The Washington herald., 1909-06-06

While the District government is re-
Quired to pay 20 cents a hundred pounds
for the 100000 pounds OF ice II uses in
a season. the washington saloons, hotels,
clubs, grocers. and butchers only pay 25
cents a hundred pounds for ice. and in
some cases where large quantities are
used less figure. ranging from 20 cents
TO Is cents a hundred pounds, is paid.
Ice for domestic purposes in scent lots
IS sold to the housewives at 20 cents a
hundred. the same price charged the Dis
trict government. Although the District
government consumes every season hun
dreds Of tons. it has to pay the same
price charged private citizen. who,
generally speaking. does not use ton
in a season
This inequality IN the prices charged
for ice in the city OF washington has
been discovered by the government sup
ply board. which IS the creation Of Presi-
dent Taft. The board Is required TO con-
slider all bids for supplies need by the
national government. 1t is also charged
with the awarding Of contracts.
Bids Were Rejected.
As a result Of these discrepancies and
inequalities the supply board some time
ago rejected all bids for ice. Proposals
were readvertsed for. and the board was
ing that the previous standard Of bids
which had been rejected was maintained
The first advertisement for bids was
made early in April It called for pro-
posals TO supply fee for al government
departments. including ice needed for the
District
There were two bidders. the American
Ice Company and the Columbia Ice Com
pary. The bids for supplying the de-
partments We're "A cents a hundred pounds
in lots Of 1000 pounds. and "a cents hun
dred for less than 1000 pounds.
For supplying the District government
with ice for the police and fire stations
the morgue. and schools, each company
submitted a bid Of 40 cents a hundred
pounds. the price now paid the Ameri-
can Ice Company in last years contract.
One Bid Received.
DR.. Collins Marshall, Of the general sup
ply committee. said that when the com
mittee opened the bids in April. II
was decided to reject them and readver-
tse for new proposals. Only one bid
was received under the advertisement.
and that was from the American Ice
Company whose proposal was al the
same figures that had been given in the
first bid. The board has had the bid
under consideration for several days, and
on Tuesday next will make its report
and recommendation TO the board OF
award. What the recommendations OF
the general supply committee viii be, DR..
Marshall would not say, because. as he
explained, such matters are not made
public until officially acted upon How
ever he said:
Inasmuch as the board rejected the
original bids. which are identicaUy the
same as the bid made under the second
advertisement, I can see no other way
out Of the matter than for the general
supply committee 10 recommend that
the bid be rejected, and the board of
awards approve the recommendation. and
the government go into the open market
and buy its supply OF ice"
Property Clerk Hargrove. OF the Dis
trict government. said:
The present contract price Maid bv the
District for ice is 40 cents a hundred This
is used in small quantities for police sta
tions. fire engine houses, schools. tuber-
culosis hospital. Washington Asylum Hos
pital, and other institutions
Not pound Of ice is needed for the
new Municipal Building, as it is equip
ped with a plant which cOols the water
supplied 10 all the Offices. The charitable
institution conducted by the District al
Blue Point, on the Potomac. has an ice
plant that produces ice at a figure less
than half Of what It costs under con-
tract The Commissioners are consider
ing the installation Of ice plants IN the
Washington Asylum Hospital and tuber-
Culosis hospital
George F Shaw, assistant superintend.
ent Of the Post-Offlce Building. where
On ice manufacturing machine has re.
Gently been installed says that after q
weeks trial II has been demonstrated the
machine can make ice as good as The
best high-grade ice for less than 60 cents
a ton. The machine IS run by surplus
power. no skilled labor being necessary
20 operate H.
Pay % Cents "A Hundred Pounds.
representative OF The Washington
Herald made the rounds OF clubs, hotels
saloons. and other places where ice il
greater or smaller quantities is consume,
daily. and found that the average. pric,
IS 25 cents a hundred. In some places
where large quantities are used. the pric,
IS % cents a hundred.
At the ice plant Of the Chapin-Sack,
Company, in the northeast. large pro
ducers Of artificial fee, the manager salt
the company sold ice at SO a ton. or a
the rate OF Is cents a hundred, and II
larger quantities at a less figure Smalle
quantities are sold at 20 and . cents
hundred.
Dies of Heart Trouble.
",