Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-06-15
ALLEGED ICE TRUST
Grand Jury May investigate the
Situation.
LOCAL DEALERS SUMMONED
Meeting This Afternoon in q. s. At
torney's Office.
MANY RUM0Rs IN CIRCULATION
Number of Subpoenas Issued-Pre-
diction Of Famine-Law Of
icers Maintain Silence.
LOCAL DEALERS SUMMONED
MANY RUM0RS IN CIRCULATION

There Is a weIl-dehned rumor in circula-
tion that the government Is investigating
conditions with a view to developing
whether or not there Is an Ice trust OF suf-
hcient proportions to justify calling the sit
uation to the attention of the grand jury.
1t was ascertained today that large num-
Der OF local retail ice dealers had been In
vited to appear at the Office of the United
States district attorney this afternoon to
tell what they know of the situation.
1t was not stated in the notices what the
purpose of the inquiry is nor what 1t is
expected to develop, but dealer expressed
the opinion that the investigation has
grown out of the predictions made of an
ice famine and the reported increase In the
price of the commodity. There Is reason
TO believe that Ice will be scarce this sum-
mer, but whether through manipulation Of
trust or otherwise is not definitely known.
The law officers declined to discuss the
matter and would give no information re-
garding the proposed investigation.
Several of the dealers in the northern
part or the city stated that they had not
been summoned to the hearing, but said
that the price of Ice had been raised from
twenty cents to twenty-five cents per hum
dred pounds within the past week One
dealer said that the wholesale dealers are
also giving smaller pieces of ice for five
cents than before. Where eight pieces
had been cut from a hundred pounds be-
fore they are now cutting them into ten
and twelve blocks, which is at rate Of
more than forty cents per hundred pounds.
Talk of Famine
While the ice supply on hand in the city
Is running lower than 1t has been for sew
eral years, the representatives of the local
ice companies state that there is no imme-
date danger of an ice famine, and they
hope to be able to control the situation I'M
less the summer should be an exception
ally hot one
The shortage of ice here Is due to the
fact, 1T Is claimed, that the ice crop on
the Maine rivers and other fields in the
north was very light last winter. less
than half the usual crop being cut and
on this supply New York and the other
big cities In the north have to depend as
they are but poorly equipped with plants
for the manufacture of ice for domestic
use. Ordinarily at this season of the year
the big ice houses on the wharf are filled
and numbers OF vessels are on their way
here with cargoes of Ice from the Maine
fields.
So far this year only two cargoes of ice
have been brought here and the total
amount of ice now in the storage houses
on the water front is only about 1400
tons-not days supply If this was all the
however. ten O. twelve plants making from
20 to $40 tons If ice per day. The big plant
of Chaplin Sacks whose capacity has
Just been doubled, will in few days be
Brewing Company plant has a capacity Of
$50 tons per day; the Hygienic Ice Com
pany's plant. Us tons per day; Purity Ice
Company. 100 tons per day: Home Ice Com
pany, 40 tons per day now. but will shortly
be making over so tons. as the capacity of
the plant Is being doubled; Crystal Plate
Ice Company. rs tons; No. 3 American Ice
Company. 80 tons per day; Washington Ice
Company. 20 tons. and three or four small
plants together making about so tons. This
gives total output of $40 tons per day for
use in the city.
There is In storage at this time. It Is esti-
mated. at the ice plants and In the houses
on the wharf. in all about 10000 tons
On the basis of former years about 1 800
tons of ice Is used in this city daily in hot
weather. During the cool weather of this
week the aver ge has been considerably be-
low this. but an ordinarily warm day
in summer 100 tons will be used This is
631 tons per day in excess of the output or
the factories, which has heretofore been
supplied from the Maine fields. The 10000
tons on hand will supply this deficiency for
nearly three weeks, and by that time it Is
hoped that cargoes of Ice from the north
will have arrived here.
Vessels Under Charter.
The American Ice Company has under
charter two big four-masted schooners, the
ba