Republican farmer., 1919-06-13
WALKER DENIES
 ICE PRICE PACT
Mayor Wilson Claims Price Will Go to 60 Gents
 Monday.

While the people of Bridge port, especially those in strengthened circumstances are wondering anxiously if the price of ice in this city will be reduced from 80 cents per 100 pounds to 60 cents, as announc- ed in Mayor Clifford B. Will sons annual message delivered | to the Board of Aldermen last Monday night, Harry Walker, president of the Berkshire Ice Company refused to make a definite statement to the press today on the subject, and de- nied he had entered into any agreement with the mayor to supply ice at the reduced price. | He disclaimed any connection with | the Bridgeport Ice Delivery Co.,, and | shifted the burden to his brother, E. l H. Walker of the Naugatuck Valley | Ice Co.,. and Earl D. Sprague of the | Sprague Ice &1 Coal Co. | | of the Berkshire Ice Co.,, he could not i sell ice to the Bridgeport Ice Deliv- l cry Go. so they could sell to the con | sumner a 90 cents and make profit i Mayor Wilson again said the price i would be reduced to 60 cents by l Monday.
 1, It leaves the situation as indefinite
 as is possible under the circum-
 stances. and keeps people who can | find good use for the 25 per cent. l saving that would be effected by the 1 reduction in suspense. Neither F.. 1 H. Walker or Earl D. Sprague would | comment on the situation. 1 T don't know anything about the | reduction of the price of ice by Mon- 1 day" Ask the mayor" See Earle | Sprague and my brother,' were some l of the very definite exclamations and l assertions made by Harry Walker 1 when 'ticed' by a battery of news | paper men just outside the mayors | office in city hall this morning. The | favorite pastine of passing the buck, 1 or rather the ice was indulged in and i taken great liberties with, but 1t got 1 the news gatherers nothing and the l public less. The mayor stuck by his l guns and said the price would be | down Monday.
 
 | tained great heights of eloquence, the | mayor emerged from the rear door of | his office. MT. Walker imme ediate1y | followed and the mayor was bom- barded with little result. The Presi- | dent of the Berkshire company was
 overhauled on the lower floor, hem | med in on both sides, but fought va l 1iantly.
 Mr. Walker said that he had noth- I In with ha Rrid pa Tca 1 Delivery Go; admitted several con | versations with the mayor, but nary 1 an agreement; stated broadly that his | business was to sell ice to retailers
 and not to the consumer, the Bridge
 port Ice Delivery Co. being one of i his customers. He was questioned in rapid-fire fashion.
 Are you selling ice to the Bridge- l port Ice Delivery Go. so they can sell | to the consumer with profit at 50 cents per 100 pounds?" was asked. l T certainly am not" replied the ice baron.
 "Do you mean to say they would 1 lose money if they sold ice at that
 price?" was the next question
 If they continue to buy from me l they surely wi1l,'' said MT. Walker. | Well, why don't you reduce the l price?" was the next shot. | Because I am only one of the | stockholders in the Berkshire Ice Co.,, | and I can't go ahead and lose money l for the others came the answer. | Well, we think somebody ought to | enlighten us, on what the mayor | meant, when he said the price would | be reduced to 60 cents"
 See the mayor" said MT. Walk | CT.
 We have seen him, and he says l see you.'
 Well, try my brother or Earle
 Sprague.'
 After MT. Walker was informed | all the aforementioned gentlemen | had passed the buck to him, he talk l ed a good deal on the situation out
 of town, which, while interesting, did | not affect the price in Bridgeport in
 the least.
 The mayor. after the battle was | over, reiterated his previous state | ment that the price of 60 cents per 1 100 pounds of ice would certainly go | into effect by Monday. The mayor l when questioned, said: Ut will, as | far as I know"
 Asked if he would say anything | about an agreement, or how the mat | ter was to be accomplished his honor | simply said No"
 MT Walker said he was to have l a conference with Earle Sprague this | afternoon and he may learn some | thing of what the papers wanted to | know