New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1911-07-18
OLER GIVES WALDO
LIE FOR ICE REPORT
KniCkerboCker President Puts
PrOfane Emphasis on 0p'n-
ion of Commissioner.
C0NFERS WITH WHITMAN
Volunteers to Produce Every
thing Desired for Investiga-
ton and Denies Statements
Attributed to Him.

esleN VI. Oler, president o. tnc
Knickerbockcr Ice Company. emerged
smiling and affsblc from a long confer
encc with District Attorney Whitman
yesterday. but his gentlcr mood changed
to one of Indignant profanity when he
was told that tho report OF Police Com
missioner Waldo to Mayor Gaynor at
tributed the recent famine In ice 10 the
greed Of the ice companies in refusing
20 take measures necessary to supply tho
city's wants"
THAT is damnablo statement 10
make before the evidence has been
proved he cried
Tho Commissioner also reports that
the Knickerbocker alone still has
100000 tons Of ice in it's storage houses
along the Hudson" he was told.
Why. what do you suppose this City
would do if that was all the ice We
had?" he exclaimed. as if i'm despair.
we have two or three times that much
ice still"
report that in response to questions put
to YOU, Mr.. Oler, as 10 what you would
do in case Of further hot weather you
replied: Nothing We can do can improve
the situation. God help the public" And
also that despite your statement that
the Knickerbocker had not taken ad-
vantage of conditions 10 raise prices his
Investigators inform him that you did
raise ice from 50 2J ton on July l TO
S3, and that at your pier at 91st street
and the East River the price was boosted
TO 81 a ton. What do YOU say about
these statements?" he was asked.
Company Damned Either Way.
"They arc damned lies" Mr.. Oler re-
piled "I did not say God help the
public and repeat that We did not raise
the price. Mr.. Waldo may be a great
Police Commissioner, but what the hell
does he know about ice? That Is the
way IL goes. If We are able to deliver
ice we are called a trust, and if we are
unable to deliver ice We are called a
trust aRdln--NP tlt Ihllli'u ~ W w.
and damned If we don't
Mr.. Oler went on TO declare more
quietly that his company had sold seven
thousand tons more TO the independent
dealers this year than last. instead or
irving to starve them out. He said that
although receipts had been found signed
bv his superintendent for ice sold to IN
dependent dealers at n highe" price than
ne declared was being asked, when the
time came he could give an entirely
satisfactory explanation. He also con-
sented to enlarge a bit upon his pre-
yious statement that skilled labor was
required in the handling of ice.
'It takes an inexperienced man at
least two weeks 10 learn how To handle
ice" he said. "I can load seven barges
with an experienced crew while a green
crew is loading one
In regard 10 barges he said II was
another lie that his company vas using
sixty less this year than last and that
he had given a complete list or MS
floating stock to Mr.. Whitman. showing
that they were using III tugs and
135 barGes. or ten more than last year
He said he gave Mr.. Whitman the name
of every barge and tag in his service.
lie then announced that he would be
renresented AT the hearing this after
noon before Magistrate Appleton in the
library Of the District Attorneys office
-, 1rra,l, Savage as counsel, but would
be too busy selling ice TO be there NM
self
When Mr.. Waldo was told that most
Of his statements and those OF his men
had been branded as false by the en-
RACED president of the ice trust ne re-
pIied that the police were now through
with their work and he would not en-
gage in a personal controversy with any