ANNOUNCEMENT IS MADE BY THE ICE COMPANIES that the quantity of last Winter's harvest on the Hudson is one-fourth smaller than that of the previous year. Let us hope that this is not a prelude to an increase in prices. Such a movement on the part of the companies would be without the shadow of justification, but the public have suffered so many wrongs and are so accustomed to submitting to overcharging that it would be difficult to astonish them by the infliction of any outrage. The ice gathered the past season ought to be sufficient to furnish an abundant supply for two years, if necessary.

THE RECENT SUGGESTION OF GENERAL HENRY W. SLOCUM as a possible candidate for Collector of the Port of New York provoked considerable comment, and, in the course of gossip, a controversy concerning the General's attitude in the last Presidential canvass. Some persons who indulged in adverse criticism insisted that General Slocum did not vote on election day, and that he did not even take the trouble to register. The record of registration, prepared by the Board of Elections, shows that Henry W. Slocum, aged 57 years, was registered in the Eleventh Election District of the Twentieth Ward. Moreover, the poll list shows that the General on election day voted the entire ticket.

THE RESIGNATION OF WILLIAM M. IVINS from the office of School Commissioner in New York City recalls his activity in Brooklyn politics and his subsequent prominence in the Metropolis. Ivins popped to the surface here in the movement of Independent Democrats headed by General Slocum, and was secretary of the Slocum General Committee during the brief term of its existence. Subsequently he became entrenched in the good graces of William R. Grace, and when Grace was first elected to the Mayoralty he made Ivins his private secretary. In the latter capacity Ivins did not succeed in making himself over popular, and although bright and active, was too supercilious for the ordinary run of humanity. He is equipped with strong hacking over the river and belongs to the professional reform wing in politics.

CONTRADICTORY ACCOUNTS ARE GIVEN of the result of the cheap cab experiment in New York and the Brooklyn gentlemen who are about engaging in a similar enterprise will probably make a more thorough investigation before fully launching their scheme. The principal backers of the New York Cab Company were Ryerson & Brown, the well known livery stable keepers of that city and Long Branch and they made an assignment last week with liabilities aggregating $500,000. Despite, however, this reflection of ruin in black and tan there ought to be a fine opening here for a more economical system than that with which we have long been familiar. Brooklyn covers so much more territory than New York that the necessity becomes the more apparent, even if we fail to take into account the advantages our neighbor enjoys in the matter of elevated railroads. There are sections of this town so remote that a tramp to them from the amusement centers at night would seem almost like a pedestrian journey to Yonkers or Tarrytown. The present charges for cab hire are entirely too high, and relief will be welcomed by thousands of persons who would like at times to avail themselves of conveyances other than the horse cars if they could afford it.

POOR COLONEL McLEER is having a hard time of it in his efforts to hold on to the Post Office until the end of his term. In the days when the Republicans were in control of the national offices, a good many fervent party men became impatient over the retention of the Colonel because he would not take a more active hand in ward and district politics. After the election of Garfield a strong delegation visited Washington to secure his removal and the installation of James A. Brown, of the Thirteenth Ward, who had been turned out with Mr. Talbot, to make room for Colonel Charles B. Morton, as Deputy Postmaster. The attempt to supersede McLeer created a great uproar, and the politicians engaged in the crusade dropped the matter much more speedily than they took it up.

THE POSTMASTER WAS ORIGINALLY APPOINTED by Hayes, who sent for him and asked him to name a Federal office in Brooklyn that he would accept. it was some time after this that the Colonel concluded to make a dash for the Postmastership. One of his intimate friends tells me that he expects to be superseded by a Democrat, but that he hopes to remain until the close of his term, which expires in about a year.