The record-union., 1895-03-04
WEIGHTS AND MEASURES ACT.


vised the repeal of Senator Mahoney's
Act for sealing of weights and measures
has done wrong. If the law, right in
principle, honest in purpose and intended
to conserve public good and the interests
of consumers, is defective it is best to
amend it. 1t is mean policy to kill a
abort bin will correct.
The Senator it seems had himself pre-
pared amendments to meet the objection
to the law, namely that IL permitted seal
srs to extort fees from dealers. 1t was
proposed to amend so that fee cannot be
collected oftener than once a year, and
then small sum, one that the dealer can
well afford to pay to be clear of the sus-
picion that his measures and weights are
not fair. Besides, whatever the cost of
conducting his business, the dealer visits
upon the consumer.
AS matters now stand the State has a
fine set Of weight and measure standards,
but while the statute makes them the
lawful standards, and makes a State Off
cial Sealer. there is no sealing done. and
every dealer in the State is at liberty to
fix his scales and his measures as suits
his own sweet will. The law known as
the Mahoney Act proposed to correct
this, and to breathe into the State system
some vitality. But while the bill became
law, the late Secretary of State refused
to enforce it because of the clause that
permitted too frequent sealings.
This should not be reason for the re-
peal Of the Act, but only for it's amend
ment so as to prevent it becoming oppres-
siye. The people who buy pound ought
to be assured by law that they will get
sixteen ounces; those who bargain and
pay for gallon ought to be assured by
law that the measure is of the full capa-
city required by the law. Unless this is
done the dealer can, as many do, shear
parcels OF their weight and fluid meas
ures of their capacity. A small percen-
tage on each sale in short time amounts
TO an immense aggregate.
We have the word of an ex-dealer for
it that in certain lines the short weight
and short measure gains amount to the
cost Of the conduct of the business. That
is to say, instead of legitimate profits
charged directly upon the goods, there is
extorted from customers sum of money
that sufficed to pay the current cost of
conducting business.
Let us hope that there are very few
such dealers. But human nature is what
it IS and not what we would have it.
always. We must punish crime wher-
ever found, and prevent it when we can.
The weights and measures law is pre-
Ventiye and therefore is benefcent. The
honest dealer wants it enforced, the dis
honest one opposes it; therefore it should
be enforced. While the amount of fees
for sealing should be limited so as not to
be oppressive, the sealer ought to have
the right at reasonably frequent periods
to enter places of business and examine
the weights and measures. The honest
dealer will never object, the dishonest
always viii, and hence that right ought
TO be asserted and maintained.
1t is to be hoped that the bill to repeal
will receive check in the Senate. and
the proposition to amend will be deemed
an urgency measure and put through.
and that at last the standards rusting in
the Office of the Secretary of State may be
brought out and busted and made useful
in preventing the cheating OF consumers
by dealers.