The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1873-04-06
THE ICE TRADE.

Prospects for the Coming Scas0n-A Full
Crop, bat No Dimin mutton i'm Prices
Causes OF the High TarifT-A Scarcity
OF Ice I'm Midwinter.
AS usual about this time of year "scare' has
been created by rumor that the Ice companies
had formed a combination for the purpose OF
forcing an advance in the cost of ice and thus
cause this commodity which Is now an actual
necessity, to become luxury. Should
such result come about it would
cause untold suffering in many quarters.
The ice trade has become an extensive branch of
industry, and should prices be run up 50 as to
compel the practice OF greater economy, and thus
interfere with the CONSUMPTION, it would act
against the corporations and those employed by
them in preparing and delivering the blocks OF
cooling crystal For the purpose Of learning the
feelings and intentions OF the officials OF the prln-
cipal corporations on the subject HERALD re-
porter yesterday called at the offices OF the Knick-
erbocker and Washington Ice Companies and as
certaned that there will be
NO MATERIAL INCREASE IN PRICES,
except, perhaps, to the larger consumers. In the
Office OF the former company the reporter found
Mr.. Maclay, the Vice President, who informed the
reporter that his company and, indeed, all the
much better quality than usual Last year the
companies did not make much money because
lators In the business. In 1870, owing TO
the extreme mlldness oil the weather, ana
On Gs t. entire re the s"pp was ney
scarce and the prices were necessarily very high.
Macy people thought these were fancy prices"
and so went into the business The Hudson did not
freeze up much better after that and in 1871 there
came Revision, and, OF course, much loss In 1872
the prices we're better. but not remunerative, and
this year. owing to the increased cost OF harvest
ing the ice, 1t win probably be found necessary to
raise the prices, as above stated to the large con-
lntal n asL M hnn
THE CAUSE OF THE INCREAsEp COST
is owing to the great severity OF the Winter and
the inordinate number and frequency OF snow
storms and the large quantities Of snow necessitat-
ing great amount OF extra labor Before the Ice had
become thick enough Tor cutting tue heavy snow
storm came. The ice was strong enough to bear up
the weight OF the snow, and when the Ice had be-
come thick enough II was necessary to clean the
snow off before any other work could be done.
This required two sweepings, and several times
during the season 1t happened that as soon as the
ice would be nicely cleared another snowstorm
would come. The snow must then be cleared
Oh again. aud 1t was found that, the snow thawing,
the water fell through 10 the Ice surface, ana,
becoming concealed, formed what Is known as
'snow ice.n This OF course, could not be har-
vested, ana II was requisite to plane II OF. at
generally required to be twice planned OF, so that
before the Ice was ready to cut and house 1t was
gone over from four to six times. The ice itself
costs the companies nothing, so that no capital IL
expended Tor stock; but the extra labor required,
as above described, increased the cost OF collect
ing and housing the ice some forty per cent. Dur
ing the past Winter the consumption increased so
much that, strange as 1t may appear, there vas
actually
The severity OF the frost Kept the river closed
longer and lower down than usual, 80 that the
companies conld not send down an extra supply.
The companies stock their barges at the beginning
OF the Winter and the ice thus stocked generally
sufilces Tor the consumption during the Winter.
s co" s s'0f Se cot out ana tbs
city was by means Of plan adopted
| by the KnickerDocker Company cutting Q
| canal from Rockand Lake landing at Piermont
landing. q distance OF nine miles, towing the ice
down this canal loading 1t into the barges at Pier
! mont and shipping II thence to New York.
Notwithstanding ali these drawbacks the Knick
erDocker Company has stored some ,0o9 tons In
its houses. including l25,0oo at kockand Lake. the
borough, Poughkeepsie, New Patz, stadtsburg
| Rhmebeck, Esopus, New Hamburg, Atheps Cat
skin, Coxsackic, Schodack Island and New Balsi
SIMILAR STATE OF AFFAIBs
/ exists IN the ether companies. From Mr.. Nd. Leon
ard, President OF the Washington, II was learned
that ut least $4,000 extra was paid this year by h
/ company for preparing the Ice for harvesting
clearing the snow, planning of the 'snow ice" ant
Keeping the "canals'' open. This company has
stored about two hundred and nfty thousand toni
Of ice in It's houses at Rondout, Kingston, Washing
other places along the Hudson. Mr.. Leonard state,
that, although his company would like to obtain
| higher price than was exacted last year, they can
not demand 1t and do not anticipate that any In
crease VIII be asked.
The Mutual, Consumers and National companie
have also iull houses and there cannot De any lef
| OF scarcity. There are In the neighborhood
1000 900 or more tons ready for use, owned by n
| companies as .Nllows:-
|
Washington. $500
Mutual. ...............1,. $50
Consumers COG
Nalional 500
Should an increase OF price be demanded IL
propabe that ice Will cost the hotels and other lari
consumers from twenty-five cent?, to thirty cen
per hundredwelght and families. about seyenty-l,
cents per week TOR the usuals' .zed Jumps suppose
to weigh about fifteen pounds. These are n
much above the ordinary rrices and unless son
new combination to bull the ice market shou