New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1880-08-22
OUTLOOK OF THE ICE TRADE.
THE DEMAND IN EXCESS OF THE SUPPLY.

| There have been rum0rs Tor some time past
that country the immediate verge OF an ice
famine indeed according 10 some OF the Ice dealers
would appear all ice in ex1stence-Darrne tnaI
collected about the North and South Poles ana the lie"
stray iceDergs floating here and there, all practcay DC
| yond the market-would not cover the demahos
OF the present season. 1t is certain tnat Ice
| has been selling almost fabulous prices re-
Gently, and while persons claim that the
| ice companies have combined and forced up the
prices others insist that supply Of ice really IS I'M
tied. There unusually small Ice crop IN tnis III
mediate vicinity and the high price OF Ice has greatly
Inconvenience certain merchants who require large
quantities Of it in their business. The butchers and
| fish dealers are among tie greatest sufferers; the
drawers have been annoyed greatly, and many OF the
small consumers. poor families, and others have oeen
compelled regard ice luxury rather than neceS-
sify ana give up the use OF It altogether Tor the ume
being IL said the exporting butchers have lost
great deal of money account II the high price Of ce
which renders the costly by IN time IL reaches
the Other side OF the Atlantic that it cannot be sold at
| profit.
few DAYS ago runor started to the effect that new
Consumers lee Company was about to DC FORMED TOT
| the purpose o. importing ice from Norway No han's
were Given in connection with the pro- ect althon2h
was stated that the wholesale meat and hsh dealers anu
exporters OF meat combining primarily 70 ih'Ort
ice for their IL the experiment we're success
it was said they would bring over sufficient quAnuIy
10 supply every body at price not TO exceed ID OF ~
| cents a hundred pounds
TRrRlSE reporter undertook discover some OF the
hers of the alleged new company. but persistent
canvass OF both Fulton and Washington Markets ana
among many wholesale dealers in meats ana nsh was
unsuccessful although many spoke OF the great dii-
entity of doing profitable business with Ice at IT'S pres
ent figures the meantime was stated that meet
ing Of shippers Of meat Europe and OF large butchers
and Of fsh dealers OF this city would be held at the
/ Continental Hotel last evening. No such meeting was
| held, however.
In order to ascertain the present condition Of the Ice
market the re porter ca led upon number of persons
o,,.,ycd in the ice business Mr. Bal entyue, OF the
Voiclerbocksr Ice Company found nc the office OF
t,o coupauy M. 49, Canal-st He said that the
scarcity had not been felt so severely In any year
so ar back IA recollection extended as during TINS
year. 1870" said he. the leo crop was prooaDy
70 larger than II last winter but the summer FOL
lowing was not as hot anu there such demand,
neither were there so many regular consumers as at
present Considering all things, should not be sur
pris,d If all the Zee stored by all the companies
| would be exhausted before the close OF
| the present season. No new ice VIII De
| formed much before December, and there are many
LINDA Of business recurring ice l all and Pm
afraid some people will find considerable difficulty be-
fore the next crop be gath red IN getting any ice
| at any price,"
HIVE you heard OF movement looking to the I'M
portaon of large quantities OF ice from Norway was
asked.
Ruuors OF something OF the kind have reached u.s. al
though have been unable TO learn the names OF any OF
the persons connected with the scheme However that
movement will not amount TO anything There can he
no pos,ble profit in the importation OF Norwegian Ice;
IN freight charges Will be too great Besides the voy-
age cannot be In less than thirtyve days. ana IN
the meanwhile the ice would probably lose fifty per cent
in bulk so what would eventually get here, THINK
would cost the importers considerably hSher price
than they would have to pay for Ice here consider
roo the possibility accidents that might detaln the
shtps on the way over very slight delay would MAKE
a great deal OF difference to the cargo &c. TOO would
tho condition of the weather be important consdera
ton"
"But has not ice peen brought New York from Nor
way in the past T.
vas. beIieve A few cargoes have been brought.
think that if any Is brought here from Norway now
II will only be brought idea of trying 10 force
down the prices Of NewYOrk companies, but that
will be a failure We dispose OF all the Ice we can
m t the present prices and before the season IL over
tl higher prices Will be demanded. 1t Is SIMPLY case
of .uppy and demand, and the demand IL very much
greater than the supply. The Hudson River ice has
been exhausted entirely the ice now DrouKht 10 this
cttv FOR tina most part comes from Maine, and consid
arabic quantity is also brought from Sew-BrunswicA
and Nova scotia The Maine leo is better than that
aica comes from further north. Tue Norwegian Ice Is
miserable stuf-lttle better than CONCEALED snow. do
not think 1t could be used except for packing freezing
Dur poses. or something Of that kind
How are the prices OF ice this year compared with
the prices last year ~
-" We'll. Inst year we we're able to supply ice to large
consumers at as low a. 81 a This year are get
ting SO a on The dealers who sell TO small consumers
are charging the rate OF 81 hundred pounds'
believe or course prices as the weather varies
when It becomes excessively hot, OF course there Is
much larger demand and ice increases IN price mo
sort OF weather that have now would tend TO reduce
nrices IL were TO continue long but on account or the
small supply prices Will not drop very much Tue
| largest holder in Maine is holding what he mas
left in store refusing S6 ton for it there Even at
that price you imagine how much profit there is IN
s.lling IL at $40 q in NewYork. considering the
cost of transportation In ordinary seasons Ice can Do
bought in Maine for 10 cents a ton"
what do you think OF the possibility Of the manu-
| facture OF artificial Ice ~
..In season like this the production of artificial
ice m ght pay but ordinarily 1t could not In the first
nloca tho miami, and machinery cost about $4,000 :
The machinery break down aud render one ianle
s. tahiitv 70 fuId MS contracts anu the cost
tS w., frn which the ice i. made would alone be
siderabie IL would not pay e. build large machine
SINGLE season. and only IN exceptional years IKE
Is II fact the hgD price asked for Ice at pres
" ent Is int rfpring with certain inlustrieSi"
Yes, suppose It is t. certain extent IL is asserted
that tne exporters Of fresh meats greatly en-
Darrassed BY It, but do not believe things are so bad
with Lhem as has been stated. 49,
The reporter then called al the ONCE OF the New YORK
Ice Machine Company in Fourteenth-st near the Hud-
son River ascertain something concerning the cost
OF manufacturing Augusta j. RDssi wnO with ~.
Tessie Du Motay lately obtained patents Tor
the b nary absorption sysem Of producing artacai
| Ice, showed the reporter t"o ,'oS"'J
n.ined the working OF the machine. When asked con
errltng the producing ice; Mr. Rossi sad tlat
with the machine they were running AZ the lnc they
coud mauufuctu at about ~ tOn mat estimate
Included tho pay OF the engineer ana his asstint the
| ranr nj rhr premlses interest on tho money ln-
vested the estimated and tear or the macbiner)
| Tue has capacity OF SIX tons OF
e cs day and tHs" said Mr. Ross have really
disuosed OF to large consumers al 30 ton we nave
| solr some OF our KnickerOOcker Company.
Uowr.er our business Is not tue manufacture OF Ice
hnt the manufacture of lea machines This IL the third
nacnne we nave up for ourselves hls season; the
otter two sold 10 persons VINO wished them speed
x Nv and wish wat until they We're manu- ac-
q red An Ice M cniuc, whica includes the engine ana
nlant about $4,000. They are not at All liable 10
q re our OF order, viii almost forever. " Tn "a
fyton machine be produced Tor about 81 ton
Iue machine self costs tribe more. bus hat 10 not
ing in COMPARISON with tine Increase % the pron5 from
.. H. In London there larg cOmp9nes engaged ID tne
~ ! manu- acture OF and believe has in inc souh
II