New-York tribune., 1918-11-30
Decision Sought as to
Whether $4.40 or So a
Tor Must Be Charged
Hasty Contract Blamed
President of Accused Concern
Says Consumers Pay for
Losing Venture

Chief Magistrate McAdoo yesterday
ing the case against the Washington
Heights Ice Corporation, charged with
selling ice at SO ton in defiance of
the scale of S44O fixed last spring by
Benjamin B. Odell, State Ice Con-
troller
Mr.. McAdoo adjourned the hearing
yesterday when Assistant Attorney
General Becker aud Robert T. Boyer
appeared to press the states charge
that the Washington Heights concern
had refused to obey Controller Odell's
order closing the plant. Max D. Steuer
represented H. J. Rothschild, president
Of tho corporation.
The ice company's license was re
voked by Mr.. Odell because Of its re-
fusal to observe his price regulation:
The company, however, mas persisted d
in operating, according to it's president,
because "the $4.40 price is arbitrary
and Is the result of hasty and i'll.
advised contract between Mr.. Odell and
the Burns Brothers Ice Corporation
and the Knickerbocker Ice Company"
According to the terms of this con-
tract, these companies harvested great
quantities of natural ice up the Hud
Sc last wint9r. This was for use
against an expected summer scarcity
caused by the shutting down Of artif-
cial ice plants due 20 an ammonia
shortage. This shortage did not de-
velop and it is the surplus ice that has
forced the litigation, Mr. Rothschild
asserts.
Dos,oh,roo R;r Co,o1,o;oc
every. manu-. ;tu-er of ice in the
city except ourselves" Mr. Rothschild
declared yeste~ 'sv "has been contrib
utlng 90 cent on his gross sales
toward pc 20 reimburse Burns
Brothers and the Kickerbocker people
for unsold natural ice harvested under
the Odell arrangement.
"Thus New York consumers are being
made the goat for the Odell deal. We
contributed while, but baked at sell
ing ice at $40 ton while our near
est competitor, the Knickerbocker
plant, at 1S4th Street and Amsterdam
Avenue, sold at So ton, although it
charged S4.A0 in other sections Of the
city. The Knickerbockcr company
maintained that this rate was fixed in
contracts prior to Mr. Odell's appoint
ment, and in this he has sustained
them.
eve agreed to continue our contrl-
buttons to Burns and Knickerbocker,
even though we sold at the So rate,
though, Of course, we could not com
pete with the Knickerbocber concern
dered our place closed. We can make
money at the So rate, even with 55
cents deducted; so it can easily be un-
derstood why other ice manufacturers
in this city ara not kicking at the ar
rangement."
Economic Question Not Involved
Until the hearing is resumed, Mr..
Rothschild announced, his plant would
continue to run and sell its product at
SO ton. Mr.. McAdoo in statement
to counsel yesterday made it plain that
the hearing before him would be con-
fined solely to the question Of cancel
lation of the Washington Heights
cofnpany's license by Mr.. Odell.
"There seems to be some misappre-
said Mr.. McAdoo. This is a distinct
complaint against person named for
violations OF the provisions Of chap
ter Of the laws Of 1918, and the eX-
smination Of that does not involve the
economic question which 7 see mootcd
in the press. This is not a John Doc
inquiry"
Mr.. Odell was not in court yesterday
The Commissioner Of Markets, Jona-
than Day, who s been an opponent
of Odell since latter's appointment
as Ice Controller, attended the hear
ing Mr.. Steuer, counsel for the Wash
ington Heights company, expressed the
belief that the inquiry as outlined by
Mr.. McAdoo ould develop the issues
his clicnt wanted decided.