop, all except IL per cent OF the
Hudson River crop and 6s per cent of all the art-
fetal ice manufactured in New York City. The
company also controlled the report states the
largest ice companies in the Berkshires and large
companies in New Jersey and Pennsylvania. The
control GENERALLY through holding the majority
of stock in these independent companies. Fig
also given which show that the American
Ice Company made a profit of so per cent on its
sales to dealers and consumers and 81 per cent on
wagon sales. One part of the report devoted
a discussion of the ice famine in 1906 and it is
charged that the company did not market anything
like the quantity of ice ii could have sold.
The entire time of the hearing yesterday was de
voted to Ice" Mr. Pierce believes Jerome's al
legged failure properly to investigate the American
Ice Company constitutes of his strongest points
against the District Attorney Mr., Jerome one
occasion said that the correctness OF every docu-
ment that came from the Attorney Generals office
would have to be proved before he would accept it,
He again referred to the judiciary. Certain
learned Justices said he seem to think every
thing that is against me goes but nothing that is
for me-" Although Metropolitan affairs We're not
involved yesterday, Mr.. Quackenbush, head of that
companys law department, was again at the hear
ing. and sat at table just behind Jerome
'Fingey' COnners drawn into the hearing by
Mr.. Jerome in connection with certain shortage
in ice stock. He asked William A. De Ford Deputy
Attorney General when he the stand, if he
aware OF "a certain letter that one William j.
Conners, of Buffalo, wrote to the Attorney General
the subject of ice and shortage of 21oo shares
of ice the stock market here" Mr.. De Ford
replied that he knew the facts from hearsay and
would tell Mr. Jerome about them. Are you aware
or not?" insisted Mr.. Jerome. You produce the
letter and l will tell you retorted Mr.. De Ford.
The letter was signed by John W. Gates and
shown by Mr.. Conners to Mr. Jackson, said Je
Il wasn't present" retorted De Ford and quick
ly asked, Were you?' amid laughter.
You not of the fact?'
NO: didn't show any marked money"
Uaughter)
Not yet?"
NO; but perhaps you will show something
Not l." said Jerome: q have known you too
well and too long to put in anything about your
personal character
Mr.. Pierce opened the proceedings by an attack
the District Attorney, during the course of
which he charged jerome with aiding the Ameri-
Ice Company instead of prosecuting it. He
said that the Board Of Aldermen had passed
resolution in the of 1906 calling the Dis
trict Attorney to investigate the Ice Trust. Yet
when he came back from his vacation Mr.. Pierce
exclaimed, "he started the investigation Strange
say, it not directed at the American Ice
Company, but against the independent dealers. and
in this way the only opposition to the trust
destroyed
After going into the ice situation i'll Maine and
the Hudson Valley. the MacNeille report, which
was then read stated that the American Ice Com
pany had contracts with the Mountain Ice Com
pany, the largest company in New Jersey, which
excluded that company from any Brooklyn trade
and prevented il from selling ice to any rival of
the American Ice Company in Brooklyn Borough.
The American Ice Company had also, the report
says. a contract with the Berkshire Ice Company,