Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1897-07-13
MERCHANT AND CITIZEN.
Consumer Should BE Consulted i'm Sc
iectfhS "a SeaIer of Weights

consumer should BE Consulted I'm Sc
iectiIfS "a SeaIer of Weights.
To the Editor of The Evening Star:
L notice the following In your issue of
July u and note that the objectionable
idea underlying it evoked no criticism in
your editorial upon the same subject:
ne commissioners have made their Sc
lection for successor to Gen Frank 4
Bond, the sealer of weights ard measures.
ana unless the politicians interfere the
appointment win be made during the
MONTH 1t is understood the selection of
the commissioners embodies all The re-
quirements OF the position. He is a we'll
known Washingtonian. and the Commits
sioners believe would give eminent salts
faction.
Inere are several senators who have
candidates and number of other promf-
nent politicians are pushing applicants for
me poSiioh- AS the place Is purely local.
,!le salary OF the seaier being paid entirely
by The merchants using scales, the Com
mlssioners are DESTROYS OF appointing a To-
cal man who Will be acceptable to them
The fight however. is bitter and the
strongest political influence is at work TO
| secure a change in the boards decision"
VIII The Star sanction the areUment that
as the merchants pay TIE salary of the
seaier of weights and measures they have
the right of choice as 10 who Shall receive
their money? The impression has hcreto-
fore prevailed that this office was designed
Tor the protection of the public. and that
While he should deal justly. a friend of the
People rather than a friend of those who
| have selfish interests TO advance should
be chosen. If the whole creation is sls-
| tanned by merchants, for the benefit Of
merchants and to be administered by those
Wnom merchants choose, 1t is we'll that the
| consumer should know it and the office
| be abolished at the earliest possible mo-
ment.
Some of the states have bank examiners
| rad by the banks, whose duty it is to re-
| port for the benefit OF the public their
| exact condition and whether or not they
are solvent In those states il would be
deemed the height OF presumption for
bankers to seek to influence the appoint
nent OF the peoples official because the
salary is paid through them. In both
cases the object of the law is to protect
the public against errors and possible dis
honesty on tn. part of the very class that
pay the salary, and for them to attempt
to name the man who Is TO supervise their
business Is in very poor taste 10 say the
least. Such an argument, coming from
such source, should weigh strongly against
the class candidate. whoever he may be
and We trust that in this case Commits
sioners and citizens will unite in showing
disaproval of such spirit
l can form no conjecture who the article
refers to, but it appears to me that the
| man selected for this Office SHOULD be an
actual resident of the city of Washington.
The principal qualification is unswerv-
ing honesty and sympathy with the pub
lie, rather than with trusts corpora
tions.
He should be capable. He should be
willing. energetic and faithful. 1t is not
necessary that he be specialist, scholar,
| a lnguist, or, as prescribed in a civil serv-
ice examination for a typesetter, that he
be able to jump twelve feet"
1t is not inGispensably necessary that
he have Endorsement of senators and con-
gressmen. but we fail to see why the
recommendations of distinguished citizens
should be any disadvantage 10 an appli-
cant. We trust that not only The Star,
but every newspaper in the city will make
it plain that the consumer is the one for
whose benefit this law was passed, and
that any attempt made by an Interested
class TO dictate this appointment will be
vigorously resisted by press and people.
"A CONSUMER"