The news-democrat. (Providence, R.I.) 1906-1909, 1906-09-15

The report OF the Pawtucket city
council committee appointed some time
ago TO consider the ice question in this
city. had been made. and IL has attract
ed much attention because IL is evil
dent the committee secured valuable
information. Just what will be pro-
duced as a practical result from this
report is one OF the things that viii
be better known later. or course no
one believed any relief could be Sc
cured this year from the conditions i'm
posed by the ice companies. but the
committee believes a municipal arti-
fetal ice plant should be established
and the city council has authorized II TO
continue it's Investigations to the end
that II may learn what such a plant
will cost.
Their is another ice committee also
considering this question. II was ap-
pointed by the Business Mems associa-
tion. AT the melting OF this organiza-
tion the members realized they could
do nothing to help the situation this
year, and also that there was no use In
wasting time in trying TO learn the
reasons for the high prices in this
commodity.
II was sufficient for them that the
price was high. and the committee was
chosen with a view OF learning how
81 would be possible TO prevent repe-
tition another year 1t is said this
committee will be prepared TO make
report at the next meeting OF the asso-
citation and from some statements made
this will be fully as interesting in it's
way as was the report made TO tho
city council.
II is quite possible that another sea-
son the people OF Pawtucket will have
an opportunity to get their ice from an
artificial plant, and tnen IL there is
any scarcity in the product or II the
local companies that deal in the natural
article attempt TO ask an eXorbitant
price there will be a good prospect OF
their going out OF business.
POLITICS IN THE SCHOOLS.
Every time a meeting of the school
committee is held political questions
crop up. and the members OF this body.
or at least. some OF them, seem 20 feel
that IL is Of far more Importance that
they get the advantage of one another
than that they work for the benefit OF
the schools. This is bad enough. but
when there is a stupid attempt to drag
the superintendent into these squab-
bles II is time public sentiment put
an end TO such an unseemly practice.
superintendent Frank q. Draper is
not a politician. He did not come to
Pawtucket either as a Republican or
as a Democrat He has never in his
career as a tehCneT OF director OF
schools interfered in the political af-
fairs OF the community in which he
lived, and IL II is the desire of the
members OF the Pawtucket school com
mittee that he shall conduct the schools
as they ought to be, there will be no
attempt TO make him a party to the
partisan quarrels and chickering's.
II is 10 the credit OF the Democratic
members of the committee that these
attempts to make superintendent
Draper a party TO these political
wrangles has not come from them.
They have studiously avoided any ref
erence to politics when speaking OF his
work. and they have shown by every
act that they beNeve he is trying to
do his duty toward the people OF Paw
tucket, and that he Is not interferin~
with the political affairs of the schools.
At the meeting last Tuesday even
ing DR.. Fortier made a motion in ref
erence TO the purchase OF school books.
which, N taken at it's face value, would
seem 10 indicate that he knew just
what Mr.. Draper would do in the matter
of revision OF certain studies he had
been authorized 10 make This was
absolutely unfair TO Mr.. Draper.
Those who know the superintendent
believe the school committee will have
better understanding of the man
who is at the head OF the schools OF
over. There have been superintendents
with the particular political party
which for the time being was In the
majority in the committee, and because