Dallas herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1849-1873, 1869-01-23

&5T The following 10 from the Piitsburs
Post. win the remark, apply TO any other
places than Pitrsburg and New York.
Who examines tho spring and
other scales in this city, and how
often, which wholesale and retail
dealers use? Constant use wears
them for the benefit of tho seller.
Even in Now York, where munich.
pal regulations IRE moro stringent,
weights and scales are officially OK.
amincd but cnco year. We
have an officer appointed by the
Governor called Scalcr of Weights
and Measures, but we never heard
of his hurting anybody. Ho makes
no public report. Tho Now York
World is still pushing its investiga.
tions for the benefit OF the public
regardless Of the clamors of shop
keepers. Itsays, editorially:
THE PLUNDERERs AND PoIsoNERs.
We continue our exposure of the
pilierIngs and poisonings practieed
by retail dealers upon their custom
crs by means of short weights and
authorizations. Our readers will no
doubt DO surprised to learn that
these frauds are not only deliberate
ly perpetrated, but if they are even
excused by respectable retailers
For instance, to the complaint of
almost universal short weight in
every pound Of groceries sold over
tho counter, the answer is: "Wcll,
our weights and scales are officially
examined but once year, eleven
months may have elapsed since they
were tested, and you mako no al
lOwance for tho wear of the weights
or tho loss of bit of lead necessary
to bring particular weight up to
this standard" Indeed! But these
dealers would find out soon enough
if they were giving a hairs weight
too much; and if they wcro us con.
scientious about their gains as they
arc about their losses, they would
soon discover if their weights and
scales were not exactly right. This
will not do. Short weight is given
because it will swindle the customer,
for that reason only. 1t is inten.
tionly fraud. 1t is deliberate rob-
berry. We are told that we make
no allowance for the shrinkage goods
undergo in the time it takes to con.
vey them from the place whore they
are brought to our accurate scales.
II this shrinkage is serious, one
must suppose that the shrinkage on
tho goods bought in bulk from tho
Wholesale dealers would be sufficient,
in tho time it takes to convey gro.
ceries from West street to Third
Avenue, to shut the retailers shops.
ind TO render retailing the least
profitable business a man could en-
gage in. Such excuses are insults
to common sense. AS for adultera.
ton, which is even more common
than tho short weight fraud-for i'll
you get true weight you are sure to
get false articlc-even that is ex.
cuscd by the statement that adultera-
ton is necessary because the con-
sumers demand cheap articles. 1t
may be; but they do not desire to
pay tor coffee and receive only
chicory, nor to pay tea prices for
leaves; nor is there any very
general desire among the customers
to be poisoned. Butwe arc comforted
with the assurance that the adul'era-
tions are not hurtful to the health;
the quantity Of the adulterant is too
inconsiderable to work serious in
lury. Perhaps it is but physicians
teil US of the fatal effects of cumula-
fivevoironing, the assimilation from
day 10 day Of what becomes in time
nm astounding aggregate Of hurtful
matter.