Evening star., 1919-07-30
JUMP IN ICE PRICE
BRINGS PROTESTS
Health Authorities Order Of
tenders to Restore
Old Figures.

VIu ffguFeSs
DEALER OFFERS FIGHT
Out Of washington's lee shortage
situation today. came q skyrocketing
of prices and . deluge Of complaints
on the District building.
Health Officer William c. Fowler
was prepared for it. So was the Ice
conservatien committee named By the
Commissioners.
Must Restore Old Prices.
Dealers who have made unwarrant-
ed jumps in their prices were told
they would have to come back to the
normal rate or their supplies weuld
be cut of.
Several retailsrs were haled to the
health offlce and given some plain
talk by the health officer. They ap-
parently went away with the inn
preston that he meant business.
One Dealer OHefe E1S0ts
One Of the dealers, ommunieating
subsequently with DR.. Fowler over
the telephone, said he had employed
an attorney and would tight any eI-
fort that might be made to Keep MIN
from increasing the price OF lee. he
justified the Jump on the ground that
he is buying ice at different place.
which necessitates longer haul.
The health ofacer said that as Tar
as he has been informed. there mas
sssn no ,asFes. in price, somsiasts 81 sas
have been against retailers, he stat.
ed. inspectors of the department.
were instructed this morning to give
the situation every attention safes
at the platforms, as well as By re-
tail dealers and "hawkers, VIII Dc
watched closely.
High Price Complaints.
Prices have advanced to 81 , hsns
dfed pounds, according to some Of
the complaints that poured into the
District building this morning. Cons
plants OF 20 and 80 per cent charges
!: were the most freauent. the normal
pfice being SO cents hundrse' oe-
livered at the house. :.
Assistant Health Officef Norris IL
directing the Investigations that are
being made In connection with the
charges Of unwarfanted price IN
f1ations.
with members of the conservation
committee this morning. and his pur.
nose to put the pro1teers eut OF
business, II necessary, met with their
immediate approval.
W. B. Westiake, president oi the
4 member OF the committee, was pro-
ytded with 3 desk in DR.. Fowlers Off
nee this merning and at once save
his attention to the price feature OF
the ice problem.
The conservation conifhittee did not
meet today. Or. Fowler ana his e.
sistauts feel the situation is greatly
improved as result of the decisivn
reached yesterday TO peol the sarpias
stocks OF the several companies, eU
that there might be lee fer sale on all
platforms throughout the city tedAys
while there il an admitted short
age Of lee, there is no sfeae dangsr
VIII be experienced II eiti4ens bfae-
ttce economy In the use of Tee the
IT am more interested In the dusss
ton Of prices than in the danger OF
the shortage reaching famine bf0por-
use al means AZ my command to pro-
tect the public in the matter Of prices
as well as supply. There will be no
pfofiteering IL this Office ean prevent
The most stringent measures. IL hsca
s ss & Vim sH s's q sss Supplies ts 'es e &
fenain6 dealers"
Aun on Ice Plants Continues.
rae run on the s.basket platforms"
Of ice plants about washington con-
tfn1tAd t0flaY
Al dawn this morning early ics
seekers started a line At the platform
Of the Chapin-Sacks Company, at LIST
and N streets northeast. At 9 e'eleek
the line had grown until the queue
of iceiess Washingtonians reached
New York avenue, three squares away,
and turned down the south side OF this
avenue toward North Capitol street.
The quota was TWENTY-FIVE pounds per
It is estimated that at this plant
alone 5000 Washingtonians would be
served with more than 12s.000 pounds
OF ioe before hiShtfall
similar lines formed in front Of the
Heurieh plant, At 2sth. and, Water
strestA Approxim,stss;iy l iso.eeo M pounds .,sa
form patronage.
AZ the ave plants Of ths Amefieah
Ice Company-at 18th and p streets
northeast 10th and v streets north
west. in Georgetown, On Georgia aves
mus northwest, ana At the American
that 1900 persons will be served be.
fore dark with almost 1Saoo8 pounds
OF lee.
Distribution Il Main Worry.
LAsss ice dealers throughout the
city report the situation we'll In hand,
with conservation. There IL lee
enouef for all in Washington II
proper economies are observed. u Ii
declared at the plants, the only tfou-
BILE being In distribution.
The present situation is expeeted TO
continue with q decrease In severity
Barge loads OF 1,o00 tons of ice are
expected to begin arriving In the city
from the Hudson River lee Company
during the early part Of next week.
The freight alone on this Ice, it was
stated is more s than q per ton. The
river tonight and arrive in this city
four or Ave days later. The American
Ice Company Is the consignee OF the
ice. An order fer all the ice which
could be secured was put to the Hud-
son River Company.
The Home Ice Company IL endeav0f-
ing to supply the middle northwest.
At this point rs at many others long
basket lines were formed early this
morning. A policeman has been as
signed to each line throushout the
generally are in good humor and
theirs is no trouble, police say.
Little Ice in Drinks.
At soda fountains in many sections
of the city lee was served with some
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