The Hartford republican. (Hartford, Ky.) 18??-1926, 1909-08-06
meet it. at the nearest accessible
point.
ICE COMPANIES NOT PUBLIC SER
VICE CORPORATIONS.

This man must have been an
amateur lawyer: why don't you de-
liver ice after dark? That is when a
great many people need II most. And
believe the law can make you do
it." give place to this communication
because it embodies an idea which
IS prevalent that ice companies are
public service corporations and ought
10 be under the control OF the
municipal authorities. The best ar
gument 10 people who hold this idea
is that an ice company is a business
organization and has no franchises
and special rights. such as are en-
joyed by water light and street car
companies. As a clineher. show them
that the ice company is much NOR
anxious TO deliver ice than the pub
lie is TO receive it. as the com
pany cannot get its money until il
gives the customer his ice.
THE QUESTION OF CREDIT.
A woman writes as follows: 4
have been buying ice from you for
years, and yet your driver refused
10 credit he to-day, when / happened
not to have the change. Ny credit
Is good ell over town and would b.
good wan you if you did business
on business principles"
In many places this could not be
a complaint. and even in those towns
where dealers do business on the
coupon system or on a strictly cash
basis. this complaint would really nee
no reply. II you have a rule. stick
10 it and enforce it rigidly. Had this
lady called up the office when she
found she did not have the change
some way would have been arranged
TO serve her and at the same time
protect the driver in making his Sci
Element.
THE ICE MAN AS AN EASY MARK.
As a variation let us take a look
at the ice man as an easymark. This
letter is also from a woman: ''ln
putting back some things into the
refrigerator which he had removed in
order to store the ice. your awkward
driver broke a cut glass bowl worth
S. This is my bill for the bowl,
and you will please send check. Why
don't you hire drivers who are used to
handling glassware"
The manager of the company 10
whom this complaint was made pre-
ferred TO get whatever discount there
was in glassware. So he took the
bowl and matched it for the stupen-
dous sum- of fifty cents.
Service inside the house is a
matter of accommodation. In most
places ice is not delivered in the
house and the sale Is based upon
delivery at the premises OF the Gus
toner This practice of the driver
emptying a refrigerator. putting in
the ice and then replacing the articles
he. had taken out, is one Of the
greatest causes of delay and increas-
ed cost OF delivery. Wherever the
custom prevails, patrons should be
made 10 understand clearly that this
special service is graJui'ous and
that the company cannot assume re-
sponsibility for accidents.
\ VAIL ABOUT WEIGHTS.
Here is a wall about weights: Your
insOlcut driver refuses 10 weigh ice
on my scales and insists on using
the scales attached to his wagon.
Is that pure cussedness on his part
or is it another way you have of do
ing your poor customers"
Ignorance inspires such complaints
Most cities and towns now have scales
ordinances and inspectors of weight
and measures The justice of insist
ing upon the use Of the company's
scales which have been tested and o.
Nhs OuShl ~ NC SfllFh4htul.
IS no accounting. however. for the
queer crinkles in the brains of some
women. A lady complained that the
company was robbing her by intending
he weight OF the hooks in the rs
pounds Of ice she was getting. She
knew she was right because the ice,
hooks and all. only weighed % pound
IN her scales. On investigation the
Weighing capacity of her scales was
found 10 be limited 10 % pounds.
RULES MADE HIM WRATHY.
Here is the way cross-eyed man
saw the ice mans rules: You have |
a lot of rules but they are all to the |
good for you and all TO the bad for
The people who have to take what !
you give them. Why don't you get |
up some rules that are at least half |
way falr?"
The answer 10 this was that the |
rules of the ice company are based !
upon getting the most ice to the most
people and that meant the great
O..