Morning journal and courier., 1880-05-29
Breaking the Ice Monopoly.
How Providence Has Thvarted the Ef- forts ofthe Men Who Speculate Upon the Necessities of Life.

How Providence Has Thwarted the Ef-
 forts ofthe Men Who Speculate Upon
 the Necessities of Life.
 [From the Providence Herald.l
 The ice question assumes new features as fresh developments come to light. It has been given out that marketmen, milkmen and others who use large quantities of ice were obliged to pay $10 per ton, while the price last year was $3 per ton. To consider what should be done meeting of east-side butch was held on May 10 and emplyed an agent to go to Maine He visited the Penobscot and Kennebec rivers, interviewed brokers and merchants and found the outlook so fav- orable for cheap ice that he purchased 5000 tons of ice for less than $2 per ton, and se- cured freight facilities from the place of load ing to Providence for less than S1. 90 per ton, including towage. Without reckoning the shrinkage, this makes the cost to lay down ice here less than f3. 50 ton. The ice is of the best quality, such as is now shipped to the West Indies, to which place or on any voyage of that length only the sound and clear ice is shipped. The ice in question was bought at Brewer Village on the Penobscot, about four miles from Bangor and about thirty miles from the sea. The agent reports that the prices of ice on the Penobscot are $2 per ton for May deliveries, $2.25 for June $2. 50 for July and $2.75 for August. But these are asking prices and are probably higher than selling prices, as the agent bought for May delivery. Two cargoes are now on the way for less than $2. On the Penobscot there is at least 40, GOO tons of ice unsold and a much larger quantity on the Kennebec. Deal CTS are anxious to sell and in many cases take less than the asking price, On the Kennebec the Knickerbocker Ice Company of New York and the company of the same name, of Philadelphia, own and control large quan- titles of ice, most of which was bought or contracted for early in the winter, but there is enough in other hands to supply all needs. The winter ice so called that cut in January and February, hard and clear, and 12 to 14 inches in thickness, can be bought, or has been bought, at prices given in the transac- ton, but March ice is offered at $1.50 per ton. Vessels can be obtained to load for this port, at $1. .25 per ton, to which must be add ed towage 10 cents ton, making the price of ice laid down here only $2.S5 per ton for March ice, which is good as some retailed here for $20 per ton. A dealer from Booth bay Me, has been in this market offering a large quantity of ice. His price at first was $2. 75 per ton but finally he offered it, or parts of it, for $2.25, and as there were no takers, he asked for an offer, which was not given. Another dealer offered to deliver ice to the wharf here for $3. 20 per ton, the price including the ice and freight, and there were no takers. When ice cannot be sold here for S3. 20 per ton, and small consumers are pay ing $2O per ton, it is time somebody woke up. Two Providence buyers, other than the agent mentioned, have purchased ice in Maine, one buying LOGO tons at $3 per ton and the oth- CT about 300 tons under $2 per ton.