New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1896-04-17

These prices are carefully marked present
time only" pretty fair indication that these
are likely to be advanced as the mercury chhioS
toward the boiling point. 1t Is said that 'he
combined companies have organized scheh'
by which they think 1t will be impossioie u
sell ice at prices lower than those they nave
fixed Last year the grocers saicohAeepe'''
fsh-deaers and cash trade PAID ~ CENTS
hundred pounds; this year the price ID ~ GEMS
u,hue the Restaurants. butchers and confec-
toners prices are advanced from 10 10 20 CENTS
a hundred pounds.
Mr. FLYNN keeps a saloon and restaurant al NO.
240 Flushing-ave.. just oppos'te the newly
buildings OF the Wallabout Market ne S"''
Yesterday: II told the drivers Of the knicKer-
booker company from which have been getting
ice more than thirty years. that would not pay
the advanced price. They told me tha'
would have to go without any Ice then. i"a'
independent ice devercrs sold Ice under the scaie
laid down. they would be fined Is TOT the "i'.
load s. for the second load. and II they infringed
a third time. they could not get any more '0'
from the consolidated companies.
Secretary Reeve. OF the Consolidated Ice Con'-
pany. was asked last evening II TINS story was
true. and he replied that there was aosoiu'e',
no truth in IT, as far as he knew. and that ne had
never heard or Sucn e tniHB do hh'he WV
OF independent ice wagons
One effect Of the sharp rise in prices Is that the
owners Of the ice-makng plants are preparing
for work The largest Of these Is the HYGIENE
Ice Company. at Bond and Douglass SITS the
,r.s,d.r. ~ the company is John II. O'Rourke.
who was seen at his Office, No 40 court-st. yes
tsrdav afternoon When asked about the ao-
vance In prices he said
Yes: kno7 Of the advance but II Is not 10 oe
wondered at Why. they were selling Ice LOT
- shillings a ton on the platforms Now. you
take Kennebec ice such as they were selling TOT
81 so n ton DO you suppose that 1t could De
cut and harvested for Is cents ton1 Haro'y
well. how far can 1t be hauled by rail- and then
loaded into sea goins schooners. brought here' ana
sold at a profit for that price! II couid not DC
done: all these companies were losing money anu
the more ice they sold the more money they iost.
Az matter OF fact. none Of them paid dl'ioeho
during the last three years. ana the ast one ,l,s
the X nickerbocker paid should have been put INTO
re niant which was going to pieces. instead OF
into the pockets OF the stockholders
Are you IN the combneY
he satisfied to sell our artificial ice at the scales
for SO a ton. This does not OF course Include
the cost OF delivery. We make about lZo TONS
dav The Red Hook plant makes about half OF
that amount so does the Coney Island plant, ana
then there Is Beran's plant In Greenpoint we
made Ice right along all winter. and nave ABOUT
400 tons stored away in our icehouses now
was I asked to come into the combination:
Well I hardly know how to answer. was ana
I was not. II was not what could De caheu an
official proposition might put II In THIS way
You say you are from The Tribune don't
doubt your statement but don't know as
matter OF fact that you are. I am not going
to Join anything OF the kind
James Murtha, ex-Deputy Commissioner OF
CIV Works is the owner Of the Coney Island
plant He Endorsed Mr.. ORourkes statements
and said he would begin work on May l.
nrominent saloonkeeper near the City Hall
said that men In his business were getting M
right and left. He complained bitterly OF the
increase In the prices OF Ice, especially as the
saloons are being charged higher rate tnan
butchers and restaurant-keepers. He said that
n scheme had been proposed to him to use chemi-
cally produced cold air for storage, SO that no
ice would be absolutely needed except FOR mixed
drinks at the bar He said the plan worked well
in Chicago. and he had no doubt 1t would be IN
troduced here. o..
One effect that the rise In prices Is certain 70
nroduce Ia an Increase In the number OF Ice
making plants in this city.