**OFFICE OF**  **THE ATTORNEY**  **GENERAL OF**  **TEXAS**

**GRbVLR SLLLrnIB**  **AUSTIN**
**AZTOI ”** 

**. ”** **Owlm ”** **AL**

**Department OS**  **Agriaulture AuMla,**  **Texas**
**Attentionr lir.**  **0. A.**  **Xi&land**
**tiar Sir:** 

la thk the more heavlly’populatrd eountlem

atat+ $8 dedreoun’of havlag a aountf Bealor OSreightr and nmaaurea and the quert$on 02 the legality of auoh aatiirit%ea haulskm **brought** up **en& tad**  I)rpfirtaent **hes been**  **asked to**  **get.thla** lnfbrmation au 8008 **a8** posslblo,. The oountytowhlohm refer haa onr'larlga alty witha very aotlvo olty mighta an6 8*Paurw drpartmmt whose aotiritior are **amfinod to**  **f&e** limit8 c+irrai4 oitr. !&in lwves the l mllar Oarma~@artaent of &rioulture, peg0 2

**and** rue1 sections In the county unproteoted and in 18x4 lnxtanoex both the **merchants** and the oommmera suffer for the lack ‘of auoh law entoroement. Theetate does not provide the neoesuary faoilitiex for rendering thla xervlw. The xaaller lnoorporeted town6 end villagax in this partloular county xre too xmxll to azpport ln4lvldual city wightx~aud meaeurex department8 and. have otfered their support to **th6** oounty in helping tc pay the expenxsx oi 4 oountg sealer of rel.@tx and meaeures. . “Wewill appreoiate 4 prompt reply to the fulloxlng quextlonx ax the **xounty** budget for 1944 ix balng prepared at thx prxxent tfb and they,arx 4lKlOux to inoluaa this XervlQe in x4me if in your opinion the matter oan be handled in 4 lag41 pp~nmore* ."l. fr a s0unty has an axaixtant ocmntp~auF Qitor,~ ,a part ~oi.,uhQx4.4utkx.Lb ix to ohxok night ~,, an4 measure, raosiptx and dixbumieanntx, oi vxrioux oommo4ltles and auppliex being purohaxedby the oocmty and distributed to diiferent oounty **depart** neat8 and to text, palntaln, an4 adjust the uxlgh: **lng** and neawrfng **dxvicrx ownxd**  a&l axed by thx runty, would it be la&al for thx Oonkalxxioner ai Agriaulture **to** appoint **xxi4 axalxtuit**  oounty 4u4itor ax xeelar or weights end nsaxurex and for him to 6pand the remainder or his tin4 xxforola13 the slut0

-weighta **and** m44xur4x 14~~ tlmughout the oounty, said county pay&g his *alar7 **and neoexxary**  OPer8tlngl xpan6e~. T?.Would it be leg41 **rOr** ,a 00Unt~ 6herlfS of his deputy to enforoe the welghtx and !mamayex laws of thlx xtate within his 0'11 4Ounty 4ithe With or without said xherlff or deputy sheriii beiIpf;ap**pointrd** ba the 0omaix6iooer of Agrloulture xx 4 60x1- or or wQht8 and meaxurax~

If the Comairxioaer of Agriculture 4p painti3i6 **6ttkt0 inxpeotor,**  the 10041 xe414r or -6 0f thx 0lti46 or this 8tatx. would said axalor havx legal **authority** to aarry Qn laoh **4UtiOX OUtSid**  **tbr ihita**  or hi8 0m 0ity.wDspartiasnt or Agrloulturx, pgx 3

Artialx 5705, Vernon*6 Civil Statutes of Texas, provldox:
**The** Gomdxaioner **oi Uxrketx**  and Warehouxsx xhall havi powxr au4 authority to enforce, or oxuxx to be enforoed, any prwlxion of this ahapter. Bx shall appoint a ahlaf deputy, who xhxll be knownax Chj.xr Deputy of Bielghts xnd Measure8. In the ab’ 6WWO or Inability of the Coamlxxloner, such deputy axy perform any duty rx ulrod by the provixionx of this ohaptrr. The Cormxxloner xhxll also appoint e suxh aUdItiona decufixx from firm to tims to serve ax xealerx ot weigbtx and ~xxxurex,

maaaurex.
The 0rfl06 of ooma%xxlnnor 0r Markxtx and Warehoa~ex~ the Market Andy warehowa hprmtaent,, and ~tho Wdgbtx aad &axarxx wx~x abollxhod~ by Aotx 19.25, 39th Lxglx&aturx oq Txxxa, oh. 13,' p. 35, Sea. l-6, and thAir datlrx **aud** funotlotix wrx ve8ted **by** l

**aiA A&**  **in** thx ~lxxlonxr or AgrlouLture. Also xoe~Arb1ol.e56ii, Bxrnon*x civil Statutrx of Txxaxr

Ax ln4hat64 by our xndrrxooring lx quoting Artiolo 5705, thr hnmlxs~onrr oi Agtiioultura 4066 not have 4na2&yted power to appoint xaalorx of welghtx and aeaaurxx~ tha xtxtxtr lialtx xhxh appolntnantx to Uoxa xx racybr prwided for by approprlatlon or to thr lnxpxxtorx le.oturrpx’ ployxxx serving un4.r hir ax CODii46lOMr~ i&ox an ass I or xaatant auditor or olty xxalxr do not onmxWithin thl4 group .that may beappointed ax sealerr, we lnxwaryourfirst andthirdqueistionx in the nxgative. **For** the 6amO re4xoning wo hdb t&xt a xiie+fr or blx **deputy** oannot be appointed 4x xuxh 4’xealer~

publix oftixxrx poxxrxr only xuoh po~rx ax arx xxprexxly oonirrr~ upon them **by** law or ire nxoxaxarlly tipli@a rror the poworx so oonremd. Brpn’x Admr. v. Harvry’r Adm., 11 Txx. 3U ; Duncanv., State, 67 8. W. 903; State ‘I*.Oxgo, 176 8. w. 928, writ of error **reruxed..** Wehave found no statute oonrenbg olthxr apxoliioally or **by** LrapllOxtlOn 4119 authorit upon thx sheriff or hi8 4ep&tlxx to rnforor the wx&htx and measure8 Uwx., wo do not odnk **thr** powera given to x xhmt 

### or hlx deputy ax peaax otfiorrx glvrs them any **aUthOritY** TVPerfora tb adminlxtret~ve dutlsx of 4 sealer in enforolng thexe WOigh*xQdRapartiuent or Agrloulturx, paso 4,

meaaurea lavje. Wethareforo hold that 4 sheriff or his deputy aaunot enforoe Cheer lawa.

We realieo the nerd for mrx xxalorx to lnforoe these said laws and am in sympathy with the situation ax pnxented In your request. The remedy however must oome f'romthe Legl8- latw.

RQKZUb ROKzfa Yours very truly
**AT!IQlSZY** QgNKRAL **O?** TEXAS Ey .(a~) Ro~;boOLoa~

APPROVSD

JAR. ,lO, 1944 (6) Oxovor,Sallrrr AL'IT- @lcLpffRAL

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APmzmD 0Pxxxcm oomIxTl!EB RY (8) RWR, CRAIRMUN