Daily Republican. [volume] ([Wilmington, Del.]) 1874-1890, 1884-07-30

Ii the clerk OF the market Will Keep
his eyes open as he passes along he will
notice some wizen-faced quart measures
and diminutive looking half and quar-
ter peck measures. 1t seems that un-
less there is continual vigilance exer-
cised, some dishonest dealers will fall
into the old ruts of dishonesty and
cheat the people. If the clerk would
stop suddenly On his rounds and pick
up quart measure he would find it
without the required lawful stamp, and
II he were sometimes to pick up half
peck measure, and set it down with a
little force upon the pavement, he might
be awarded by seeing a false bottom
drop out.
The lead filling in some of the weights
gets loose in remarkably short space
of time, and when it drops out the
owner may forget to put it in again,
and in consequence some poor person
may have to 60 home with short weight
in meat. A law regulating measures
and weights is Of no consequence what
ever unless it is rigidly enforced and
there are so many sly ways of evading
the law than an official is often
put to his wits ends to circumvent it.
Some three years ago the REPUBLICAN
tnaugurated war against short mea-
sures and light weights in market and
did not let up until not only the City
Council but the Legislature took the
matter in hand and passed stringent
laws to correct the evil. What is needed
is constant vigilance by the clerk of the
market to compel compliance with the
law. The moment there is any let
up" by that official, that moment dis
honest dealers will take advantage OF
his leniency.
There is no excuse whatever for a
quart measure that holds one and three
quarter pints, peck measures that only
hold seven quarts, and pound weights
that only weigh fourteen ounces and to
use such measures and weights is a
bare-facei fraud.
The general buyer has no means of
knowing whether he is paying for hon.
est measure or not. He is thus at the
mercy of the dealer, who may or may
not be honest, but whose honesty is
altogether too m lch of problem to be
solved by measuring rule. 1t is a
question whether the public would moi
be better served and honesty better
maintained by an ordinance requiring
fruit and vegetables TO be sold b,
weight
The berry boxes and peach and to
mato baskets have dwindled down t,
infinitesimal proportions right befor
the eyes of the purchasers, and they
nap ctnrAfaI m ha
why. There never was any good rea
son why anything capable of beinl
sold by dry measure should not be sold
by weight. A bushel of potatoes weigh
sixty pounds legal weight. Potatoe
and apples should both be sold b,
weight, and since cherries in the leadin,
markets are sold by the pound there i
no good reason why all fruits shoul,
not be sold in the same manner. w
have an embarrassment of measures
that inspection will never keep regula
Ted, but weights can be inspected an,
more easily kept in order. 1t is Just a
easy to weigh hundred bushels o
peaches and strike the average weigh
of the bushel as it is to weigh oats
wheat or any other grain. If potatoe
are worth two cents a pound and a ma
wants peck, he will get fifteen pound
of potatoes and pay thirty cents. A
present he only gets twelve pounds an
ten pounds for the peck. There al
many who will say, 'Oh well, til
is small business, it is only a cent {
two, and there is no use to make fui
about it, Perhaps it is to some PEE
pie, but moneys worth is money
worth the world over, and the man wi
buys. a peck of potatoes, apples
peaches is entitled to the worth of h
money.