The Detroit times., 1912-07-02
Would Result in Competition
Among the Dealers, He Tells
Council Committee
ANOTHER WARM SESSION
Aldermen and Dealers Squabble
in Fresh Hearing on O'Brien
Ordinance

committee resumed its hearing on
Aid. o'Brien's ordinance 10 compel
the ice companies 10 weigh ice when
delivering IT, AT the conclusion Oh
the hearing, Mr.. Shepherd said:
The chief complaint | have re-
celved is that the ice companies re-
fuse 10 deliver ice in one anothel
territory. This, and the fact that The
prices OF ice are uniform, would seem
10 indicate that there Is some klhd
OF an understanding among the deal
ers. would welcome from this COM
mittee some tangible evidence 10 pre-
sent TO q grand Jury, but SO Tar
have been unable 10 find lead. IL
seems TO me that you gentlemen can
solve this problem very readily BY
establishing a municipal Ice plant.
| Sure, Mike" exclaimed David A.
Brown, president OF the General Ice
Delivery Co., Il would be in favor OF
| It."
| Speaking to The Times after the
committee session, Mr.. Shepherd said.
Il most heartily favor a municipal ice
plant. and, IL such q course is legal, /
wish the council would provide one.
We will always have these dissen-
sions until this is done, and competi-
ton is established among the Ice
1 companies. They say the reason they
cant deliver In certain territory. -
that they haven't got the facilities,
but that is open to question.
Several times during the session IL
| appeared that Mr.. Brown would pre-
cipitate another row between the al
dermen and the ice dealers present.
Brown shouted Liar" at a reporter
for an afternoon newspaper. and said
| the paper had lied In its account Of
the last committee meeting.
You said you had something on
. Brien, and that's why took yoI
back into the committee room" eX-
claimed Aid. Garvsy, explaining an in
ciGent of the last meeting
Yes, and | have" said Brown
Then Brown repeated what he mad
already said about Aid. O'Brien hav-
ing offered beer TO his drivers in ex-
change for ice.
You'll have TO produce your proof
| In court. said O'Brien, holly. Il give
beer to every ice man who comes into
my saloon, but it is not given in ex-
change for ice
Do you say that any OF the alder
men are crooked" asked Aid Brozo
NO" replied Brown.
Aid. Heating declared that Brown
failed 10 produce the ice men, as lie
had said he would, to prove tina;
o Brien had bargained with them to
exchange beer for ice. Brown replied
that he didn't consider IL important
enough because O'Brien had in the
previous meeting said he would call
them liars.
Prosecutor Shepherd began the dis
cossion before the committee by stat
ing that his investigation is now at a
standstill
The ice men offer TO show me
thelr books, but | give them more
credit than to- have an illegal agree
ment written on their books" said
Shepherd.
Charles A. Dean, general manager
OF the Pfttsmans & Dean Ice Co. then
explained In detail the method OF dis
ulbuting Ice. He said that his con.
cerr every day IS picking up custom.
ers OF rival ice companies, and he de.
MED there is any understanding either
as TO price or territory.
IF person calls you up and asks
you TO deliver him Ice you ask at once
who he has been taking ice from don Z
you?" asked Aid Gutman.
Yes replied Mr. Dean But that's
because We must guard against sell.
ing Ice TO consumers who have
charges against them with other Ice
dealers. Some families change ice
dealers seven or eight times a year,
leaving charge against them with
every ice dealer
Mr.. Dean stated that all dealers do
not deliver Ice in all parts OF the town
because they haven't the facilities, or
because II would cost too much TO de-
liver few cakes Of ice far removed
from their regular territory.
One OF Browns stations is now out
OF business" said Mr. Dean. We'll
have probably so Of his customers in
that territory ask us for ice. But we
can't supply ice TO them on a route
already overloaded with business"
Mr.. Dean declared that he was in
favor OF any reasonable" ice regula.
ton so long as II does not require the
dealers to raise the cost OF ice.
Il don't think there's much chance
OF you doing that" declared OBrien
We have in Detroit the finest facil
tiles in the country for a municipal
Ice plant
Aid. Knapp next cited an instance
where he quit one ice dealer and was
refused Ice by another, although he
was not indebted 10 the first dealer
You say there is no agreement, but
there is, he said TO Dean.
Well. now you can make $1,000 by
proving" began Brown.
Immediately there was confusion
every one Of 80 or more in the room
irving TO speak at once Chairman
Allan raped loudly for order. declar-
ing there would be no REPETITION of the
scenes In the last meeting when
o'Brien and Robert Houghten got into
a personal encounter.
Brown made much OF the fact that
he had advertised the provisions OF
O Brien's ordinance and requested
people dissatisfied with the present
situation 10 write their complaints 10
the council. No complaints had been
received as the result OF his adver-
tisement, although O'Brieh stated that
many people had phoned TO him
John Potter. business agent for the
fee wagon drivers and helpers. local
No. 376 and Frank Drongo, president
of the union, urged the committee not