The New York herald., 1876-02-25
THE ICE HARVEST.
No Probability Of a Famine During
the Coming Summer.
A Short Home Supply, but an.
Abundance in Maine.
The Indecent Haste Of the Monopolies
in Raising the Price.

gigantic monopoly like the Knickorbocker Ice Com
pany, advanced prices last week nearly fifty per cent
people wondered what had occurred to justify such a
movement Taking advantage OF an open winter and
alleged short supply of last years stock held by
them the various companies with the single excep-
tion OF the Consumers, have forced up prices and
raised the cry Of an impending ice famine. reporter
OF the HERALD has devoted some time to an invostiga-
tion of the condition of tho Market and there not
the slightest justification for
ADVANCE IN PRICES OF FIFTY
While the harvesting OF the crop later than usual
the prospects for average crop still good True,
the mild weather prevented the closing OF the Hud-
son and the consequent cutting Of the usual supply
upon It's surface, but reports from the lakes and ponds
in the interior OF the State the line Of the great
water all agree the crop there will be good
A gentleman who arrived from the great
IoEFIELDs OF THE pKNoDscor
and Kenncbec, in Maine, Wednesday, reports a
bountiful harvest there whilo this article is being
written the frost is congealing the rivers lakes and
ponds of the State, and the prospects good for
average crop of New York State ice. 1t impossible
to estimate tonnage of still held from last
year in the warehouses of the great companies who
bull bear the market at their pleasure but it is safe
to say that it is much larger than they will admit.
Last years harvest was unusually heavy while, owing
to the enforced economy Of effected by the
hard times the consumption last fell far short
of previous years II is safe TO say therefore, that
there in the warehouses Of the companies greater
tonnage than before at this Of the ycaran
overpus that will nearly compensate for curtai-
ment of the crop of this year Is of course the
interests of the ice companies to cry 'iamine" when
there is no famine and while putting up prices
fully mslead the public the stock they have
hand from last year.
1t will be from the OF officers OF companies
given below that they are anxious give plausible
for the unustlablo advance in prices precip
tated by the
KNoKERBocKER's ATTEMPT TO FORCE THE MARKET
The opinions of these officers are given for the
that tho HERALD has desire suppress their
side of the question. The statement that fully
half of tho crop wasted by melting, is startling
which the reporter it would seem, satisfactorily
explain. He spent nearly entire day visiting the
saloons and porter houses of the First and Second
wards and failed to find that than onehalf paid
for the ice they consume in their business The
answer OF many was, so, don't pay for ice;
we get IL from the drivers for drinks.n number had
brother cousin brother. n-law, uncle, or q
friend driving an ice cart, and had Especial arrange
ments" whereby they had dealings with the com
panies 1t is very evident that this is ono Of the
of the alleged meage of half OF the crop
The companies, instead OF advancing prices to their
honest customers, to enable them to declare heavy
dividends, should stop the leakage from their carts
There is no justice IN making the honest consumer pay
for the loss sustained by OF their employees
affection for ponies of brandy and gin cocktails. Ap-
pended the views of the officials referred to-
THE KNIcxERBocKER ICE COMPANY.
The latest directories place the capital of this
pany at 81 600 0o0 and give the officers the follow
ing gentlemen Alfred Barmore, president; f. A.
Smith, treasurer, and L. o. Reeves, secretary. Tho
general impression in the community is that this
pany vast monopoly that directs the movements of
the market and put tho price up down will
That this idea we'll grounded is proven by the fact
that when the knickerbockcr puts up its prices all
other companies, with the single exception Of the Con-
sumers', at once follow in their wake Mr. Barmoro
has been dead for some time, and Mr.. McClay sue
ceeded him as president. few days ago reporter
called at the oce in Canal street. and to the cashier of
the company stated that he had called to the pres
dent as 10 the prospects of a good ice harvest.
"Walk right up stars" said he; ''you will
fnd him there" The reporter found Mr..
McCiay, who admitted that the companies had
advanced prices over last year. but denied that 1t
owing to any concert Of action by the companies.
There was meeting OF officers OF ice companies some
time ago and they had agreed upon sixty cents per
hundred the price for families and forty cents TO the
cash tredc-L butchers, saloon Keepers restaurants
&c lie declared that last years. prices were ruinousy
low and had they continued prevail this year every
man IN the business would be ruined. TWO companies
went into bankruptcy last year, owing to the low prices
that prevailed. The market, he said, last year
much oyerpus as II Is short tns year. lone thing
please bear in mind" said he, "that you can't tell
until about the 18th Of March whether the crop
will be iu short We have gathered but very little
at Rockand Lake, probably not more than 1000 or
5000 tons. BY this time last year We had all our ice
/ housed; the year before 1t was housed month
earlier We have house capacity OF 1000 600 TONS
which will more than supply our custom" He es-
timated that one hall of the crop wasted getting
! 1t to their patrons by meage barges wagons.
Mr. McCay was here informed that out Of seventeen
saloops visited the barkcepers or owners admitted
that they paid nothing their ice but got from the
drivers IN exchange for drinks and this offered as
possible solution OF the shrinkage. He admitted
f.nea Ulrtpf
note of the Information HIS impression that the
crop year the Hudson and the adjacent lakes
and ponds would be short but he admitted that they
would nave large supply in Maine The cost Of trans
porting IL to this CITY, however, would be nom 81 so TO
81 por ton which would keep up the prices he thought
When asked II II was fact that some OF the minor
companies obtained their supply from his company, ho
answered the negative and stated that all the other
companies harvest their own crop II they are short
they go into the open market and compete. The busl-
ness further said had fallen of greatly Of late years
in the provision trade The pork packers for instance
90 TO Chicago, ST. Louis and Cincinnati to cure
their stock because they can ship from these
points TO Europe cheaper than tnoy can from
here Tho matter of cheap transportation
purely. The removal Of these packing establishments
20 the West makes loss to the company of good
many thousand tons per year.
THE SEw YORK ICE COMPANY.
Next to the KnckerbocSer is The New York Ice Com
pany, OF which Mr. Winch is President This gen.
tieman, who has been the business twenty
years sand that he had disposition to exaggerae in
be bad Many Of the large companies were gathering
the ponds along the line of the canals at Schuylers
Vile and Fort Miller and other PLACES and they were
doing we'll HIS opinion was that the crop would not
be more than 10000 200 600 tons short of last
on the Hudson River, but they cutting largely in
Massachusetts aud Maine The KnicKerbocker and
Consumers are harvesting in Maine, and individuals In
the New England states cutting large quantities in
expectation Of a short CROP The supply on hand OF
last years stock he estimated III, 900 The
new schedule of prices adopted the 14th
inst 50 so per ton packed for independent
men, sixty cents per hundred TO families by retail, and
forty cents per hundred to butchers saloon keepers
&C. The price prior TO this advance twenty TO
thirty nvc cents TO the trade and forty cents to fam
| lilies. He estimated the yearly home consumption at
about 600 600 tons. Large crgoes shipped south
every year, chiefly by the knickeTbockcr Company.
The National Ice Company, he said, harvest their crop
chiefly the line OF the Harlem Railroad and secure