The news-democrat. (Providence, R.I.) 1906-1909, 1906-09-13
THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 70, 1906
PLAIN ROBBERY" 4"

ployed by the committee of the Pawtucket city
council, appointed TO investigate the matter of
ice prices in that city, in characterzing the ex-
tortionate charges to which the people have been
subjected.
1t is strong phrase, but it is fully justified
by the facts as the committee found them to be,
and its employment is refreshing proof that there
are occasions which public investigators
something more fitting and more drastic than
the whitewash brush
The Pawtucket committee has done its work
we'll, and it is entitled to the commendation. not
only of the citizens for whom il acted, but OF the
people of the entire state who to greater lesser
degree, have been subjected to the extortion,
the same plain robbery" that it has found to have
been practced in its own municipality
1t will not escape the notice of those who read
the report that the committee was thorough and
systematic in its investigation 1t did not adopt
the impotent and farcica plan of inviting accused
ice dealers to furnish evidence with which to con-
vict themselves, as did the Board OF Trade ice
probers in this city.
The Pawtucket committee believed il was APP
pointed to obtain facts, and it sought them at first
hand. 1t was not content TO take the dealers
vague and varying statements 10 shrinkage, cost
of harvesting, delivering and freighting.
Information these points it obtained by
personal examination of books and observation of
the actual delivery of ice. No doubt an investiga
ton of this effective kind involved great labor but
the results more than compensate fer it.
Take the questions of shrinkage on the carts
as an example. The dealers appeared TO have no
very definite idea Of what it actually is, but placed
it at from rs per cent to nearly so per cent. Tests
made by the committee proved it to range from
per cent. TO Is per cent. Shrnkage on cars, which
the dealers placed at IS per cent, was found by
actual tests to be but I8 per cent.
The committee finds that there was warrant
for the large increase OF price made ast spring and
the rising OF the rate hundred per cent, in
August last it declares TO have been wholly
justihable. 1t establishes by figures that appear
incontestabe, the fact that at the rate prevailing
during the spring, one company realized a profit
over and above all possible expenses OF S1.S2 ton,
while another company reaped profit of $253 a
ton.
After the doubling of price in August the first
named company's profit S7.S2 and the second
$I2.54 a ton. Little wonder then, that, obtaining
results such these from its investigation, the
committee should have been moved 10 characterize
such manifesty outrageous charges as constituting
"plain robbery"
That the committee realized the motives Of
rapacity and greed that prompted this extorton
is made plain by the statement i'll the report that
at is apparent that the managers of the ice COM
panies, seeing opportunity to make some 1t may
be said enormous, additional profit, owing to al
legged conditions, seized the opportunity and the
citizens are being made TO pay into the pockets of
the ice dealers money which the ice dealers not
justified in taking"
After reading the figures marshalled by it and
the reasonable and just deductions drawn from
them, sober-minded citizens will agree fully and
heartily with the committee in the declaration:
when a condition of this character confronts
community, when an individual a community OF
individuals compel the payment to them of price
for public commodity which is entirely without
reason, then your committee believes that as Act
ing Mayor Wood stated, it is nothing more nor less
than plain robbery"
With entire truth the committee says a revela-
ton of similar conditions in other communities
would be followed by drastic action. However,
there is no present hope OF such consummaton
here in Rhode Island, where the ruling oligarchy
has kept the law makers so constantly employed in
providing legislation for corporations and others
willing to pay handsomely for it, that they have
had time TO enact laws TO protect the people
against the exactons OF conscenceless extortioners