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Show i i ' : , I ; ; , I 1 ' : :C SAY LAMM, HIS flJ ' Attorney-General Brcedcn Declares the $1 Rate to Small Consumers Jlls for Investigation J by the Grand Jury. The Telegram's story showing the contrast between the price of ice to consumers con-sumers in Salt Lake and other cities and the excesisve profit over the cost of manufacture has aroused 'general interest inter-est in the homes and business houses cf the city. The fact that despite denials of any combine of the icemen by the various companies, the price of $1 per hundred pounds to householders Is maintained by all dealers, has caused many to believe be-lieve that the grand jury should look Into the matter and this will probably be done. Question for Investigation. Attorney-General Breeden palnly said this morning that he consldered.it a , proper question for investigation. "ON THE FACE OF THE MATTER IT LOOKS LIKE A COMBINATION," he declared. "IF THERE IS A COMBINATION COM-BINATION MADE TO HOLD UP THE PRICE THERE IS CLEARLY WORK FOR THE GRAND JURY UNDER OUR ANTI-TRUST LAWS, AND AN INVESTIGATION SHOULD BE MADE IN THE INTEREST OF THE PUBLIC. "MY UNDERSTANDING IS THAT THE MATTER IS WITHIN THE JURISDICTION OF THE DISTRICT ATTORNEY, BUT I AM WILLING TO CO-OPERATE WITH HIM IN ANY WAY WITHIN MY POWER," District Attorney Elchnor said: "I do not think it proper for me to discuss beforehand any of the subjects that -may come before the grand Jury." Allansger Lynch Objects. '"Tihager Lynch of the Salt Lake Ice company is somewhat exercised over the , prominence that has been given to the (3 a month rate to small consumers of ice. He met a Telegram man on the street ytsWdirjr irnd paid" this paper tome left-Jianded compliments, which were punctuated with tabasco. .With this portion of his statement eliminated, Mr. Lynch said: ' ' "You gave entirely a wrong impression impres-sion by your story. Why didn't you tell . the people about the wholesale rate for ice? That's the way we sell nearly all of ours?" "It's the rate to the small consumers we are objecting to, replied the" report- A Question of Pries. "You make . a" lot of talk about 12-cent 12-cent ice," Mr. Lynch argued. "Why - don't you put the price of your paper down to 1 cent. If you want cheap ice, why ' don't you , sell your paper for 1 cent?" "Did you ever hear anybody kicking about $3 a month ice?" He Has His Doubts. . "We have statements," replied the reporter, re-porter, "from bankers, lawyers, merchants, mer-chants, restaurant keepers and laboring men of all classes that the rate is too high." "From a banker! Oh, no!" said Manager Man-ager Lynch. Til bet you haven't" he continued, pulling a handful of gold from his pocket. pock-et. - 'Many families who use ice have large boxes and only ""get Ice once a week. These get it for 50 cents per 100," he explained. ex-plained. - Mr. Lynch then said that big users of Ice were given a low rate, but that the pt of delivery, collections, etc., to small . ?utmers was so great that a $1 rate KtTiV'necessary. JAMES A CHIPMAN, banker: Such a margin of profit as that is far too . great I see no reason why ice . should not be sold here nearly as cheap as it is In Cincinnati. PEOPLE PEO-PLE OUGHT NOT TO USE ICE AT SUCH A COST. BRAY & SHAFER, proprietors of the Chesapeake restaurant: Admitting all that the Icemen claim as to their increased expenses and short season sea-son Jiere, Ice should be furnished to large consumers for 17 cents per 100, . and 'to families at not to exceed $3 per month. SENATOR HOYT SHERMAN: Sail in on the Icemen. YOU'RE DOING A NEEDED WORK. Of course the cost of putting in a plant and delivering de-livering is a little heavier here than in the East, but there is no excuse for such a tremendous profit. M.- H. WALKER, banker: The icemen are entitled to a fair profit, but the $3 a month rate is altogether too high. It Is a very shortsighted policy pol-icy on the pert of the ice companies to hold the price so high. By putting put-ting the price to small consumers at $1 a month they would Increase their sales to such an extent that their profits would not be less and thousands of poor people would be benefited. A. J. WEBER, attorney:. The price is extortionate. IT IS EVIDENT THAT A COMBINATION EXISTS AND THAT THE PRICE IS FIXED BY THE COMBINATION. , The grand Jury ought to make an investigation. - F. A. DRUEHL, merchant: I would say that JL60 per month to users of ten pounds of ice dally would under un-der the favorable conditions of this . season be ample to afford a fair . margin of profit. The cent a pound rate is undoubtedly extortionate. SIG. SIMON, proprietor of the Bismarck Bis-marck saloon: Last summer I paid 40 cents per 100 for ice and used more than $100 worth a month. THE -RATE IS. HIGH BEYOND ALL REASON. It should be less than one-half - what consumers of all classes have been paying. " "- WILLIAM STOBA, stonecutter: The Icemen have a right to get for their product only enough to pay fair wages to their help and make a rea- sonable profit, the same as a merchant mer-chant in any other line. Anything more than this is extortion..- - J. A. BROWN, carpenter:. If a man in any other line of business held Ms prices up to such a figure as this . -HE- WOULD BE- FROZEN -sOTJT. " But when all the icemen agree to made the people stand for it what -- can be done?- THOMAS THOMAS, laborer: Of . course It is too much to pay for ice, BUT WHAT CAN BE DONE? The Icemen seem - to have things all their own way and its a case of pay- . lng. the price they ask ,'r- doing without: .' " H. A. JENSEN, bricklayer: 'I hope The Telegram will arouse the public so that the icemen will be satisfied with a fair profit. Now THEY SQUEEZE THE CONSUMER for all that they think he will stand. GEORGE W. MORGAN of the Vienna restaurant: It's a shame that the poor people pay $3 a month for their ice. We take 1000 pounds at a time here in the restaurant yet we pay 35 cents per 100 for it, which is too much for such large quantities. quanti-ties. But the men who are least able to pay are charged beyond all reason. PARLEY P. CHRISTENSEN, attorney: attor-ney: When such Conditions exist something should be done to remedy them. If the cost of ice is so small the Icemen are entitled to a fair profit, nothing more. W. G. WORKMAN. Captain of Fire department: The people are chumps for putting up with such a condition. DEPUTY SHERIFF JOSEPH BUR-BIDGE: BUR-BIDGE: It is a good thing for the J Icemen. Householders are lacking In something or they would not put up with such a condition. JOHN B. FURSTER, patrolman: I guess the consumers are up against it. The manufacturers have got us -on "the hip, and we are helpless. I guess the small consumers will have to stand it or quit using ice. JAMES DEVINE, Chief of Fire department: de-partment: I believe Salt Lake is the dearest place in the country for ice, when climatic conditions and opportuntles are considered. In the South, where there is no natural ice and where there are no ; factories, fac-tories, . where It is rare to see ice more than four inches thick, it is cheaper than it Is in Salt Lake. Next to servants, ice Is the dearest necessary in Salt Lake. The manufacture manu-facture and sale of ice In Salt Lake is controlled by a trust that should . be broken up. It is the small consumer con-sumer that has a kick coming and ' he should rise In his power of numbers num-bers and protest In some way that would be felt by the manufacturers. . CHARLES WOOD, Assistant Chief of . Fire department: Prices are alto- (Contlnued on page 8.) Agitating: Cheaper Ice. (Continued from Pare 1.) gether too high and with the favorable favor-able conditions which the manu" f acturers have enjoyed this winter, win-ter, we should have cheaper Ice If we are ever going to get it. S. T. SMITH, desk sergeant. Police department: de-partment: Only a limited number of people have ice to sell. If they combine and raise "the price, what can the consumer do about it except ex-cept pay the price; demanded, or go without it? L. M. EARL, secretary of Fire department: depart-ment: I think if would indeed be strange if some scheme were not" entered into to hold up the consumer. con-sumer. D. C. EICHNOR. District Attorney: If ice is sold at 31 per hundred and it is admitted that it costs only 7 cents to manufacture it In addition to cost of delivery and collections, then somebody is making a big profit. pro-fit. JAMES SABINE, JR Pauper Clerk: I think It is an imposition upon the citizens of Salt Lake. It has a tendency to Increase pauperism. J. B. MORETON, Clerk Board of Education: Edu-cation: If that la a fact, it is certainly cer-tainly an exorbitant profit. . L. P. PALMER. Clerk of the Supreme Court: It looks to me like a good. fair profit, but it's Just in line with house rents and many other things. MAYOR EZRA THOMPSON: I think the delivery of the ice is worth $1 per' hundred, to say nothing of the cost. J. T. HAMMOND. Secretary of State: I think that is an unusual profit K it be true that the cost of manufacture manufac-ture is only 7 cents. G. B-WELLS, private secretary to Gov. Wells: The selling price is all out of proportion to the cost of manufacture. A. C. NELSON. State Superintendent of Public Instruction: On economic questions schoolmen usually cut no ice; still I think such profits would bring perplexing prosperity. J. L. May. deputy county recorder: I think It is an outrage: I believe 60 cents a hundred is sufficient. HORACE H. SMITH, clerk of the Board of Health: I give the Icemen Ice-men credit for keen business sagacity. sagac-ity. ED GREGORY, cigar dealer: The Telegram Tel-egram could not agitate a better subject than the ice monopoly. Ice has become a necessity during the summer months, but the present high price keeps it away from most poor people. E. M. WEST, stock broker: I would like to see cheaper ice, and it Is very evident that competition would make It much cheaper. here is away too high, and I think E. MILFORD, proprietor of the White house: The rate charged for ice The Telegram is doing a commendable commend-able thing in showing the people how -they are being imposed upon. P. G. SCOTT, proprietor of the Windsor Wind-sor hotel: The people are foolish to pay $1 a hundred for Ice. If it can -be sold for 12 cents in Cincinnati it ought to be sold as cheap here. Fifty cents a hundred would not be so bad. however. ARTHUR L. THOMAS, postmaster: One dollar a hundred certainly seems a high price for ice. but whether It can be supplied cheaper and leave the manufacturer a fair profit I do not know. P. W. SAVILLE. cigar dealer: To . charge $1 a hundred for ice is an Imposition. Fifty cents a hundred will be . more like a reasonable price. M. M- MILLER, stock broker: The discrepancy between the 'market value of ice and the cost of production produc-tion shows tha't something is radically radi-cally wrong, and the consumers, of course, are getting the worst of It. J. M. HAMILTON, stock broker: If the conditions in the ice market are as they appear at the present time, there Is need of more competition. T. E. SMITH, chief deputy United States Marshal: We ice consumers - are willing to pay four or five tims what ice Is worth to encourage the ice company, which no doubt needs' the money. J. W. REYNOLDS, stock broker: It is an outrage that Salt Lakers have to pay $1 per hundred for ice.' I have lived where ice had to be hauled twelve miles after it was manufactured, then it sold for 40 cents. CHARLES EISMON, assayer: A .cooperative .co-operative company for the manufacturing manufac-turing of Ice would be a profitable venture, if the profits are as great as they appear to be. H. S. PAGE, office deputy United States Marshal: Well.. I would like . to be the iceman. Ice stock is better bet-ter than Daly-Judge. It is an out-, rage to give the people such prices. B. B. HE YWOOD. United States Marshal: Mar-shal: I have been kicking for two or 1 three years against such prices, and t I am glad The Telegram has taken hold of the matter. JERROLD R. LETCHER, clerk of the . United States courts: It is a shame that Ice companies should be per- , routed to charge such prices for an . article that the people have and can get only from them. |