The Washington times., 1906-07-02
Washington Companies
Unable to Supply Half
the Demand.
HOSPITALS IN NEED
ConfeCIioners VIII Build Big
Plant to Supply Needs--50
Tons Daily for Public.

Threatened with the loss Of hundreds
OF thousands of dollars as a result of the
ice famine which now has Washington
in it's grasp. the confectioners OF the
city today inaugurated a movement for
the erection of monster ice plant
which VIII manufacture sufficient ice 70
supply ali the confectioners Of the Dis
trict and provide daily supply Of fifty
tons for sale TO individuals and outside
concerns.
Forced TO Build Ice Plant.
They have been driven to this step
because they say the manufacturing ca
pacity OF all the ice plants in Washing
ton can under the most favorable cir
cumstances supply but one-third Of the
demands for ice. and the exorbitant
prices which are now quoted have al
ready greatly reduced their earnings,
and are calculated to make stiH greater
inrOads on their profits A meeting will
be held by the Confectioners' Associa-
ton Of the District IN a few days, ac-
cordlng to the present plan, and an at
tempt will be made TO begin the build
ing Of the plant within the next few
weeks.
But the confectioners are not the only
ones stricken by the ice famine in
al people and business concerns a
chorus of complaint against the failure
Of the ice companies 10 provide for the
demands of the people. Even the hos
p.tals. where people lay in the tortures
OF fever and at the door of death, there
was Il scarcity Of this product which Is
considered so necessary TO human COM
fort that Il has long been the custom
Of charity organizations TO give IL away.
Ice Prices to Double.
The price of ice today was quoted at
SO q ton, and on the Fourth Of July,
81 is confidently predicted. the cost will
be $50 a ton. As long as the hot wea-
ther continues there seems every indi-
cation that the price OF ice, both whole
sale and retail. will be on the rise.
In speaking of the situation today, a
well-known manufacturer said;
The trouble about this whole thing
is that the capacity for manufacturing
ice in the District OF Columbia is so
limited that two-thirds of the demands
must go unmet by the fee dealers, who
seem 10 have little or no natural Ice
on hand We are In the face of an
awful ice famine. The difficulty in get
ting coal last winter was as nothing
compared 10 what the people of Wash
ington are facing IN these days of ex-
treme heat and lack of ice.
Ice Famine Will BE Awful.
The Ice companies have been say
ing that they have ice on the way from
Maine, but 1 have also been told that
they have taken no such steps at all.
and owing to this inaction on their part
IL seems TO me that Washington VIII be
confronted with this ice famine all sum
-,
contemplate.
I have letter today from an ice
dealer In Maine who has his icehouse
filed TO the caves with Ice ana who is
willing to sell 1t at almost any price.
] have also been told tAat 2 certain
ice company here says that II takes two
or three weeks to get ice from Maine
70 Washington. This know to be IN
true. Such statement does not stand
20 reason
1T seems to me that what IS known
as the Ice trust has very effectually
Cornered the supply. l do not say that
this was intentional but at any rate IL
is an accident which is being remedied,
If at all in 4 dilatory way. which is
calculated to swell enormously the
profits OF the ice companies.''
Not only are the confectioners I'D ice
cream manufacturers and other con-
Germs who use large quantities of ice
hard hit by the present famine but
such places as small restaurants also
suffered today from lack of Ice In
many popular restaurants today the
management refused 10 serve iced tea
because they had not enough ice for
such purpoes nor hardly enough to keep
milk cold.
As for the fate of the householder Of
moderate means who must have ice
every day, II now seems impossible to
speak with any certainty of how high
the price Will be run up. From being
80 cents hundred pounds, ice will go
tnto the class Of iuSuries. and be quot
ed anywhere from 81 to 81 a hunur.
pounds. If something is not done to
supply the deficiency
Ihe home lCc Company, according 20
reports today is looking after It's repv1l-
lar customers. but refuses to sell to
outside parties until it's regular Gus
toners have been supplied.