The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1900-05-19

Everybody knows OF the attempt in
New York city to destroy legally the
ice trust, but everybody does not know
the law and the process OF destruction.
Here is the statute and certain COM
ments by the New ork Times. part Of
which seem 10 be correct, and part Of
which the result of the attempt will
soon demonstrate 10 be incorrect But
here is the law:
Every contract, agreement, arrange
ment or combination whereby a mo-
nopoly in the manufacture, production,
and sale i'm this state of any article or
commodity of common use is or may
be created. established. or maintained,
or whereby competition in this state
in the supply or price of any such arti-
Gle or commodity is or may be re-
strained or prevented is here
by declared TO be against public policy,
illegal. and yoid.--Laws OF New York,
1892"
The New York Times thus comments
upon the attempt:
Evidently, IL this statute had been
drawn expressly to fit the case of the
American Ice Company. 1t could not
have fitted it any better. The attorney
general of the state has been invoked
to put the law in operation with view
10 multiplying the charter of the COM
pany.
while the text OF the law quite un-
mistakably includes the American Ice
Company. and while the forfeiture of
the charter OF the company seems TO be
an inevitable consequence OF a prose-
cution. il does not follow that the at
torney general would be necessarily
well advised. or even justified, in
making the prosecution"
The Times then it this sophistical
way undertakes TO undermine the
statute:
las a judge of the supreme court.
quoted in our columns yesterday, is
reported to have said, it Is very diffi-
cult TO tell when a combination, or
so-carled trust, is really against the
public interest, which is the practical
meaning of being against public pol
fcy."
That IS pure unadulterated nonsense.
The law declares that "every monop-
oily which restrains competition is
against public policy" Now what. has
the opinion of the Times, or of its un-
known Judge 10 do with the decision
OF that question? Nothing whatever.
One OF the greatest evils under which
| the very poor suffer here in Providence
| is sthepricewhicht they are forced TO pay
| for coal. Having never but little mon
| ey these people are obliged to buy coal
| in small parcels or by the basket. For
| their coal they are forced to pay sl2
| per ton. where you and i buy II for
| $5.75. 1t is strange that such a wrong
system has not been long ago righted.
| The evil has just been brought to pub
| lic notice by a communication from
| Mr.. Thomas p. Fowler and both the
| New York Sun and the Evening Post
have given attention TO the matter.
Since there are some practical sugges-
tions in Mr.. Fpwler's communication.
the News presents them. Why cannot
movement along Mr.Fowler's lines be
started here? Mr.. Fowler said:
Under the present system. the poor
are not only cheated In weight. but on
the average they pay about s25 a ton
| for coal that can be sold for s. a ton
retail with a reasonable profit.
THE workingman does not want
charity, but something should be done
TO make the price of fuel as cheap TO
him as to the man who buys tons at
time. For buying II by the pail or
pound from the corner store he is pay
| ing FIVE times as much as he should
cannot imagine any more worthy work
than 10 organize a systematic plan TO
sell coal among the tenement house
population at a reasonable price. More
over It will pay fair profit.
"If no other way could be found I
suggest that the city should undertake
| II. Wagon routes could be established
and the coal sold from the wagons as
| well as at convenient depots."
The Sun intimates that one or more
OF the larger charitable organizations
will adopt Mr.. Fowler's suggestions.
and the result. as the Sun said, will be
yearly savings of thousands of dol
lars TO the very poor. The case i'm New
York Is much worse. we believe. than
II II in Providence. but il ls sufficiently
bad here TO call for the action of real"
men.