The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1878-07-16
OUR ICE.
IS THERE A RING To PUT UP THE
PRECE?
what the wholesale MeD and Manufacture
ers Are DOtnK I'm the Matter.

what the w hOIesale MeD and Manufacture
ers Are DOinK I'm the Matter.
The Ice question has become an all-absorb-
ing one in this community, especially as this
is one of the most heated ones we have expe-
rienced for many years. hat ice is higher
now, much higher than it ought to be with the
facilities for transportation and manufacture,
there can be no question, and that it looks
like ring movement many large consumers
feel satisfied.
Yesterday O. representative received the fol-
lowing succlnct statement Of the condition of
affairs from gentleman who handles large
amount Of the article. In response to the re-
porter's inquiries this gentleman stated
HOW IT IS.
| During the earlier part of the season Of
| 1877 Northern ice was sold to dealers and
| customers at SIS per ton, and Louisiana ice
at S12. Caspar Lusse, the famous beer man,
| bringing down several barge loads Of Western
| ice reduced the price of Mort hpTn ice to SI2
per ton, and after the first Of August this was
the general price, Louisiana ice being also re-
! duced to SO per tOn and 1t was judged that q
profit was made by wholesale dealers at these
| prices.
The short crop of ice harvested for 1878
caused some uneasinesS in the Southern Ice
| market. The Crescent City Ice Company,
| fOreseeing deficiency In the supply OF North
| ern and Western ice, entered into negOtia-
| tiOns with the Louisiana Ice Company for the
amount Of ice to be manufactured at their
works during the year 1878; but previously
! twelve or fifteen retail ice dealers had taken
| the bull by the horns in fOrestalling the Cres-
cent City Ice Company in a contract with the
| Louisiana Ice Company for daily supply Of
1000 to 1000 pounds at the rate of $40 per ton
cash, and, therefore, the Crescent City Ice
| Company were compelled to accept the lions
SHARE or the exclusive balance Of the ice
manufactured by the Louisiana Ice Company
| at the rate of SO per ton cash.
| On the first day after delivery OF Ice as per
contract was begun Louisiana ice WAS whole
| sale and retail in the month of April, 1875 SO
| per ton, and Northern Ice $12, the second
day Louisiana ice under the auspices of the
| Crescent City Ice COmpany's regime, went
up to So per ton, and Northern ice assembled
| to SIS. On the first of May the Crescent City
| Ice Company approaching the sOftneSS of the
situation, advanced the price OF Louisiana Ice
to SIS per ton, and j. r. Warner, the only
| other Northern ice wholesale dealer here, with
perfect understanding, conceded with the
views of the Crescent City Ice Company, in
estimating the value of their Northern ice at
Sl8 per ton.
The public awakening to a sense Of the
| warmth Of the situation, murmuring at the
i rapid increase of glacial values, were told ITO
wait; they had not seen anything yet. which
was earnestly proved by the high price OF
this inexpensive ana lnQiSpenSabie arLlciei
being raised on the fifth of July to $25 per
per ton for Northern ice costing the import
ers, j. r. Warner and the Crescent City Ice
Company, less than $40 IN all per tom, and
$22 per ton FOR Louisiana ice, which is pro-
cured by the Crescent City Ice Company at
the enormous rate of SO per ton. Before put
ting ice up to this price, the Crescent City Ice
| Company called a meeting of the retail deal
ers who had contracts for ice from the Louis
lana Ice Company, and agreed with them il
they would reduce their maximum daily sup
ply to 5000 pounds that the Crescent Ice Com
pany would put Ice up to higher figure, 80
that they would not lose anything and the
Crescent City Ice Company monopolize the
thing more completely, and now they say they
have found flaw in their contract and wish
to absorb the exclusive product of this factory
Theabove, he says, can be verified in every
thing. If such is the case it is time some
remedy should be had before ice goes up to
$50 or $40 per ton.