Daily Republican., 1882-06-26
Short Weig hts and Measures.
From the PENN ula Record,

| Elou tuo Toulu ulh noSOTu,
The spirit of competition and the de
sire to undersell, no doubt, has a greal
deal to do with this matter, and oul
citizens, frequently in their desire tt
buy at a cent or two cheaper, inadver.
tehtly encourage these dishOles;
dealers. Our object, however, is not
to discuss the cause, but to inquire how
TO provide the remedy. That we have
in this State an officer who is styled an
inspector of weights and measures is
true. aud it is equally true, that as far
as this city is concerned, we would be
just as we'll off without him. This of.
ticiai, who IL sometimes heard
Of, but seldom seen, resides at Middle
town, and is appointed by the Cover
ner. The lawsays that he shall be in
each hundred at Ger ain times during
the year to regulate all weights and
mea-ur hat may ba brought t him
and Il must advertise the time when
h. v III "s IN each hundred. We can
.has ne low many dealers carry their
wei ATS and measures to have them
yested aud adjusted, This evil of light
weight and short measure is getting to
be a serious one and sop should be
put to i. at once. A lady
Lmade complaint last week, in
the columns of one of our city papers,
hat tn day previous she had paid for
two quart of berries and upon measur.
ing them found that she had slack
quart and pint. There are dealers in the
King street market and else here, who
are daily useiDg short Measures, and
swindling their customers, and several
instances are known, Gone of the par
ties being a prominent member of
church. where dealers have sent their
half peck and other wooden
measures to work shop and had
stave cut out to reduce the size. 1t Is q
scandal to this city that these men are
allow ed to go on day by day and swim.
die the people. The weights used by
many OF the butchers are not above
and as very few people ever
think to weigh piece of meat after it
is ohce taken home, there's very little
danger to these dishonest men. Some
few weeks ago, a gentleman in this city
bought roast of beef that purported to
weigh six pounds, good weight, and was
greatly astOnished upon weighing it in
a store, where he had every reason to
believe the weights were correct, to find
that it would not turn the scales at five |
pounds.
Some time ago City Council were in.
,tructed by the City Solicitor that they
mad the power to appoint an inspector
If weights and meas ures for this city,
out election coming on, and a new
council coming into power, nothing has
been done, but it is to be hoped that If
hey have the power, they will, without
lelay, frame Al ordinance and elect an
fficient man to the position, who will
est every weight and measure used in
his city. 1t is not enough that an in
pector of weights and measures should
uvite the merchants and dealers to
ome to him to have their weights
est; he should be required by the law
0 wait upon them, and the law should
70 80 framed that every one found
sing weight or measure after a Ger
ain time without the inspectors stamp
pom it would be liable to a heavy pen
lty. Under the present system pur-
hasers can be swindled to any extent
hat the dealers may choose, and the
ooner a stop is put to it the better it
1ill be for all concerned. Il