Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1885-08-01
THE PRICE OF ICE.
Private Consumers COmpIaiE Of an Un.
just Observation-Disclosures the Com.
Panies Have to Say.

just Dfscrtmina tt0u-Whot the COM
Panies Have to Say.
The announcements in the papers OF the
awards OF the contracts for furnishing ice tot the
government departments has given rise to con-
siderable lively comment and not q little com
PLANT among the private consumers In thle
city. The principal cause of criticism as II
comes through many sources TO THE STAR II
the vast difference in the prices charged to the
government and what are asked from private
consumers For instance, one department 1s
furnished Ice at twenty-seven cents per hun.
dred, while others pay five or six cents more,
and some two cents less than this figure. Last
year, when. through what was alleged TO be q
combination among the ice dealers, the blds fOI
| all the departments were uniformly 45 or AZ
cents. all the bids were rejected, and new let
ting was made with the result that Baio-
I five cents the hundred. This year the
| Washington dealers received the contracts at
| the figures above named. While the price
/ charged 10 the government for ice has gone
| down from AZ cents to an average of 81 cents,
citizens complain that they are compelled to
| They state that when the government was pay
| ing AZ and As for ice in large quantities, SO
| cents did not seem to be an unreasonable price
| for small consumers. But now that the price to
| the government has been SO much reduced, 1t is
| thought that the citizens ought to have the ben
! eft OF lower prices, 1t is further stated that
| special terms are made with hotels, restaurants,
| drug stores, &C., and to those citizens who make
1
| pays his bills and wants to enjoy q quiet life,
/ the old rates are still exacted.
! The above Is in brief the substance of the COM
| plants made verbally and in wiring to THE
STAR, and aregiven this publicity because as ice
! is now one of the necessities of life, the price
paid is matter OF public concern:
Many persons, again, say that they have no
objections to paying fifty cents per hundred for
| ice, or even more, If they could only get the
great difficulty is that they pay for fifty pounds,
when often they get only twenty-five pounds,
and so this class ask THE STAR to say word
In favor OF full and fair weight.
WHAT THE COMPANIES SAY.
In order to ascertain what might be said
from the standpoint of the companies, q STAR
reporter was sent to interview the representa-
tives of the leading companies. and the follow
Ing Is condensed statement of what they have
TO say in regard to these complaints. They say
that their bid of forty-two to fOrty-five cents
made last year for furnishing ice to the govern
ment was on account of the uncertainty about
the freight rates which they would have to pay
for the transportation of the ice to this city.
When boats can get freight for the return trip
the low figures at which ice is furnished to some
of the departments this year allows only for tine
delivery OF Susquehanna or pound ice-an infe-
fior Ice, which private consumers would not
use. For Maine ice thirty-three and thirty
five cents is paid by the government this year,
and this is the quality OF ice which is furnished
TO private consumers in this city. They say
that people who take ten cents worth of ice
want the same rates that are paid by those who
travelled in making deliveries at private houses
il considered; and also the waste of ice during
transportation, the companies maintain that q
higher price Is necessary in order to Ompen-
safe them for the additional outlay. They
further say that the people of Washington get
ice as cheap they do ia Philadelphia Balti-
more, and even IN Norfolk, and that they are
not aware of any general complaint on the part
of consumers i'll this city,. One OF the gentlemen
connected with a leading company said that
far as he was concerned he would be perfectly
willing toenter into an arrangement with the
other companies, 50 as to give small consumers
a fair proportion of the reduction in price en-
joyed by large consumers, but the rate could
not be made much lower than that paid at
present.
PRICES CHARGED THE GOVERNMENT.
From inquiry at the various departments of
the government and the public offices of the
District the following figures are obtained as to
what is low actually paid for ice:
The contract OF the War department for ice
Is with the Great Falls Ice company for 85
cents per 100 pounds. The contract for ice for
the corridors and iabOring force Of the State,
War and Navy department building is with
the independent company at 25 cents per 100
pounds.
The Navy department has not yet awarded
the ice contract for the present year. Both the
independent company and E. NJ. Willis offered
to furnish it at % cents. The Independent
company declined To draw lots for the contract,
and it will be awarded to Willis If the quality
The contract for the State department has not
yet been made Ice was furnished last year by
the GREAT fals company at 40 cents.
The Post Office department pays 33 cents per
hundred pounds, and requires the ice to be the
best kennebec.
The contract with the Interior department
provides for the pay ment OF 81 cents per hum
gred for the best quality of ice.
the contract for furnishing ice to the Treasury
department Is 2S12 cents per hundred pounds,
and Is awarded to Mr.. Willis.
The ice furnished TO the House of Representa-
lives is obtained ut the contract price of rs
cents per hundred pounds.
The price paid by the District Commissioners
for ice Is so cents per hundred pounds, and the
kennebec river ice is the kind consumed The
police station houses and many other branches
Of the District government where ice il, re-
quired Is furnished by orders of the Commits
sloners. The quantity per season does not ex-
coed fifteen tons.
AT the Court house the Great Falls company
furnish by contract from rs to $50 pounds of
Ice daily, at 40 cents per hundred pounds.