The daily gazette., 1882-11-18
HOW WE ARE CHEATED.
THE SHORTAGE IN WEIGHTS
AND MEASURES.
WHAT CLERK HICKEY IS DOING.
Produce Dealers aud Farmers Making
Money ky stintlng Their custouers--The
Difficulty Being Rem nedied.

Few OF our citizens only have any idea of
the losses the market goers and Others have
sustained on account Of light weights and
scaut measures. A person who has been
buying vegetables, produce, fruit and
groceries for 10 or 15 years would be amazed
could they but know the amount to which
they have been victimlzed True enough
the quantity each time was insignificant aud
almost unappreciable, but nevertheless ag-
gregating much In the long run. Since the
ordinance regulating weights and measures
= ~ . I'eti'.'ut III force, anu Tue Clerk ol the
Markets provided with the material and
power 10 do away with the petty shortcom-
ings some almost startling discoveries have
been madc. And 1t is really surprising to
what an extent the habit of "skimplng"
had developed among the King street
farmers and hucksters and storekeepers
almost generally. To be sure many of those
using light weights and short measures
were doing SO through Ignorance aud not
with intent to deceive.
A short talk with Clerk Hickey in the
basement of the City Hall, where a neat
shop has been established, brought out
many little points of general interest. In
the first place fully three-fourths Of the half
peck and quarter measures are found want
ing, In some instances being as much us
pint and half short Of holding the quantity
prescribed by the standard. A great num-
Der of the measures are made larger by him
by cutting out the inside with draw knife,
In some cases nearly a quarter of an inch
being hacked of. Some, however, are so
scant that they are beyond redemption and
are branded CONDEMNED" Nearly all the
short wooden measures are old ones, having
been in use for long time and being worn
off are no good In the eye ofthe law. In many
instances, and It Is stated that o few years
ago 1t was the Ageneral custom, the
measures have been deliberately sawed
Off Gases of false bottoms, too,
have come to light, but they had care
fully been removed before the measures were
brought 10 the view of the clerk. On the
Fart of some unscrupulous dealers much
| difficulty is found in getting submission to
the requirements of the ordinance, and only
by threats of punishment will they allow
their measures examined. One instance
will show the extent to which the shortage
business had developed. Out of 25 half
peck measures obtained from dealers at the
intersection of two of the most important
market streets in the city only four were
found to be up TO the standard. A large
percentage indeed. And so 1t is all through,
until one Is apt TO believe that honesty is a
trait only INDUCED In by the few and
Stunned by the many. All the new wooden
| measures are above the standard and Often
times are cut OFF by the clerk as much as an
inch at the top. The failing with half-pecks
| holds good also with the quarter measures.
\ AS an offset to the short dealers, however,
| the clerk states that not unfrequently some
| honest and just dealers have requested that
If their measures ran large TO leave them so,
| provided there were no objections. The
| examiner complies with the request, as the
| buyers are greatly benciitted thereby.
But there Is another side TO the question.
Some dealers whose measures have been
! found short assert that 1t is protection for
! them to have them SO. They always give,
| 1t is claimed, the worth Of the money, but
| frequently lose through the demands Of
| buyers who insist on the measures be
"hcaped" and little 'thrown In for luck"
| In fact, some dealers assert that the "close'
BUYERS are 10 blame for short measures.
| That plea is no excuse for apparent intent
to defraud and the clerks intends to push
| his authority without fear or favor as far as
| the ordinance specifies. Mr. Hickey has
| made many enemies among the dealers who
| appear to recognize the rights of none but
] themselves, but has, on the other hand, re-
ceived numerous congratulations from
parties who claim that they notice favor
able difference In the quantity of vegetables
| and fruit purchased since the short measures
1 have been weeded out.
Not only In the measures are the glariDg
discrepancies to be discovered. In the
| weights used by the various dealers, too,
| very decided "shrlnkage," If such 1t may
be called, is found. Hardly one set of
| weights out or 10 have been found to bal
anco tho tests, Invariably falling below the
| United States standard. As fair sample
| of the shortage the following, taken al
| random from number of sets "doctored"
\ by the Clerk, will give our readers an idea
| ~ how bn wniUbfa rim