Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1899-02-01
AMERICAN ICE co.
CONTINUED from page ~

Valley Forge, to secure their harvest
and each year found them moving fartn
err still, in order to keep pace with the in
creasip,s demand. This continued unri
interests on the Kennebec river, ant
came to Maine.
The reason of the company coming tC
Maine was in addition to the natural adj
vanta&es of the Kennebec river that the
rates of freight We're no more than they
were within a distance Of 80 miles OF Phil.
adelphia. The extra quality of kennebe,
ice was at once recognized in that city
and was followed by demand for thai
quality.
The same conditions apply to the
Cochran-Oler Ice Co. of Baltimore ano
the Great Falls and independents oi
Washington, j. G. Wherever Kennebet
ice was introduced ii at once became the
standard There was a further increase
of companies, referred to above, TO fill the
great demand. and in addition hundreds
of individuals stepped in TO assist. Dur
ing years of failure in the south all OF
these companies found a speculative
business in Maine, but when there wa:
ice enough in the South. the Maine com
panies and individuals found their occu
patton gone.
All kinds of speculative growth in
creased in Maine until the year 1890
Since that time, however. the spectators
and commits s!on merchants have beer
forced out of business by the regular
dealers, who have consolidated then
ent principles, and at the same TIME
made ii less speculative.
In 1880, Charles W. Morse of the Morse
Ice Co, went to New York and entered
the Ice business with the different COM
panies of that city as retailer. There
is no question or doubt that Mr.. Morse
found the business there and the method
of transa citing impossible within any
margin of profit. for his first step there
was to form the Consolidated Ice Co
which was made up of all the princlpa.
retailers III New York, and the Morse Ice
Co. of Maine.
Since that time the Consolidated Co.
has been operating its large plants on the
Hudson river and filling up any shortage
from its Maine capacity. and has each
year reduced the price of ice to It's
customers in the city of New York. The
same is true in Philadelphia, Baltimore
and Washington.
a step further in the expenditure of
money TO maintain the present low rate
to their customers. by the Introduction
of ice machines, to operate in connection
taught that during the early spring and
late fall the machine, or artificial. ice.
can be produced at less expense
than that which would of necessity be
incurred by shipment of the product OF
Nature. In not weather, however. the
machines cannot he operated at prott.
and natural ice is used. There need be
no fear that the ice machines viii ever
kill the industry on Maine rivers. and the
sole object in introducing the ice NIT
chimes is to lessen the cost of production,
thereby to keep the price of ice down. ana
within reach of the consumers.
1t is folly for disinterested or outside
parties to think that by the consolidation
of ice companies it is intended to advance
the price of Ice to the consumer. The real
intent is to lessen it. The mana cement
Of all the companies during the past ten
years have done that very thing.
a reasona BILE estimate of the effect of
this move ment, would be that the ice
business will be increased rather than de-
creased in Maine That instead of being
variable. shipments will be more regular
and at the same time larger.
AS for the rates of wages paid to ice
workmeu, there is not any industry in
New England that is paying as high II
rate of wages for common labor as is the
ice industry. Furthermore, regarding
the reduction of rates. not Il word has
been heard
1t is evident. from the history of the
past, that the American Ice Co. Is IA nee
ness. The consolidation of ice COM
pasfies is but a natural growth in supply
TO keep pace with the demand. and Is OF
necessity conducted on business prln-
ciples Ii is tout another case. on larS-
or scale, Of course, of the legitimate busi-
ness man ana the huckster. where the
former has an established scale of prices
main .aned everywhere while the latter
sells from door to door, for whatever
price he can get.