The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1894-01-03
WATCH YOUR SCALES.
SOMETHING ABOUT THE WEIGHTS
AND MEASURES USED.
Captain Bossieux, One of the Sellers, Take
About the Necessity of In Annual
Inspection.

touching the duties of the Sealer OF
Weights and Measures for the city Of
Richmond. / called yesterday on Capt.
Louis +. Bcissieux. one of the two seal
ers, at his Office, No. 1o2 south Thirteenth
street.
in reply to my first question. Captain
Boisseux said:
Yes. | have noticed a bill was intro
duced before the General Assembly to
amend the Code in relation to the duties
Of the Sealer OF Weights and Measures
for the city Of Richmond. | have not
seen q copy Of the bill. but I understand
the only amendment is as to the Tine OF
inspection; In other words, 10 nave the
| officers performing that duty visit the
| different places Of business every three
years instead Of annually, as now pre-
scribed. The law was originally once IN
three years. but for good and sufficient
reasons The Legislature of 1891 ana Bs2
made # compulsory for such oilcers 10
examine all scales, weights. anu meas
ures used in the city for buying Sell
ing once in each year.
What classes OF people arc mostly bene-
nted by the inspection laws?
In answer ] would say the honest
merchant, first, because It Is q
correct STANDARD between merchant
and merchant, and no merchant
is absolutely safe without It,
he cannot compete with the dishonest
merchant. and when disputes arise, which
frequently occur. they invariably rely
| upon the Sealer Of Weights and Measures
or his certificate. The consumer may be
| benefited 10 a greater extent. as a large
! number Of our people-houseReepers,
| clearinghouse. restaurants, ana others
who buy from the retail dealer ana l
may saw not one out Of fifty have scales
and no way OF testing their purchases
RELY solely upon the honesty Of the trader.
The inspector is required to look after
him. and 10 see that his balances. weights,
| and measures are kept correct and TO the
standard.
DO YOU find many weights and meas
ures wrong? In answer / VIII say as
I stated. that the whole matter IS a very
delicate subject for officials occupying
our position to make known or even
subject themselves 10 an interview but
| as YOU have kindly suggested that there
is opposition 10 such inspection by some
of our merchants, l can only say |
am not surprised. Any law mat Is IN
quisitive is unpopular.
Should the inspection be once in ten
years. the same objection would be made
When the inspection was once IN three
years we met with greater complaints
and opposition than We do now, but that
is not answering your question, as 10
short weights.
Had TO wait.
When we were first appointed to this
office our predecessor. Mr.. Ragland. n
competent and efficient officer. had per-
formed the duties Of the Office up 10
date. and as the law called for an in
s%pection once in three years only, We
have to wait the expiration OF that
period before entering upon duty;
that our first inspection after waiting
three years showed conclusively, and
| may say positively. at least from ~
10 80 per cent. Of the scales balances.
weights. and measures OF this city wrong,
in some instances against the dealer. but
I'm "A large measure against the consumer.
Under the change of the law, making II
an annual inspection. | can say, and
that without fear Of contradiction, upon
the examination OF our books that not
more than from 10 TO 10 per cent. are
wrong at this time.
We are lust about completing our
inspection for this the past year. Here
are our books showing a memorandum
VI fAtl stunt Nv UNIV "a
measures. and yard-sticks tested by US,
giving the name, street. and number Of
the individuals. as also notes OF those
found wrong and corrected. You Will
notice the list IS quite lengthy and the
number Of condemned weights consider
ably large. That pile would nearly fiji
a barrel. and not one of them less than
nearly an ounce to four ounces short,
They are only the weights That could not
be fixed. and are cOufscated or con-
demned. We suppose, in addition to them
we have made good. as required by law
at least three times that quantity. using
at least seventy or eighy pounds OF lead
for that purpose.
Al the Markets.
DO you visit the markets? Oh. yes.
We so TO all places where scales. etc, are
used in buying and selling. and possibly
10 the markets more frequently than
elsewhere. As you know. We are only
required to 90 once a year. and can
only be paid that often. but we have
the city districted in such manner as 10
enable us to 20 twice or oftener 10 some
places. | think we ave been to all the
markets twice this year. If not oftener.
Markets nave a bad name or odor In
our business, a good many complaints.
| want to say for those gentlemen. and
do them the justice to say. that this Is
a mistake: their weights and measures
will compare favorably with the retail
dealers Of this city. u is true, some
three years ago at our first inspection We
found a good many short measures In
the markets. used by hucksters and coun-
try people, bat / am satisfied the parties
using them Gid so unknOwingly: they
were destroyed. We have just finished
the inspection OF the lower market, Cap
tain Sullivan clerk, and / am proud to
say, old not find one false or short
measure. 1t Is true there are some oddly
shaped ones, as sQme people say can't
pile up in them, bct our duties are SIM
ply 20 ascertain IL they contain the mum
Der of cubic inches as required by law.
and conform 10 the standard furnished
us.
Yes, I am proud TO say there are a
large number of business houses IN the
city that I do not believe It Is actually
necessary TO look after or inspect. ] could
mention them. but ] do not propose TO adj
Vertise honest houses or to discriminate.
Many Of them inform US they are glad 10
have such annual inspection. and that II
is TO their interest. You can't have n
law that will exempt one and take I'm
another under the sanitary laws, water
Inspection. &c, OF this city. II would not
do for the Inspector 10 pass Mr.. AS house
and 20 to his next-doOr neighbOr. simply
because Mr.. A. stands we'll i'm the com
munity and says be is all right. The in
spector may believe and think so. hut
he must ascertain that fact for himself,
and by personal inspection.
H.. n,..- n-