The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1870-07-01
THE ICE MONOPOLY.
What the Monopolists Have to say-Ths Knick-
erbocker and Washington Ice Companies
s.atements-Th Believe They Are JUS
tifed-How the Maine Yankees Are
Taking Advantage Of the Sit
uation-Artifcial Ice
Manufacture.


that should the weather not moderate within o
short time 80 rs TO decrease In the cnnsump-
ton OF "cold COMFORT" those business who must
have and use large quantities Of Ice will be driven
to desperate straits The cause OF the panic-the
alleged exorbltant charges OF the two Ice cOmpa-
MES In this city who enjoy a MONOPOLY OF the
trade is o theme OF universal discussion, and the
anathemas hurled at the persons supposed to be the
principal Offenders by the small dealers In Ice and
by the poorer class OF consumers are both loud and
deep. There can be no doubt that the people
who have 10 pay one dollar per hundred for ice
where formerly they paid but sixty cents have rea-
son to grumole and protest against the threatened
advance In the price OF the article. But there are
always two sides 10 a story and even the Ice
monopolists have something to say in their own
de ence
The public view OF the matter has already been
written, and full justice has been done to the SUBJ
1ect OF the threatened advance In the price OF Ice
ThAt the public should not be be carried away by
the one sided articles In the Bohemian press to do
Injustice and follow senseless hue and cry. but
shonld rather seek tor some means to remedy the
eva which the scarcity OF Ice in the heated term
presents HERALD reporter yesterday applied him.
self to the task OF Obtaining sta ements from the
Officers OF the ice companies and the discovery or
the movements on foot for supplying machine made
as n substitute for the natural ice With this end in
view he first pa q visit 10 the ONCE Of
THE KNIcSERBoCKER ICE COMPANY,
In Canal street. and introduced himself to the vice
president. The conversation that ensueJ was salts
factory AZ showing that the company have at least
few good excuses to offer for their action towards
their customers and the public. The substance OF it
Is contained In the following statement:-Ne are
doing nothing but what we have a perfect right to
do and just what other persons in business do ever
he ~prica IF ica
thing else In the market, is regulated by the
supply and the demand. In this case the
supply ia not equal to the demand and consequently
the price OF the article have to dispose Of Is
HANGED proportIonately. Last winter, every body
knows, was an extraordinary one Such a mid
season has not been known for years. The Hudson
was open from the Battery TO Albany and the wea-
ther never remained cold enough during the season
for the gathering Of good deep ice IN quantities SUI
the Hudson seventeen houses for storing ice, with
capacity OF SOC, 900 tons. In 1893 TINS large guam
THY was gathered and stored; but tAis year, owing
to the causes STA ed, but
l47 900 ross WERE SECURED
and stored-a deficit Of 363,oOO tons. This, then,
with 81 900 tons OF Ice saved the previous year.
was our whole stock. Our sales hast week were 1920
TINS a. q % s me sc a we
shipped large quantities 70 philadelphia last year,
but owing TO the scarcity Of ice we could not send
supply we now have TO send to New
Brunswick, the Adironiacks, Buffalo, and OH
OF course great waste IL be remembered,
TOO, that the ice gathered the North river Tits
| spring was or very Inferior quality, being quite thin
and porous, and OF course. me ting much quicker
Than the deep Ice brought from Canada. The papers
| abundanceS We do send ther": bur there Is no cer
tanty about getting Ii. The schooners employed In
the trade carry from $50 to 800 cargo, and
| II frequently happens TINT thirty per cent OF IL
Is wasted away before the vessels reach this port.
Fogs and storms a'e obstacles to speedy transmits
| sion from Maine and besides there is
| LITTLE ICE IN MAINE.
The most OF the ice In that state, and, In fact in
soon run out Probably 246.32, tons IS a fair esti-
mate OF the amount OF ice In that region. Now there
IS deficit OF 800 900 tons the North river supply
South This leaves $4,000 ons'o be supplied to
maxi up the usual quantity Of local ice Where IL
u to come from The Ice Il not e. be nal and that's
the whole OF IT, Should the weather continue as
s S not = at 9r m 1 AK longer there
The writer next visited the lice OF
THE WASHINGTON ICE COMPANY,
where q somewhat similar statement was given
him. The PRESIDENT OF the company said that they
| had but haf the quantity OF ice they req lire for
Their re- tar customer, although they not sell.
| last year. We, SAID the president, laid up less
than ten per cent of last years supply, and
| Saco river, Troy and other places. We
| lost two houses by FIRE. tne OF them a lew days
carry us through the season. bat he price will have
| to be raised. The KenneDec people have a guam
| uby OF ice on hand, bat
| THEY DECLINE To SELL,
/, expecting TO realize higher prices later IN the
g. ason.
| REPoRTER-But could you not get ice from other
| places than Mane-Norway, for lnstanceY
IRESiDENr-lt can't be DONE Uf the Ice sent TO
| reaches here, such il the wastage; then we lose
| twenty per cent by carriage. People suppose that
we have immense profits on the ice thus obtained,
selling 1t at one dollar per hundredweight, the pre-
sent price. LOOK al the facts. Here the speaker
produced his boossl ! strike an average
VIII here observe that, allowing wastage ami
other losses IN cartng the ice, the average net prces
obtained were for five weeks 40 So &1l 80 $l3 So,
Si9 70 ana 81 70 respectively, or an average Of
Sll % per ton Now, the ice costs In Maine 81 per
ton, the shipping charges are 81 o. per ton and the
dockage foity cents per ton. Calculating that
thrd vi the Ice Is wasted and That the cost Of de W.
| ery-wdges Of men, the expense OF mainta ming
| horses. &c-and what ~ the resultS The cost OF
Had it not been for the fact that we
saved 1000 tons OF good ice from the previous year
we would have lost heavily; for should nave been
compelled to supply our regular customers. Our
| TOTAL SALES LAST YEAR
| tons sod this month 80 far. showing decrease OF
1853 tons, or forty per cent.
| REPoRTER-So, th n Mr. President you think that
you VIII nave TO put up the price OF Ice In order
check the demand, aud so have enough for the
| season.
4 PREsIDEST-Yes sir. We will raise the price in
July 10 81 so per hundred a. matter Of precauton.
Should this weather continue and the price OF Ice
| man as now nxed the supply would speedily run
| out. We are doing nothing wrong In this matter
that We can see ana DON'T think we should be held
responsible Tor the short crop " last winter, which
has occasioned the present panic In the market.
| kBPoKrER-But IL IS charged that besides charg-
mg an e&orbitant price for your you give short
| weight. How do you account for thati
| PREsIDENr-Wei, II is just possible that the car
rers do occasionally, through haste or negligence
| give short weight but that they moe frequently
! give more than the proper weight know. The
| men having so much TO 40 frequently guess at the
| Negnt OF piece ~ ce but an confident there ID
| no wrong intended by them. =
| Believing that he had got the monopoly side OF
tue Ice question, and that nothing more remained to
be elected. the reporter then left, and made numer-
Gus inislr es with the view ~ dis overiny whether
| as stated, there was any bona nae movement on
loot 10 compete with tue two companies, bat the
| suit was unsatisfactory. IL IS guie Gear that noJh
ing can BE- done In that way this season, rs all the
| Ice In the country Is now IN the hands OF specula
Il n lhll.A M ....a.u -