Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1918-03-07

usual demand from Philadelphia, they
should insist on being paid more for it
than the price they charge their regular
customers
Natural ice brought here from 'ho
Maine fields would probably cost So OF
! 81 ton at the wharves, even II barge,
could bs obtained TO transport IL Anu
the wastaEe Is such that only about 90
per cent OF the amount purchased ti
Maino would be left by the time II
reached the consumers doorstep
A survey Of conditions throughout the
country made by the Ice and ltefrigera-
ton magazine, in its February ISSUE
concludes:
Operators throughout the country re-
port a light demand from ice manutac-
turers for direct shipment Of water ice
| This is In part accounted for owing 10
the lessened demand Incident to the eN-
coptionally cold weather prevailing Tor
the last few weeks throughout all parts
OF the country.
Another factor entering into nc &C.
niand OF the manufacturers for natural
ic. IL the fact that most manufacturers
have comparatively small storage la''-
tiles and II has not been found possip!.'
even where deemed desirable. TO mate
rally increase storage capacity. hl'e
IL IL certain that both the natural zee
men and the ice manufacturers are max
ing every effort TO cooperate Win inc
food administration. and while thefe is
little doubt that all available storage
capacity Will he filed before the emu OF
the season. there is still much qu0atloh
az to whether the practical difficulties
In the way will permit OF thc fun real
izatIon OF the food administration eN-
pectations on the score Of ammonia con-
serVation by tho use Of natural ice.
As to the harvesting of ice. this jour-
nal says:
Reports throughout the country in
dicatc extreme difficulty and consdera-
Tie extra expense IN harvesting natural
fee owing 10 the cold weather. labor con-
ditions and unusually heavy SHOWS
throughout the last several weeks. OPP
erations as a rule are on basis OF
100 per cent expense and 70 per cent
results"
IN TIE PoCoNo DISTRICT.
Conditions in the Pocono district are
described by the Mountain Ice Com
pany, OF 'Iioboken, \. j.. one Of the
largest harvestcrs Of the Pocono supply,
ns follows
owing TO the extremely heavy ice
and frequent snowfalls. we are expert
encing most trying winter. which ts
preventing us from running anywhere
near full capacity. However, we have
secured about 80 per cent OF the crop,
and the indications point fevorably to
being able TO AL our capacity; but. nat
urallv, owing 20 adverse conditions, at
a very high cost. From information we
have. all operators in and about this
section are operating under the same
handicap. We understand that In many
localities in southern New Jersey, Della
ware md the Perkiomen district the
hsrvesters are well toward the compile
tion of operations"
The American Ice Company Is the
only concern in Philadelphia which
maintains its own force OF men and
wagons to deliver It's manufactured ice,"
said the official previously quoted. 1t
does this for its customers benefit, for
there Is no profit to the company in
maintaining this service. So far as we
are concerned, we would be willing to
give Il up tomorrow"
pLANS TO LESSEN COST.
Plans 70 reduce the cost Of ice by ef-
fectinK economies IN It's delivery,
through combining the delivery service
OF dealers serving the came routes, are
under consideration b. the commercial
economy board of the Council OF Ma
tional Defense. On this point Mr. Mer-
riil says: 1T might be possible for the
food administration 10 make individual
agreements with various ice dealers that
they would allow their product to be
distributed through an agency designat-
ed by the food administration"
Failing the adoption OF such plan.
a demand for increased wages on the
part of ice wagon drivers and helpers
during the coming season will give &C.
casion for the ice concerns to advance
the price of ice still further.