New-York tribune., 1918-02-23
Distributors Speak After
Director Odell Restricts
Artificial Product
To Save Ammonia
That Chemical Is Necessary
Now for the Manufacture
of Explosives

There is to be no ice famin. next
SKINNER, and the price will not 60 up
not for domestic use This is the as
surance given by ice manufacturers and
dealers on the heels of the order Of
ticially promulgated yesterday by for
mcr Governor b. b. Odell, State Ice
Controller, prohibiting the manufacture
ing of artificial ice after March i in
New York City, Long Island and the
counties bordering on the Hudson, OK
the ice controller.
The restrictions imposed on ice man
ufacture are expected to effect saw
ing OF ammonia, necessary for the man
ufacturc OF high explosives and de-
manded in great quantities by the War
department. Ice manufacturers here
say there will be shortage Of this prod
uct TIL the governments ammonia
plant, now under construction in the
South, is completed. In the meantime,
New York and other cities Of this coun-
try will have to worry along with nat
ural ice harvested this winter and a
minimum of manufactured ice.
Ice Controller Odclls order meets
the approval of the big ice companies
of New York, many of whom arc now
harvesting all :nc ice they can cut on
the Hudson and storing it for the sum-
mer. Wesley NJ. Olcr, president of the
Knckcrbocker Ice Company, said last
any manufactured product, and could
be used in beverages and for any other
purpose in place of manufactured ice.
Must Continue to Make Ice
81 am. not saying this offhand," Mr..
Oler declared. after repeated tests,
we have found that natural ice is purer
than the water you get out of faucet
in your house. II is every bit as pure
as manufactured ice.
"Thcrc is no possibility cf harvest
ing enough natural ice to supply New
York City next summer together with
the artificial ice now on hand, but by
storing away all the natural ice we can
harvest at this time we shall be able
to conserve ammonia, and that is what
u contract with the natural ice dealers
to reimburse them for all the natural
ice they cannot sell. is anxious to pro-
mote its sale.
"But Ex-Governor Odell's order does
not mean that the manufacture Of arti-
fetal ice will be stoppeds entirely, on
March !. 1t means that manufacturers
Will then go under state control and
that they will have to operate under a
license which the state may revoke if
its rules for ammonia conservation are
violated.
Ice Cheapest Of Necessities
"There is no danger Of an ice famine,
and the price for domestic buyers will
be the same as at present, half cent
a pound. 1t will remain the cheapest
of all products in these days of high
living cost. There will be no ice
shortage, because we are taking time
by the forelock Householders in New
York City need not be alarmed
but there is a shortage of ammonia.
The division of chemicals of the ma
tional food administration has re-
ported that this country produced 49,
900 pounds Of ammonia in 1917.
The War Department is demanding
ISL 100000 pounds for explosives.
Heretofore ammonia has been manu-
factured principally from by-products
of coke ovens and packing houses, but
| understand that the big government
plant now under construction in Ten
neseee will produce ammonia from nj
trates extracted from the air.