Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-01-08

Matters Which Come to the Atten.
ton of the City Governors.

Matters Which Come to the Atten-
tiOh of the City Governors.
Superintendent T. c. Mendenhall of the
United States coast survey writes to the
Commissioners today concerning the bill
regulating the sealer Of weights and meas
ures as follows:
"A perusal Of House bill 3246 as amended
by the Senate concerning the appointment
of a sealer of weights and measures,
prompts me to submit to your consideration
several matters bearing upon this subject
l am especially moved to do this because.
from inquiries which have occasionally
reached this Office l am led to believe
that laws relating to weights and measures
adopted in the District are likely to serve
as a basis for similar legislation in other
communities.
THE definition of the standards to be
provided by the District, for the use Of the
sealer, is defective owing to the state Of
national legislation on the subject. This
difficulty can be met by changing the word
ing, beginning at line six, as to read
who shall have the custody and control
of such weights and measures as now are
or hereafter shall be, provided by the Dis
trict of Columbia, and which shall conform
to the standard weight and measures
adopted by the United States government
THE last three lines of section l are
intended to limit the authority of The sealer
in certain directions, and specifies scales.
Would It not meet the intention of the
trainers of the bill to change the wording
so as to read, That nothing herein con-
tanned shall be construed to require or to
authorize the seaer of weights and meas
pres to test any scale, weights measures
/ belonging to the District Tor District of
Columbia?)
Considering that no two copies of the
.r1 tho. 10, rk,N
or measure. it has been found needful by
all governments to establish limit of
error or tolerance. When the measures
fall within this tolerance they must be
sealed correct, when they fall outside
of the tolerance in defect or excess they
must be condemned. This is rule estab-
lished, 1t rests solely with the sealer to
say whether the weights or measures are
good or bad, and as none can be perfect,
in a strict sense, 1T leaves this important
matter, involving fines and other penalties,
to the discretion Of a single officer.
"In England the power to establish this
tolerance is vested in the board of trade
Should not the District Commissioners be
empowered to prescribe this tolerance to
the sealer?
Lastly. the sealer Of weights and meas
ures should understand the art of weighing
and measuring as applied in the per-
fcrmance of their duties, and If some test
of fitness were prescribed it would certain
ly, in general, promote the public welfare -
Bicycles Ruled Out.
The first controller has decided that the
purchase of a bicycle for the purpose Of
inspection in connection with the lighting
of the streets is not a proper charge against
the appropriation for street lighting
Capt. Derby states in his explanation of
the needs of a bicycle in the inspection de-
partment that there are more than go
miles of lighted streets, and the inspectors
If compelled to go on foot could not COM
plete the circuit in a month. Since they
have been mounted on bicycles and required
to inspect every night a route mapped out
for them by the superintendent of lamps
a marked improvement has taken place
in the work done.
EOtes.