The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1919-06-11
Connecticut Ice Supply Controlled By Berk-
 shire Ice Company
(Continued from Page One) The Price Dropped

The Hygienic Ice Co. of New Ha- shire Ice Co. which ran for several years, by which the Hygenic Co. had the privilege of buying a quantity of ice from the Berkshire Go. The contract was cancelled by mutual consent and the Hygenic Co. thereaf- ter paid more for ice. This transac- ton, according to the testimony of d witness at the Federal inquiry, MT Walker thought it was a great joke on Mir. Harrison of the Hygenic, who, he said, paid S1,000 for the privilege of paying more for his ice. MT. Walker could not remember what caused the contract to be cancelled, but Mir. Brown might know.
 The Centerfreeze Ice Co. was or ganized in New Haven in 1913 and when it was ready to supply ice in the fall of that year the Berkshire was selling ice in New Haven for S4 a ton. On the day the Centerfreeze put their product on the market the Berkshire dropped the price to s2 a ton and shortly afterwards to $50 a. ton.
 One day MT. Sullivan who owned the Centerfreeze Co. sent for him and with MT. Brown he went to New Haven and had a talk with MT. Sul- Hvan. Mir. Walker did not say any thing about getting together on price. but Mir. Brown might have said something when MT. Walker wasn't listening. Nothing was done, how ever.
 Buys the Plant.
 Some time after MT. Walker made MT. Sullivan an offer for his property n faT, had not the slightest idea that it would be accepted. but it was, and Mir. Walker is now the owner of the property which includes the ice plant, the Arena, and a number of factory buildings.
 The ice plant is now turning out about 65 tons of ice a day, but MT Walker is going to modernize the whole property and Is not sure that he will continue making ice there, as he does not believe in encouraging the artificial ice business but believes in developing and extending his nat ural ice plants.
 Mir. Walker had never attended any meeting where the price of ice was fixed and it was merely a co-inci- dence that his price was the same as others. Of course he did not know what MT. Brown had done, but if he had taken any part in fixing prices, l. was without any instructions fro,.. Nr. Walker
 MT. Walker thought it was mo- bodys business and nobody should be interested in the amount of ice he and his affiliated companies, asso- ciates and relatives had or controlled or the prices he had paid for ice or the cost of harvesting and housing it.
 Owns the Berkshire.
 The Berkshire Ice Company is a New Jersey corporation, having its Connecticut office in Bridgeport and has a paid in capital of s2OO,O0O, which is divided into 2,OOO shares of the par value of s10o each.
 Mir. Walker owns S31 shares only, but, on yes, his wife owns 80 shares, and his sister-in-law SC shares and his son owns 39 shares also.
 Yes, MT. Walker believes that his family has a controlling interest in the company; that is,, they own 1,020 shares out of 2,0O0. MT Walker came into the Berkshire company in 1909 when it was paying an annual divi- dend of per cent. Last year it paid a dividend of 25 per cent. Yes, the company has a surplus of s230,0OO.
 MT. Walker is secretary, treasurer and general manager. Monroe How ell of Boonton, \. J., Is president; B. D. Pierce, Jr., vice president.
 The directors are H. W. Barren burg. president of the Mountain Ice Company of New Jersey, a wholesale ice dealer: N. w. Bishop, Charles G. Sanford, chairman of the board of the First-Bridgeport National Bank, and William T. Walker.
 There are IS or 19 stockholders. The Naugatuck Ice Company owns 300 shares, the Trout Brook Ice Company of Hartford owns 140 shares and Monroe Howell about 1855 shares.
 Mir. Walker said he was a director in the Naugatuck Valley Ice Com pany the City Ice & Coal Company of Bridgeport, the Citizens Ice & Coal Company of Bridgeport, the Hall & Upson Ice Company of Waterbury, the Ansonia-Derby Ice Company. He is a director in the Saltwater Ice i Company of Stamford. He owns pig. sonally the Centerfreeze Ice Company of New Haven.
 The Berkshire company obtains its principal suply from Congomond Lakes in Mas ssa <husetts, where it can l harvest 23O, ,0C0 tons; Bantam Lake with a capacity of 7O,000 tons, Still water Lakes, Stamford 1000 tons and Beaver Lake, Meriden 10000 tons. The Berkshire company supplies all cities in Connecticut and from | Westf1eld to New York city, includ- | ing New Haven, Hartford, Meriden Bridgeport, South Norwalk, Norwalk, Stamford, Rye. Greenwich, Larch- mont, New Rochelle, Mount Vernon | Wood1awn. New York city, Pough- | keeps;e, New Britain, Bristol, For | estville, New London, Plainville, An sonia, Derby, Waterbury and Middle. | town.
 l The Mountain Ice Company of New | Jersey does not send any ice into this | territory except into New York city. l Last year the Berkshire company sold the N. Y, N. H. & H. R. R. Co | 14,O0o tons of ice for its cars al | S190 a ton f. o. b.
 Last year the platform price to re- tailers was s400 a ton. This year ii is s10 and SIP.
 Supply All the Ice. l In Bridgeport the Naugatuck Valley Ice company and the Sprauge Ice company supply all the ice. The l T2rid ort To- i- .