The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1911-05-19
IT'S A BAD TRUST
Charge MadeThat There's an Ice
Combine Here.
Complaint Filed With Attorney
General Today.
TEN-POUND PIECES.
Raising Price on Small Quanti-
ties Causes Trouble.
Abolition of Wagon Sales Also a
Source of COmDlaint.

COMP iaint has been made to Attor-
ney General John S. Dawson that the
two Topeka ice companies, the Mutua.
and the Peoples, have effected COM
bination to raise the price of ice to poor
people who cannot raise the price for a
book of coupons. In other words, the
price has been raised on ten pound de-
livertes from 40 cents per hundred to IS
cents. The attorney general VIII in
vestigate the charges of a combination
ON necessity under his very nose at
once.
The ice companies declare that they
have not tried to raise the price of ice
at all, but rather are trying to make
the ten pound pieces, where dead loss
is entailed in cutting, so unpopular that
they will not be called for at all,
The complaint was made by repre-
sentatives of the. laboring classes who
declare that the agreement between the
companies to raise the price is a dis
elimination for which the poor man
must pay, while the man who is able
to buy a coupon book gets his ice as
cheap or cheaper than before.
In support of the complaint is cited
the fact both these supposed independ-
ent companies decided at the same time
not to sell any more ice from the
wagons except by coupons torn from
these books. This works a hardship on
the small consumer. The order made
by both companies at the same time
could only have been the result of an
agreement
The increase in the price on ten
pound deliveries was made by both
companies at the same time and could
only have been the result of an agree
ment.
g. L. Lawrence, manager of the Peo-
pies Ice company, asked today about
the complaint made to the attorney
general, declared that it was news to
| him He said he not 70 olyo
| statement until he had see the COM
plant and talked with Mr.. Dawson, the
attorney general He admitted the price
had been raised on small deliveries be-
cause it cost more to make them and
because OF the loss in cutting. The
book coupon system and the order not
| to sell ice from the wagons except by
| coupon he declined to discuss, declar-
| ing that the company reasons for this
order had been made clear at the time
They wanted to keep closer tab on
| their business and customers and driv-
ers. in other words, to have a written
record of all sales made
Speaking further about the increase
in the price of ten pound deliveries,
Mr.. Lawrence said: I'VE found that we
absolutely had to increase the price on
ten-pound deliveries in order to break
| even. A 300-pound cake of ice, after
| it is placed on the wagon, is sawed
| into three 100-pound pieces, then each
and four 25-pOund pieces. There is lit
| tie loss to that process, but in cutting
a 25-pound piece into 1O-pouund pieces
| there is a loss of five pounds every
time. Every piece of ice must be cut
| in two in the middle, hence the so
| pound pieces cannot be divided by five
and made to come out even.
I'VE only raised the price on 10-pound
deliveries and not on small customers.
Every driver carries a book of strips
as well as a coupon book. These strips
cost rs cents for ten 10-pound pieces
or 81 for ten 25-pound' pieces. In other
words there has been no increase made
in the case. where a small amount of
ice is consumed in month by a pat
ron but the increase has been made
where the small pieces are bought at
one time, the pieces that make a waste
when cut. We were forced to make
the step and can easily prove to any
patron interested or to the attorney
general that such was the case. In the
strict sense of the word we have not
| increased the price of ice at all, but
rather have tried to make it such an
advantage to customers to buy 25-pound
| deliveries the 10-pound deliveries Will
| he done away with altogether"