New-York tribune., 1918-05-15
Commissioner Is Charged
With Pro6teering in
Public Health
Hot Denial Entered
War Conservation of Am.
monia Alone Compels Price
Set, Retorts Controller

Commissioner Jonathan c. Day Of
the Department OF Markets yesterday
charged b. B. Odell. State Ice Con-
troller, with being instrumental in
creating an "ice trust" and aiding prof
itccring in the ice business, such as
never has been seen in this city before.
Commissioner Day also wrote letter
TO Herbert c. Hoover, Federal Food Ad-
ministrator, calling his attention to the
ice situation here.
In statement issued by the COM
missioner, he said:
II note that the Hon. B. B. Odeil, Ice
Controller, says that Commissioner
Day does not know anything about the
ice business and ought to 60 on preach
: ing the gospel am going on preach
ing the gospel. am preaching the
same kind of gospel TO Odell and the
group associated with him that the old
Hebrew prophets preached to the peo-
pie in their day who skinned their
ncighbors. would advise as piece of
good and wholesome reading for men OF
the type Of Odell and his kith and kin
the books Of Amos and Micah, written a
long time ago, dealing with the practi-
cal problems of the people.
The ice trust was specifically men,
toned in the platform of the Demo
crtaic party, but the ice trust that
Mayor Hylan and any of the rest of us
had any experience with was an infant
compared with the ice trust we are con.
lrv1, sd ,,r,@l y, I'll
City.
"B. B. Odell's Intentions may be the
best in the world. and he may be filled
with what he thinks is the spirit of
genuine patriotism, but when a man.
whoever he is, who has, because of
Legislation, the complete power that he
he has, fixes prices on a product like
ice which are unheard of, he is guilty
of robbing the public in general.
Declines Further Farley
In Two separate letters to Mr.. Odell
yesterday Commissioner Day declared
that there was nothing further to be
accomplished by conferences between
pointed out that although the city
would be able to supply ice to the pub
Tic considerably under the price de-
termined by Controller Odell, it ap-
Eeared that under the law the Con-
troller could prevent even the city
from distributing ice without a H.
cense from him at prices fixed by
him. In order to show that he was
simply not trying to be contrary"
the commissioner pointed out that he
could buy 100000 tons of ice from the
Berksh;. Ice Company at $3.50 a ton,
which could be delivered to the ped
ut frnt
pedler would have margin of So a
ton in distributing it at SO.
According to the commissioner. the.
price of s4.40 "at the barges." fixed by
Controller Odell, makes dollar diff
ference to the consumer per ton
In his letter to Food Administrator
Hoover. the commissioner declared the
ice combination had been worked out
under cover of effort on the part of
the United States to conserve ammo
MIA" He wanted to know if there
Odelrs Denial Strong
Controller Odell, in reply to Commits
sioner Days accusations, issued fiat
denial of them all yesterday afternoon,
and insinuated that the City Market
Commissioner did not know what he
was talking about.
~ have been informed by Mr.. Mer-
rill. of the Hoover administration" he
said. "that it was absolutely necessary
that ammonia be conserved as much as
possible. The ice prices have been
fixed with due consideration of the war
need.
"Thc ice which Commissioner Day
claims to have negotiated forf$3.7o a
ton. would cost, laid down in the city
OF New York, $3.50 ton. This price
is too low. and IN view of the fact
that freight rates have or are to be
increased % per cent, this price would
be 1910, without allowance for vast
age. When wastage is taken into con-
sideration, the price will be nearer
$3.50 than $3.50, and the city would
be called upon to assume the loss"
The controller then adds that he has
never been personally interested di.
rectly or indirectly in the ice business
IN New York City, nor has he had any
connection with any towing business
upon the Hudson River. "The at
tempt" said Mr.. Odell. "to connect my
steamboat business with the towing
interests of the Hudson is too absurd
far nAf,