The morning call., 1893-03-14
TWO=POUND ROLLS
The New Butter Law Now
in Full Swing.
NO MORE LIGHT WEIGHTS.
1t VIII Advance the Price of Butter
by the Roll, but the Weight
VIII Be Standard.

NOW that the bill making it unlawful TO
sell short-weight butter has become law,
having been signed by the Governor last
Saturday. the unwily housewife who has
not used much butter, thinking that she was
getting robbed if she purchased any, will
have chance to put some on the table now
that she is sure Of getting her moneys
worth.
And the poor little corner grocer, whose
box OF eighteen-ounce rolls of butter
have turned rancid in his efforts to sell
them, Will now replace them with fine
fresh box of two-pound rolls, which will be
eagerly bought by the housewife.
a number Of the leading commission mer-
chants were seen in regard to the bill yester-
day and their opinions asked.
That the new law will be OF no benefit
to some consumers is beyond a doubt. In
fact they will think that they are getting
cheated when they buy roll of butter, for
IN the future they viii, of course, be re-
CURED to pay more for twO-pound roll
than the lighter one which they are buying
at present. OF course they Will be getting
their moneys worth, but many consumers
VIII not see 1t in that light, they will think
that the rolls that they are at present buy
Ing are iull weight, and when the price is
raised accordingly they will argue that they
are not used to paying such prices.
But THIS will have TO be done or else the
retail dealer will be the loser. The butter
Is bought by the retail dealer from the COM
mission merchant. The average box of
butter containing fifty rolls weighs about
ninety pounds. or about 10 per cent light.
Wheh the retail dealer buys it he pays so
much Tor each pound, and on that basis ne
sells to the consumer. Now, when full
weight rolls are made, he will be obliged to
buy by tho pound as before, and when the
consumer huYS n TnlI he will bp 0hlinn1 IN
pay from 10 to 20 per cent more for roll
than at present, although not losing any
thing in the deal.
The new law will be of advantage to the
producer In one respect. When he ships
hfty-roll box of butter 10 this city he is
obliged to pay freight for 100 pounds, al
though the butter weighs only eighty or
ninety. 70 large rancher who ships
number OF boxes every week that is a large
loss, and at the end of the season figures up
to respectable amount. When the new law
Is put into execution the railroads cannot
possibly charge him more than before, so
that he will be In that much on every ship
ment.
When the bill making it unlawful to sell
unstamped oleomargeTine was passed, no
money was appropriated 10 enforce it, with
the result that if any one was caught break
ing the law he was allowed to remain un-
punished, unless some private person would
pay the expenses of prosecuting. 1t may
- N'-S SN4-S wan h4iO LOW Auli- OQtNSl
law.
One thing which will make it hard for the
dalrymen is that butter varies in weight at
certain times of the year. AS the new law
ls. IL makes it unlawful to sell short-weight
butter. In the minds of the commission
merchants 1t is very evident that the persons
who drew up the bill did not understand
much about the butter business. Instead of
making it unla wful to sell short-weight but
ter, uniform size of butteI-luolds should
have been established.
As 1t was said before, butter varies in
weight at certain seasons of the year.
A full weight box of butter of hfty rolls
made In the winter season weighs from 102
TO 104 pounds; while q box of the same
number of rolls made in the summer season
with the same mold will weigh only about
95 pounds.
Therefore, if uniform butter mold was
established, figuring the weights up together
at the end of the year, both the dairymen
ana the consumer would come out even.
When the new law is put into execution,
even If money is appropriated to enforce it,
IL VIII be the source Of much trouble to the
officers of the law. The bill reads that it is
unlawful to sell short weight rolls, bus
nothing is said of sbort-weighG squares, into
which shape much OF the finest butler is
made. Many other flaws will pro obably be
found iu tha bill.