The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1900-06-25

The erraticisms OF Dame Nature
sometimes put her children TO a good
deal of inconvenience. and just now
her vagaries reAcausing the law of
compensation to be stretched to de-
gree which worries.
Wiseacres tell us that IL we have a
warm winter. there will be counter
balance in the form of cool summer
and that If we will but possess our
souls with patience we shall profit in
the end.
Mayhap! But how about the ice
question?
Last summer the householder paid
35 cents a week for the delivery of IL
pounds of ice per day. This year he is
assessed so cents for the same quantity
of CONCEALED water and notices that
the ice man does not leave any unnec-
essary fringe on the piece he deposits
in the box.
In fact. ice is SO high that even
the man who brings 1t appears to ham
die it carefully almost reverently.
Anyone would think that the iceman
was putting up a sure Job on his
the transparent cake drop. Perhaps he
is afraid il will disappear before he
can charge Ii up to the consumer.
Is there reason. any real necessity
for making such sky-scraping rates as
the people are now called upon TO put
up for?
Occasionally a man who has settled
his ice bill and brought himself to the
verge OF bankruptcy by doing so, goes
to the cellar, ana. while communing
with himself, recalls that in New York,
where there Is gigantic ice trust, and
where the people are getting very red
headed because of the rates the COM
bination pulls out of the consumers.
the prices. wholesale and retail are
per cent.
Why?
Go ask the iceman!
Is there trust hereY
Yes. and no,
There has been not a combination OF
the companies but the absorbing OF
one or two. the collapsing of two others
and an agreement arrived at TO stand
by a schedule which was made up some
time prior TO the advent OF hot weather.
DEALERS EXPLANATION.
Here is the explanation offered by one
of the dealers. who did not know that
he was being interviewed for publica-
tion until he had pretty freely expressed
b'-1self:
There are fewer ice companies doing
business here today than there were
two months ago.
"The Drivers Union, which came into
existence last winter storing ice az
Georgiaville and procuring handsome de
Hvery wagons. was a scheme for wnicn
Ed Perry was responsible. IT does not
a fa tOdnV. and
the apparent competition is a dream,
for Carpenter q Son bought out the
whole plant and its equipment last
month.
"Other than Carpenters, the fee COM
panies that are doing anything are the
East Providence, the Pocasset, the Ar
tificiaI and our own. the Crystal.
Don't make mistake. There is no
concealment about the agreement we
are standing by as to rates. That
schedule was not considered until the
last chance of getting pond harvest
had passed.
1--WE took advantage OF the few cold
snaps as they came along and harvested
but half crop. We were no better OF
than the ice dealers OF other states and
when we realized that fact, and had an
opportunity TO estimate what amount
of ice we would have to purchase we
arranged our schedule. basing 1t 10
considerable extent upon the prices
which the big shippers of Maine and
New Hampshire were dewanding. and
also upon the cost OF getting ice here.
"There is an end TO this thing people
don't catch on " because they are look
ing for something else all the time.
FREIGHT COST 81 A TON.
eve pay freight rate Of 81 a ton for
ice shipped co us from New Hamp-
shire. The big ice kings up north de-
liver TO us ut the doors Of their houses.
and from the minute the ice IL I'm the
cars the shrinkage begins. and IL all
counts against us and eventually
against the people.
did you ever hear about the China
mans first experience with ice?
THE Mongolian found IL was wet and
put IL out i'm the sun TO dry.
"Thcn he wanted to kill the iceman.
"Well. our experience isn't quite as
bad as that. for we know how To pro-
tect ice while I'm transit: but take q
day like this and send a car load OF Ice
across the fields from which. sweep tor
rid waves and by the time the consign-
ment reaches here about 30 per cent. or
the ice has been converted into water
and the car has left a wet trail along
the entire route.
New York dealers have an advan-
tage. and great one. over all New
England ice firms. excepting. perhaps.
those whf, do business In Boston. They
a -