The sun., 1890-06-07
AT THE MERCY OF MAINE.
TEE ICE WE NEED rs BEBD AT HISR
FIGURES UP THERE.

AaA what We are AeoSsto.ea to as. as a
n Luxury 90 be had by the Rlch Alone.
Tho ice question Is assuming more serious
aspect every dny. and II the truth were known
there ia scarcely dealer in this town who does
not expect that the first OF September will find
him without any Ice with which TO I'LL his
orders. Although there Is still a vast quantity
OF Ice in Maine, the harvesters OF 1t are deter
mined to make as much profit as possible out
OF this city. and are holding It in spite Of the
fact that much Of It, being inadeduately stored,
IA running 10 waste. An old dealer In this city
said yesterday that the present scarcity OF Ice
is something that this city does not experience
once in twenty years. and that when the time
comes that we have to look to foreign cities for
our supply we are made to suffer for our
neglect OF those cities In times OF plenty. Ono
ice dealer ia advertising ice at IS u ton. but
this is at the pier. and even at this price he
claims that there is very little profit In It. W.
A. Heyward, who has charge OF the business
for c. l.. Rlker. a wholesale Ice dealer said
yesterday that all the ice they have on hand Is
not more than 800 tons, and that It all came
from Maine.
Indeed. there is no other place." he said,
whore we can hope to get supply at terms
that will enable US to compete with other
dealers. We can take from 5000 to 5000 tons
aday and store 1t properly. We have to ac-
cede to the demand Of the Maine harvesters.
because our neglect OF them In the past has
made them careless OF US. and determined
that what ice they sell US shall yield them
big profit. Maine always supplies the Southern
markets. and Phlladelphia's chief supply comes
from there. They never get any New York
trade. except in time like this whom there is
a great scarcity OF ico. and when we are COM
pelled to enll upon them they make thoir own
terms with us and We have to accede to them;
charter r' Mains "Hs vessels for transp9rtation.
and pay for this service all the way
S toua as :aiT, the to e ssP S Sa iGS
transportetlon would be great not greater
The aentJ o Ice in With
hope Of profit preyents, 1, US from getting ing any any
ana Gains. The ordinary run for q sailing
xHisS SP this s time IS is a % dSubod and
there have been occasions when It has taken
tel loaded with leo is delayed from any cause
for two weeks the meltage is SO great as TO
DfSf9P Mr. Howard W raw Was askSd how much ice .hero
was in Maine and ho said he did not think the
tuppy tps witch M aSoat halt what Il takes to sup
ply this city. Brooklyn. and Jersey City ono
'7Of course" he said. 80 much as this will
not be used this season. because the cost OF ice
will be 80 high that the poor people will not be
used about So per cent. and make 1t possible
that the supply may meet the demand and be
II II should become necessary for us to bring
the ics, here by railroad the freiRhts would
inersased pairoad eonpSny G st would tS I oharGe
$50 ton to bring Ice here from TiconderoRa,
an % for us to
purchase ice ip. because Syracuse. Rochester.
,It tiaa ~ 1ty ont n a 20 nj nai
asking ss5 ion {' WHICH VI ' oSeP Sef
son some q them are e. hone Ice IN the hope SSS
q Getting g a ton for it in July and August.
you, you viii see that Ice is lot as high as it Is
go Of Ice arriving here is delayed TWO or three
days before It can be unloaded. For this delay
d lac ns t4@ tRe s
IN our own storehouses many Of the Maine
In stacks and seeing i melt into a smaller
fsy a%eps %Sss
he ean to ous anyWsere
even. There is hardly an Ice company OF any
CONSEQUENCE in this city that has not contracts
nish Ice this sumpef at last summers rate. 1t
Is hF to hear dealers say
at 4 loss @ Of from IS 70 q 2 ton. Nv ','i' 0A'
This statement makes It clear that the losses
the dealers have to face are those arising from
the cupidity OF the Maine harvesters, the In
creased cost of transportation. and the necessity
OF selling ice to those who have contracts with
them at less than tho market rates. But these
dealers have increased the cost OF ice to con-
sumerS and families nearly so per cont. 80 that
the loss fallR. upon the small consumer. It Is
pot the email storekeeper who losee anything
BY the increased cost OF Ice; It is the citizen;
drinks because ice 10 dear. Under the crcum-
stances IT is impossible for the, poor man to
0ity. and as he cannot afford luxuries he goes
without IL. Ten per cont increase In the cost
2: ice to tho etorekeepor means an increase of
A story was told yesterday by man who
went to his laundry for his shirts, and discov-
cred that he had to pay three cents moro for
them than usual He asked the reason for this
advance in price. and was told that It was due
10 the increased cost OF ice.
What has ice got to do with the laundry
business :" he asked.
My men drink ice water" was tho answer.