The sun., 1918-11-30
COURT TO IGNORE
PRICE IN ICE CASE
Magistrate McAdOO to Decide
Whether ROthSchild Had
Odell License.
HEARING SET FOR DEC. 9
Washington Heights Dealer
Tells Why He Cut $40
Quotation to SO.

Former Governor Odell, State Ice
Comptroller. was still at Newburgh
Yesterday afternoon finishing his
Thanksgiving holiday and conse-
quently Chief city Magistrate McAdoo,
ut the request of Robert p Boyer,
Deputy Attorney General. postponed
until December Q at 8 T. NJ. examina-
ton in the case of the State Ice Comp
troller VS.. the Washington Heights Ice
Corporation.
This is the case wherein Mr.. Odell
complains that the defendant COM
pany manufactured artificial ice with
out official permission. The company
doesn't make any bones OF the fact
that II did sell and is still selling ice
at SO per ton, Notwithstanding the
fixed" price of S4.40 set by Mr.. Odell
at the time the Ice Comptroller. the
ice men and the Food Administration
agreed upon their plan last spring to
insure an adequate supply of ice for
summer use.
Economic Question Not Involved.
The Chief Magistrate made it very
plain at the beginning that the pro-
ceeding was not a John Dc inquiry,
nor did it involve any economic ques-
tion as to sale Of ice. The court said
the issue, as he saw It, was whether
or not the defendant had license. and
II It was revoked. was it legally re-
voked?
Max Steuer represented the wash
ingtOn Heights Ice Corporation. of
which II. J. Rothschild is president.
Mr.. Steuer said the defendant took
II that the act was unconstitutional
whereupon the court said it wouldn't
be wise for a Magistrate to pass upon
the constitutionality of an act.
Mr.. Steuer said his client had never
been advised that It's license to man
ufacture fee had been revoked.
TT would seem to me-" he said that
II you once issue license TO a person
and then seek to revoke It before YOU
can ever say that he did something IN
violation of the law. the least you car
do Is to communicate 10 him that YOU
| revoked the license. You cannot sing
y
assume that the other party heard it
The court then put off the hearing
until December 9.
President Rothschild later explained
why he insisted on selling ice at SO
despite the Ice Comptroller and his
fixed price OF SAC a ton.
Met Competitors Price.
We have Teen serving the public
| with ice at our plant, running and
! meeting competition as II has existed
In our neighborhood." he said. ut Wa
impossible for US to do business, con-
trolled by the prescribed price of $40
per ton, when competitors were selling
Ice at SO per ton. To-day we are get
ting 50 ton from our customers at
our platform in direct competition with
other plants. All over Washington
Heights ice is selling at a much lower
rate than in any other part OF the
CITY"
Mr.. Rothschild said that tho Knick-
erbocker Ice Company contends that
its 50 ton price for ice was made by
/ contract prior TO the taking over of ice
control by Mr.. Oden.
Indcr an agreement entered into by
manufacturers OF ice with the state
Comptroller each manufacturer. Mr..
RothsChild explained. has been con-
I trihuting 90 cents & ton on gross sales
10 pool TO reimburse them for nDsold
natural ice which was harvested h..
them for the State in accordance with
the Odetl agreement. The WASHINGTON
Heights concern continued It's CON
trihutionS with the others. even on its
SO ton basis, but finally quit Mr..
'Rothschild insisted that the Knicker-
booker, its competitor. is charging $40
for ico in the poorer sections of the
city and 81 In Washington Heights.