The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1901-07-03
WEIGH YOUR ice.
Inspector Farnsworth Receives
Complaints of Short Weights
Requests Housewives to Let
Him Know of Shortage.
He CAN REMEDY EVIL.
Says He VIII Force Trust to
Giye Full Weight.
Mayor Hughes Promises to
Help In Investigation.
PEOPLE ARE AROUSED.
Ready to Stand Back Of Council
in Fight.
Difficulties in Use Of Coupon
Books.
Says He viii Force Trust to
Giye Full Weight.
Mayor Hughes Promises tC
Help In Investigation.
PEOPLE ARE AROUSED.
Ready to Stand Back of Council
in Fight.
Difficulties in Use Of Coupon
Books.

ITO the Housewives of Topeka: |
have had a number of complaints made
TO me concerning short weights IN
the deliveries of ice; weigh your ice
and if YOU don't get full weight let me
know. am after the ice trust -. r.
FarnswOrth, City Food Inspector
CITY. Food Inspector Farnsworth made
the above gratifying announcement TO
the people of Topeka today
To a. reporter for the State Journal
who called to see him he stated that ne
had received several complaints on ac-
count Of short weights in ice
''I will be glad to hear from all VINO
have complaints to make on this score
he said. land viii give the matter my
attention. am confident that this eVll
may be remedied. You must not how
ever forget to wait too long after get
ting your ice TO weight It.
The fight which Councilman Nichols
of the Fifth ward has instituted against
the ice company here is on in earnest.
In the fight he will have the support OF
the entire council says Mayor Hughes.
II have not made an Investigation Of
the ice company's methods OF 9o4ng
business" said the mayor, ana "
course am not prepared "a make any
ststements relative to the business.
However II Councilman Nichols and
the committee which 1 have appointed
TO assist him IN making an lnNeStlBe-
fion learn that the charges made against
the company are true and that Il Is a
combina sion doing business mere un-
justly, they viii have my entire support
and influence in bringing about any
measure to regulate the evil.
I'm the fight" he continued, they
will have the support of the entire couA-
inc
zoelza which need righting, and we may
as we'll begin here as any place. Ana
perhaps a little better II VIII De a re
lief to the poorer classes OF the peopte,
and the masses are the ones who should
be benefited"
Councilman Nichols, that they could
earn more by shipping their ice out OF
the CITY is considered a bluff. They
claim In an interview that they can get
seven or eight dollars per ton for their
ice by shipping it As matter OF 1act
they are receiving mat or more on an
average on the ice that is retailed here
in the city. and the 13 wagons Of the
Peoples Ice company supply the
largest portion of the local trade. Even
the wholesale rate of 81 per ton is ex-
orbftant Ice experts tell me that ice
may be manufactured for from 80 to IS
cents per ton and that It should never
cost to exceed 81 per ton.
Then when 1t is taken into considera-
4fon that the manufacturers who supply
the manufactured ice for the refrigera-
tor cars and passenger cars of the san
IA Fe railway system get less than 81. 80
per ton for ice and consider that they
make q profit on the transaction, It may
be readily seen that the wall about the
prices Of material for the manufacture
of ice going up and that ice must ac-
cordingly be sold higher is all bluff.
AS an Illustration of the manner in
which the ice business Is controlled
may be noted an incident in which e
F. Sims of No. 2G4 Greenwood avenue
figured. Mr.. Sims buys ice of the Peo-
pies Ice company A new driver was
placed on his route and missed him a
day or two. t'One Sunday" he said,
when we were out of ice I hailed an
ice wagon which happened to be one of
Winslow a. Raney's. / wanted 80 buy
a piece of ice and was only allowed to
do so after long explanations and was
then required to pay so cents for 90
pounds.
For my needs at the store" he con-
tinued, I am paying 10 cents per hun
dred more than I did before the Peo-
pies Ice company was formed
O. A. Keene. druggist, at No. s03
Kansas avenue said that he is paying
10 cents more per hundred for ice than
he did before the new company entered
the field.
George sharitt. clerk of the United
states district court at the beginning
of the season was buying ice of the
was forced to discontinue taking ice
because Of the fact that the driver who
delivered the ice to my house treated
the help IN an absolutely independent
and insolent manner.
Il then asked Winslow & Ranev's
wagon to stop at my house And to
get one of those wagons it was neces-
sary for me to make lengthy explana-
tiOns to both the Winslow q Ranev
people and the Peoples Ice company
before the arrangement could be per
fected-"
Councilman Clancy, one Of the xoem-
bers Of the special committee aDpoint-
ed by the mayor to investigate the
charges, said this morning: 7 have
not vet given the matter much thought
But there seems to be a general con-
plant from all over at the high handed
methods pursued by the company. ar
course the fact that the poorer classes
OF people do not get the proper service
IS matter that should and must he
righted- It is certainly high time thar
some action should be taken alone
these lines When a company or or-
ganization or individual gains control
or line or business to the extent +haf
privileges and rights of the peonla anT
especially the masses of the people are