Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1918-04-30
PRICE OF ICE TO
REMAIN SAME TO
SMALLC CONSUMER
Cost TO Be Increased Only to
Purchasers of Large
Quantities
Food Administrator Tells the
Nations Dealers Not
to Profitcer

The shortage of ammonia and i'm
creased labor costs will not cause
the imitation of ice prices here this
summer it was learned to-day
The United Ice & Coal Company
which controls much % the ice sup
ply in Harrisburg and vicinity. is
preparing a readjustmsnt of prices
to regulate the sale of ice this sum-
mer. The readjustment will keep
the price of ice in small quantities
10 private consumers at the same
nsure as last year, the company Of
hcals said. and the only increase
VIII be in the price of ice sold in
large quantities. This increase, II
was said. will not be great.
Hoover Actu
As n reminder that the sale of ice
comes under the control of the Food
Administration. measures to prevent
any imitation of ice prices have been
taken by the Federal Food Admins
tration. These measures include the
submitting of ice price lists to the
local food administration for approx
al before they are charged The To-
cal food administrator this morning
manner of the United Ice & Coal
Company of readjusting their prices
The measures announced by Her.
bert Hoover in regard to the sale of
ice states that the Food Admins
tratfon is particularly concerned that
there shall be no profiteering i'm ice
for the future, and especially that
the cost of ice to that portion of the
community which is least able to
protect itself shall not be increased,
unless absolute proof can be given
by ice, companies as to such a ne
cessity.
Based on Pre-wnr Profits
ANY increase in price over that
of last season to the. household con-
sumer will, therefore, justify investi-
CATION as to whether it constitut es
profiteering, and profiteering will be
defined on the basis of the trade $
profits in recent p1 e-war years.
"All ice dealers will be required
to file any proposed schedule of in
creased prices, together with figures
as to cost and distribution, before
these increases are put into effect
and no increase to the household
consumer shall be made until after
investigation by the Food Admins
tration.
"A very important feature OF the
ice ruling is that in which provision
shall be made with regard to unfair
practices, and in any case of pro-
posed increase in price there will be
an investigation of the tendency to
make unreasonably lower prices. pro-
duction and distribution consid cred
to commercial users than to domes-
tic consumers.
A Local Problem
THE Food Administration recog-
nizes the fact that the ice problem
essentially is a local one, and it is
not it's purpose to intervene where
local dealers do not increase prices
or where they come TO an arrange
ment with municipal authorities
which shall be satisfactory both to
dealer and consumer.
"If, however, such an arrange
ment cannot be made between the
ice dealers and the local authorities
in cases where an attempt is made
to unreasonably increase the price of
ice to the consumer, an investiga-
ton will be made an1 an attempt
made to arbitrate such differences.
In case arbitration to settle n fair
price fails, then the administration
will step in and in the interests of
reasonable prices will exert all the
power at it's command and put the
full force of the food laws in opera
tion among the ice handlers in that
locality.
by the arbitration method be-
tween the local authorities and ice
dealers it is believed that there will
he few cases where an appeal to the
Food Administration authorities will
be necessary"