Vermont farmer. [volume] (Newport, Orleans County, Vt.) 1870-1877, 1875-08-20
Fraud in Canned Goods.

A recent investigation in New York shows
general system Of frauds in canned goods.
1t extends to every description of fruits,
meats, vegetables and fish. At this exami-
nation it was found in the case Of clans, the
solid contents of a one-pound can weighed
eight and one-half ounces /; two-pound cans
contained l64 ounces. Two-pounds Of lob.
ster showed "a ounces OF solid contents.
Cans Of condensed milk turned out Ii ounces
to the pound. The contents of cans of mush-
rooms after having been drained of water
and squeezed dry, did not exceed six and
one-half ounces to the pound. Corned beef
in cans make the following exhibit: Six.
pound can, five and one.fourth pounds Of
beef; four.pound can, three pounds and sew
en- ounces Of beef. All this is the result of
dishonest competition. Canned goods are
sold by the can, the price graded upon the
honest weight being put into the cans. An
other packer puts his goods on the market
at % per cent less, and puts that much less
fruit or fish in the can. He, in turn, is
undersold by some other persons who put
still less in the cans In this way, the man
who puts pound of lobster in pound.can
is readily undersold by those who, putting
only half pound of lobster in can, eau
sell with increased profit at two-tbirds the
standard price.
Any housekeeper can tell how much he
or she is swindled in canned goods by weigh
ing the can before it is opened. and then
weighing it and the water after the solid
contents have been taken out. Nothing is
more common in the canned goods trade
than to have several articles selling at differ
ent prices. This difference, in a majority
of cases, represents the shortage Of fruit or
fish and the water in the low-priced cans
This trick prevails in other trades. A
year or more ago there was convention Of
manufacturers Of wrapping papers held in
Vermont TO try and correct abuses Of thil
same kind, and at that convention there was
general reprobation of the frauds. 1t was
stated that the paper was sold by the ream
that in order TO undersel, rival paper would
be put up with 20 sheets to a qure; other
would put up less and there were even in.
stances where there we're but | | sheets in 9
quire. This paper was of course sold a
much less than an honest ream could be sold
for. In view of the extent to which thi
kind Of fraud has been carried, the packers
of canned goods in the Eastern States lately
called a convention to meet in Philadelphia,
to adopt some measure to put an end to it
The trade-that is the great body of the re-
tailers in the country-fully understand tn,
business. They know the standard prices a
which honestly packed goods can be sold
and they understand the reason why on
brand can be sold for less 1t is the con
sumer who is the victim. When man buy
pound can of any goods for five cents les
than he has been paying for the same article
no may as general thing, assume that he j
getting from eight to ten cents worth Of sol
id fish or fruit or vegetables less for hi
money.
1t is said upon authority, that there ar
twenty millions of dollars Of capital engag e
in the scanned goods" trade. 1t is onl
within few years that this branch Of indus
try has sprung into Importance, and now W,
have fruits, fish, meat and vegetables so vel
preserved as to be available at any seaso
of the year, in quality quite equal to wha
the ordinary purchaser gets at natural ma
turity. This, like the public bakery an
laundry, is an immense convenience an
might be even more profitable than now,
full measure and weight were given sine
! many persons, affected by the above disclol
, ures, will refuse 70 purchase canned prov
ions for years to come.