Evening star., 1918-08-08
ICE CREAM SUPPLY
FACING SHORTAGE
Manufacturers Told to Use
Only "Broken" Ice for
Their Purposes.
SENDING AWAY FOR ICE

Washington is now facing an ice
cream shortage because OF the present
seriousness of the local ice situation.
Every effort is being made by the
District food administration, which
has control over the production and
distribution of ice. first to provide the
homes with a sufficient supply. and. as
the drain upon the ice-making ca
pacity of the city has been so great.
steps are being taken to prevent the
use of ice for purposes not considered
absolutely essential.
Broken Ice for Cream Makers.
Ice cream manufacturers have been
notified that they oan use only
broken ice" for their purposes and
that their block ice must be turned
over to the authorities for distribu
ton to the homes. This will neces-
sarily mean a reduction in the dis
tribution of ice cream of more than
60 per cent, the dealers say. One far
seeing ice cream. manufacturer mas
six carloads of ice being shipped to
him from Winchester, Va, and he is
in a quandary now as to whether he
will be allowed to use II for his ice
cream industry or be called upon to
turn it over to the general house sup
ply. He said that if the latter is
necessary he will comply with the
demands.
Despite the fact that every ice
making plant in the city has been
working day and night at full capac-
ity, the increasing demands for ice
make the local situation a difficult
one. However, the local authorities
have no, fear of a situation bordering
on serious shortage or famine.
Ice From Nearby Cities.
To forestaIl such a development ar
lrangements have been made to have
carloads Of ice shipped here from
Philadelphia, Harrisburg. Pa; Frede-
several other nearby cities. Hurry
calls were sent out yesterday to a
;score of cities. but many of them an
swered that their own situation was
as bad as il not worse than Washing
tons. Baltimore. for instance. re-
piled that it was sending outside for
help.
One of the greatest problems of the
situation here is the distribution.
With labor scarce the task of getting
a sufficient number of men to man the
various wagons to distribute the ice
throughout the city has been a most
difficult one.
Another problem of ice distribution
is the heavy drain made upon Wash
ington's ice supply by the various
Army activities in and about the city.
The War Department alone is calling
for $4,000 pounds of ice a day for ice
water and other cooling purposes in
its various Offices.
Homes First, Is Reply.
which has charge of its ice wants has
called upon the local food admins
tration to give it priority over the
ice dealers at the ice plant from
which 1t gets its supply. The head
Of this division was told yesterday by
an official of the administration that
he considered supplying the homes
in Washington more important than
ice water for the War Department.
and that he could see no reason why
preference should be given the latter.
except for urgent purposes.
This question of priority is now be-
ing considered by the local food admin.
istrator, who would make no intima-
ton today of what would be done in
the matter.
Ice cream manufacturers do no,
know how long they will be required
to use only broken ice for their indus.
try but all of them appear willing to
make sacrifices in order rhat the
homes of the city do not waLs for ice
Administrator Wilson today denied
that he had placed any restriction on
the ice cream manufacturers regard
ing the use of ice.