The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1874-05-08
! G e.
The Price Of Ice Raised by tho
81 Ice Companies.

1u0 IrlC0 OI 1C0 n4lbou w SnO
! @ Ice Companies.
WHAT IS THE CAUSEp
The "Taeit Undsrstanding" Between the Compa-
I mics and the Prebabls Additional Incrsazs
ofths Price Il Ics During the Summer.
! sowing to the increased price OF oats" said
the late Artemus Ward during one OF his lectures
IN this city, 81 am unable to lower the price OF
| admission to my inimttable show" This explana-
ton was considered quite good joke BY Artemus'
audience; but It would seem that there are good
many corporations In this city which have II In
their power 20 lower or increase the price Of COM
modites for man and beast, and whenever they
feel compelled to increase the price OF the arti-
cles they deal In. never fail to pat forth reasons
just % sound for their action ~ Artepus gave for
not lowering his admission fec Prominent among
these monopolies are me ice companies Every
year, about this time, Just as regularly e. the year
rolls round. the customers Of these companies are
politely informed that ON and AFTER certain date
I THE rRIcE OF ICE WILL BIZ INcREAsED. IN
Very naturally the customer doesn't take kindly
to the idea. He has been through the mill before,
and has been ground out 70 often that, he knows
just what to DO under the circumstances. He
goes to the company's once ana asks whyf "Oh.
the season was so backward" 70 the answer be
gets II 1t can be made to chime In properly with
! the season during which the ice was gathered. II
the backwardness OF the season cannot be relied
upon, then there Il another reason at hand-'sThe
snow was 30 heavy that transportation was DIM
cult, and therefore more costly Than usual" II
this cannot be dragged up as good cause for
the contemplated raise there is yet another
"The price OF labor was higher than usual" and
last, but not least, which can be put down a. on
par with Artemus' oats apology-"We anticipate
more than usually hot summer and we fear our
supply will give out - and then IL added q sup
Elemental excuse to this one, namely-'N II
should give out wen have to depend upon the
Eastern companies and viii have to pay roundy
/ for what we get" Very happily for consumers
generally, families In particular, all this kind OF
excusat0ry nonsense, In nine cases out OF ten
unjustihed by facts-sold Ice facts-is not taken
with good grace by SIS ssssS 4K01 rq br'
h8a 81 THE COMPANIES CUSTOMERS Tel
and contest OF protest ana counterprotest gener-
ally snsues. and the companies finally have to come
to terms. The fact Of the matter Is that the an
nouncement already made this year by the COM
panies that there must be increase In the price
OF ice during the coming summer, is nothing more
nor less than the usual cry which in summers past
has been used to scare the ttmid and force the
consumer into paying increased PROFITS into the
pockets Of the companies. The excuse given this
year Ia the spoor seasons had last winter. Before
giving In detail the explanations OF some OF the
ofcers OF the companies, It may be Of interest to
the general public to state that many consumers
labor under the delusionD that the various com.
panies act Independently one Of the other, and
that II one charges sttr price consolation can be
found next door, Thts IL iallacy. "Some years
ago." to use the expression of an oficer OF one Of
the companies last season, 1.-THE companies were
playing q cut throat game with each other, but
now,n he added, 1--WE are going see what we can
do In another way. There IL no contract between
us, put there 10 tacit understandings And 1t
Is Just this tacit understanding that has made
the companies feel rather independent OF the pub
lie, 80 long as by . little strategy In March and
April they can bamboozle the people into the mo-
ton that the price Of Ice naturally be raised
because the rivers and lakes were not frozen solid
rom December to March. It Ia true that the COM
panles have Q great deal TO contend with. some
seasons, and that slight advance In the price OF
ice Is anecessty, but as general thing, once they
get It into their heads that they must make an In
crease, they are not content with raise OF Q few
cents on small quantities furnished to families, but
year. In this connection 1t may be stated that 1t Is
mistaken idea OF consumers that they get their
Ss aSssd Ice g
.sKntckerb0cker," &c, that the carts are sent out
| BY those companies The companies DO for the
the winter and store il and sell L 10 the retailers
own carts, iii the way up from two and three and
twenty IN number = Will thus be seen that the
- TWO en- ANNRrs OF pRoprr 9e1 At
! 80 TO SPEAK. before u reaches the small consum
srs Indeed It Is guiss augnaols % hear the ON,
way the prices ere liked nasmuch a. they sell 70 re-
taiiers who sell in their turn to consumers, they
tsisrs II tell lily you what SAID one Of them to
HERALD reporter "there Is always q great deal OF
gradually putting up the price or Ice but We have
Q great many expenses no one outside the bust
has Ss lssss sss a 20 1S a s
come TO US and tell US what price they are TO sell
M ana ~ our Ed prices 81 s nae ss
30 apparent on Its face that 1t needs no argument
70 prove #. i is ~ no means likely that the
are liked is this THE retailers 60 to the COM
the Retailers Ok sheiS price, and this latter price
considered the standard price al round. There IS
Sso 81 o se
the merits and dement's o.. and they know how e
should be borne in mind Is not stored in this city.
but in vast houses along the HUDSON ana it, I'M
mediate vicinity. When the companies get an
order for ice they telegraph to one Of their houses
and q barge is al once sent down with the amount
called for7 some OF the companies supply ice TO
consumers BY contract, In large quantities. with
out the aid OF middle men, but this u only 10 very
exceptional cases.
A HERALD reporter paid q visit to the on1ces Of
the various companies q few days ago and ques-
toned some OF the ofcers as to the rumors Of the
proposed increase IN the price OF ice. Mr.. w. a.
Balfantine, the secretary and treasurer OF the
Washington Company, expressed himself quite
willing TO state what he knew about the condition
OF A6Airs. ~ te
us It true that there Is to be an increase In the
price Of ice this SUMMER over that Of Last year ~
asked the reporter. s k4e hD41
"WelL yes,n was the reply. "You see we have
had very mild winter and the work OF gathering
In really did not begin until period when, ordl-
nafily, the work ought 70 have been over"