The Washington times., 1913-07-17

Investigation of the Government as a
manufacturer OF ice was undertaken to-
day BY 4 committee of Takoma Park.
Nd, citizens, who contemplate the es-
tatlishment of municipal Ice plant in
that town. They found that the Gov
ernment makes ice so cheapiy,- compared
to tie price paid commercial ice dealers.
that a recommendation for the plant in
Takoma is expected The -Takoma
councilmen found that Uncle Sam makes
winter and summer hundreds OF thou
sands of pounds of ice and buys many
thousands besides; that ice can be and
is made in the Government plants for
IL TO 20 cents 100 pounds, and that IL
costs the Government IS to 40 cents the
hundred weight when it is bought of zee
companies.
The saving is greater during the sum-
mer months than the winter, because
the production is far larger when the
mercury is flirting with the top of the
tube, and because the cost of manufac-
tire is approximately the same white
the seEng price of companies Is lower in
winter than.fn surnmers as a rule. !;
The Government uses ice to cool the
water in the drinking coolers from
sands of employees. Drinking water
must be furnished In every building
Where the Government has employees.
Ice water Is net served The ice Is
packed around. the coolers. and whiIs
the water is chilled. It never=comes in
contact with the ice.
Million Pounds a Month.
In summer the production runs up to
approximately 100000 pounds a month
In the Interior, Department 171.s1a
pounds was made in April. 1sI aoo
in May, and last month 1890 pounds
more than in May.
A similar record. is to be found in the
other great departments. The Treasury
has Its own Ice plant and so have the
Postoffice and the Agricultural Depart
ments. One Government plant is Used
70 make ice. for the State, War and
Commerce has to buy its ice and SO
does the Department Of Justice. Secre-
tary Of Labor Wilson's cooler, In SUD-
piled from the Department Of Com
merce. On every pound the Government
buys for the men under Secretaries Red
field and Wilson and Attorney General
McReynolds it is losing money, but
unless ice plants are installed the situa-
ton cannot be remedied. One depart
ment at present cannot make ice and
Sell II TO another, much less give il
away.
The ice plants In all the departments
have to supply more than the buildings
The Treasury Department
for instance supplies ice to the follow
ing buildings:
The Treasury. Winder. Union, Cox,
Small, .Cornweli, Butler. and Court Of
Claims. The Treasury ice plant is cali
ed upon to supply ice to all officials Of
the Treasury The auditor for the Post
office Department Is Treasury official,
with offices in the Postoffice Depart
n:ent building. But the ice which cools
the water in his office has to come not
from the plant downstairs, but from the
plant In the Treasury building.
Supplies University. -.
The Interior Department has to supply
ice to Howard University and the
Freedmen's Hospital. as well as to the
Patent Office, the Pension Office. the
Land Office. the Reclamation Service,
the Geological Survey. the Civil Service
Commission, the Indian Office. and the
Bureau of Education. Nearly all OF
these are in separate buildings.
The Pestoffice Department supplies all
its main branches, besides the big build