Republican farmer., 1919-06-13

nal. it would sell for 50 cents. Fifty cents Is a reasonable price, including shrinkage, railroad rates, etc.
 How do you figure that you can harvest and deliver ice to families next winter at s10 a ton?"
 T don't see why I should answer that. I came here to answer ques- tions about conditions in New Haven and not in Bridgeport"
 MT. Crawford insisted and MT Walker said Ordinarily we can make a profit at s10 a ton. I don't see why 1t should cost more. I have taken into account overhead charges"
 'I don't know what our artificial ice costs We run a cold storage plant and we never figured the cost of ice as distinguished from stor- age.''
 If you estimate a profit at 50 cents next year why not this sum- mer?"
 This year we take the price arbi- asking, and because if we didn't put the price of ice up there would be no ice left by the middle of August"
 How Price is Fixed. "If I run out of ice I will have to buy. Cost is not the basis, but what I would have to pay if I run out of ice. The demand is based on the shortage of the crop"
 T don't know. how much a ton we are making on ice.'
 Last year the Berkshire Ice Co. paid 25 per cent; in 1917, 19 per cent; in 1916, s per cent, and in 1915, per cent. Yes, we have also $250,o0O surplus, one-half of which accumulated since 1913.
 We paid harvesters 45 cents an hour on the average last year. The year before we paid or 3 cents less I don't remember what we paid the year before that. Outside of labor the greatest cost is taxes, insurance, compensation, up-keep and interest on bonded indebtedness.
 ''I don't know what the cost is for overhead and harvesting. The com pany is charging what we can de- nand.''
 Cost Not a Factor.
 The cost of production does not enter into the price charged in New Haven.
 T have bought ice this season from Walker Brothers in Massachusetts, 1 2,O0O tons.
 T decline to answer what I paid ] for it. It's, nobody's business.
 "I don't think it is the public's bus mess what I pay for ice.
 If I buy ice to protect myself it is nobody else's business what I pay for it.
 'I also have a contract with the | Holyoke Ice Company for so many tons a day after July I. They send l me all the ice they don't want to use i themselves and at the end Of the sea- son, in the fall I figured up what I got for it and send them a check l for it less 10 per cent. my commis- | sion- I expect to get 12,0O0 or 1000 | tons this season from them.
 T have no agreement with the Fly | gienic or any other ice company in l New Haven as to price. If MT. Brown ! has he did it without my consent
 "In 1917 three dealers here had a | conference. We had 8. uniform ice | price before and afterwards; we had | a discussion; I spoke. I always say | something.
 Sullivan talked; Brown talked. I | didn't hear Brown make the propo- i sition that if the two other compan- ies would take 25,o0O tons of ice a | year from us that we would get out | of the city.
 Sullivan said something should be | done about the ice situation in New Haven. I said Sure
 The drift of the discussion was that the price was not high enough. | Six weeks after the conference the | price went up. |
 T won't deny that Brown made | the proposition to get out of New | Haven if the Hygenic and Center freeze would take 25,000 tons of our | ice year. am president. My pres ent salary is s7,50o a year.
 What is the object of the Berl- shire Ice Company, yourselfand af11- | lated interests in buying up other ice i asked MT. Crawford
 What does any man do that is in | business but try to increase? We | d ont intend to stop. We are going to enlarge our ice business.
 "Yes, I bought a new ice property | in New Hartford with capacity of 100000 to 150,0o0 tons and paid s175,00 for it. It is a personal in- vestment, but if the directors of the Berkshire company want it they can have it.
 ''I know of no ice that is not con trolled by myself or affiliated inter- ests.
 ''I can't tell the cost last year of ice on Congomond or Ban- tam lakes.
 "I don't have anything like a cost account"
 How do you figure your income tax?" asked MT. Crawford.
 MT. Jones does that. He figures | it out I think in the fall he meas ures the ice left in the houses and fig ures the cost to put it in the houses | and then figures the tax
 T think that the mayors should a committee to advertise in <-Iy kaI