Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1886-03-08
STAMPS 0NTRUE WEIGHTS
MAKING DEALERS WEIGHTS
AND MEASURES LEGAL.

Inspector saussy Finds Many Scales
That Give Short Pounds - Measured
That Are Made by Guess - The Flaz
Seed Test-Dealers Who Hide Thsil
scale weights During the InspectOTi
visits.
Short weights and short measures are
one of the banes Of the hOusekeeper's ex-
istence, and 1t is not to be gainsaid that
many time she has good cause 20 COM
plain OF 14-0unce pounds and 3-qusrt gal
Ions. Underweight and adulteration are
the twin-star methods OF deception prac-
ticed by inscriptions dealers. Short
measure can be detected readily enough
II one has correct measures at home, but
very often that is not the csse.
Inspector of Weights and Measures, MT
Clement Saussy, has for some weeks past
been engaged in examining the "eigntss
OF city dealers from scrupie up 10 IVO
pounds, and the measures from gil 10 a
bushel.
II the public could see his book FOR
few minutes perhaps it would patronlZe
dealers other than lt does now. bad
though the system is, hr. Saussy says
that the evil Is exaggerated IN the pubic
estimation. SO far as bis examination
has zone VI DRIVES AAhb lAt 1AA al SUPP
keeners have been abused more than they
deserve for weighing with light pounds
and measuring with scant quarts and
1eoks. Right often, too, the dealer is as
Ignorant as the buyer Of the correctness
Of the weights.
When the last inspection was made
seems lost 10 history. There was an
epoch. however, more or less remote, |
when the inspection was a care of the mu- |
Al Girasa fln a q
went into effect sundry vessels Of copper |
have been discovered in the Exchange, |
bearing the city stamp over date which |
marked about the close Of the eighth de- |
cade Of American Independence. Twoor |
three Of the most recent aud best pre- |
served are marked '1S56." As the same |
standard OF measure is IN vogue now as |
then the present inspector uses the an /
cient measures to test those OF today. |
Among the measures inspected by Mr.. |
Ssussy at his Office on Saturday |
was wooden set which in
cluded a quart, half peck, and |
neck measure. They were brand new and |
belonged 90 a market woman. Before she |
had them tested sac made the mistake OF
putting a new brand. the letter M" on
each measure. Picking up a standard
quart measure Mr. Saussy filed it with
dry fax seed, and with a round stick he
struck the seed which was heaped in
the measure and leVelled il smoothly
across the top. Then he poured the seed !
from the standard measure into the new
wooden measure, which was supposed to
hold a quart.
He flied the wooden measure though
and had enough seed left TO cover the
bottom OF the standard measure an inch
deep. The cheap measures are made By
guess, Mr.. Saussy said, and are very I'M
reliable. The reporter watched MIN make
several tests and ali Of the new set were
found short. The owner was not aware
oft when the purchase was made, but
supposed the measures were correct as
they were new. Being branded with a
private mark the measures could not be
sent back to the dealer from whom they /
were bought.
A few days before the inspector came |
across street huckster's half peck meas |
ure which, outside and inside, except on |
the bottom and halt an inch up the side, |
looked to have seen long days Of service. |
The bottom was bright on the inside while |
all the rest OF the measure was dark and /
battered. For Information the inspector |
asked how it was that the bottom was
clean and bright while the rest had an old |
appearance.
The huckster reckOned it was because
the measure had not been used much. That
explanation did not seem very plausible
TO the inspector, and after a moments
thought be guessed that there had been a
false bottom In the measure. Such was
the case, too, and the false bottom had not |
long been removed, which fact accounted /
for the clean appearance OF the original /
bottom. Every measure that has been ex- |
amined is stamped on the bottom on the /
inside thus, &C. c., 1886" The street |
arabs are said to practice the greatest de- |
cepuOn, and it is a hard matter to get
their measures, as they have no regular
place OF business.
The inspector has found a good many
weights that are not quite correct. |
Strange TO say, too, he has found a few
SShioh are overweight, but that kind is the
exception. One OF the worst weights he
has examined is a 4-DOund weight. which
Is short almost s ounces. Most Of the iron
weights are cast light, with hole in the
under side. Byputting lead into the hole |
the weight can be brought up TO the
standard. Some dealers have scraped the
lead away, or entirely removed it. Here
after that can be detected, as the
Inspector puts stamp on the lead. and
any weight that has lead in the bottom
without beiag stamped is suspicious.
some cities will not allow ANYTHING to be
sold by spring balances. Other cities will
not allow goods 20 be measured except BY
yard stick. Some dealers have the yard
measured OF on the edge OF their coun-
ters, with the subdivisions marked by
tacks. The Georgia law does not prevent
that, but the yard is TO be measured by
The inspector, and stamped If found cor
rect.
The inspector says that generally he
has no trouble in testing the weights and
measures. Now aud then. however, he
suspects dealer Of hiding some weights
or measures until after he is gone.
One old cOiOred huckster had not heard
Dt the law requiring the inspection, aud
when Informed that the statute had been
published in the NEWS she thought some
one should be sent out 70 Anderson street
70 read the News 10 herself and neigh
boTs.
FLAMES OK LUMBER STREET