The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1908-07-27
B. B. Johnson Tells SchWeg-
man He Must Retract His
Statement Printed in Sum-
days Palladium.
ICE TRUST OFFICIAL
ENTERS A DENIAL.
Mr.. Otto Rettig States That
Dishonesty Has Never Been
Countenanced by the Ice
Company.

AS a result of an article published
Sunday by the Palladium in regards
to an exposure of the methods OF the
local ice trust by Edward Schwe gman.
there was an interesting meeting held
yesterday morning at the Schwegman
confectionery store, Sixteenth and
Main streets.
At this meeting Mr.. Schwegman so
he SAYS, was informed by b. b. John
son that unless he retracted in a sign
ed article the statements made by the
Palladium he would be prosecuted.
Mr.. Schwegman stated that he had
nothing TO retract and that the ice
company, II II thought II had grounds
on which to prosecute him, could pro.
ceed at once to file suit.
This morning Mr.. Schwegman stat
ed to the Palladium that he had been
correctly quoted in every instance ex-
cept the statement which set forth
the fact that the ice deliverymen who
failed TO account for every pound OF
ice placed in their wagons had the
shortage deducted from their pay. II
stated that one OF the employees of the
ice company informed me that no al
lowance was made for shrinkage, but
! did not state that the icemen had to
pay out of their wages for shortage
In the amount OF ice credited to
them" said Mr.. Schwegman today.
Henry Waterman, inspector Of
weights and scales. today denied Mr.
| Schwegman's charge thta he had seal
ed the scales on an ice wagon. which
scales had been found to be twenty
pounds short. Waterman stated that
he had looked at the scales in question
but that he had not tested them OF
sealed them because he had nothing
at the time with which to make an in
spection and that he had no seals.
Mr.. Otto Rettig also called at the
Palladium office this morning and en-
| tered denial that the ice company
was giving short weights on ice. He
stated that the business was being
conducted squarely and honestly and
that the delivery men had been IN
structed to take particular pains in
seeing that the consumers got full
weight.
IF some of the employees OF the COM
pany do not do this the company is
only too willing to receive informa-
tion to this effect. We do not want
any robbers working for u.s." said Mr..
Rettig
THE statement that the company
makes no allowance for shrinkage is
untrue. For instance IL sixty hundred
pounds of ice is credited to one wagon
and when the settlement on this
amount is made the men are found
to be short three or four hundred
pounds nothing is said of the matter
but IL the men show a shortage oi
one thousand or fifteen hundred
pounds an investigation is made. .
continued Mr.. Rettig.
He also said that at the present
time ice was being sold in this city
at cheaper rates than in any Other
city in tIe state except Anderson and
Indianapolis. where there were ice
wars in progress. Mr.. Rettig held thai
he had always borne the reputation o.
being an honest man and that thu
charges made against the ice compan,
were personal reflections upon him
Speaking of the charge made b,
Schwegman that he had been short
weighted" sixty-five pounds on fou
hundred pounds Mr.. Rettig stated tha
when the company discovered this er
ror Mr.. Schwegman had been givei
an extra one hundred pounds.