The evening times., 1897-12-01
COL. HASKELL INSTALLED
New Sealer Of Weights and
Measures in Office.
ARRIVED HERE THIS MORNING
Not Absolutely Certain That the New
Official VIII Like the Position
Well Enough to Retain 1t Per. na-
nently.His Long Indifference u
Matter of Comment.

Col. william C. Haskell. OF Cleveland,
Ohio. who Was appointed sealer of weights
and measures for the District, last summer,
but die not take the office at the time.
reached the city this morning and was in
stalled today.
Col. Haskell reached the District Build
ing at IL O'Clock this morning and went
immediately to the office of Commissioner
Wight. These two gentlemen had con
versation at some length and then ad-
journed together to the office of COmm!s-
sioner Ross, where another consultation
occurred.
Mnen this was over it was announced
that Mr.. Haskell is to stay. The matter
of his bond and the taking of the oath will
probably be attended to late today.
Col. Haskell said to a reporter for The
Times:
Il have come to stay for a time atleast.
1 have taken the position. IL is tco early
to talk about any plans, however. do
not know anything about my new busi-
ness.
Il have stated my reasons for not taking
the position before several times. .Iy
private business would not allow it,
Col. Haskell did not say that he intenis
to remain in Washington as sealer Of
weights and measures, permanently. It
Is believed that he has other aspirations
and hopes. II has been understood all
the time, since his appointment four months
ago, that he would have preferred some
thing else, and that he has held aloof from
this position. fearing that if he took At
his chances for something better would
be lessencd. Such an arrangein mt is
indefinite and unsatisfactory to ever ybody,
however, and he has probably decided tnat
it is better to take this $1,000 year
while there is no trouble in securing II.
1t is understood at the District Building
that the Commissioners are not entirely sat
isfied with Col. Haskells long cold indi iffer
ence to the place that was tak ken a Wa y from
from a District man of their choice .or an
outsider for political reasons. 1t is fact
that certain District man was promised
the position nearly half a year agp, and ha d
made all his plans to ia lie it when Ohio and
Mr.. Hanna made their appearance as uid-
dcrs.
The new position which Col Haskell
takes has its good and its bad points. II he
wear badge and drive about the city in
"a District wag"n testing meat and vegetable
and coal scales. He will have one assist-
sistant, but the TWO together cannot more
than dc the work. 1t is possible, no We -er,
as has been demonstrated heretofore, for A
seacr of weights and measures to do very
little work.
1t is told of p former incumbent that ills
visits to the office were almost as 'nrre-
quent as snowstorn,s in summer. His s.
sistant did the work as well as possible.
but many of the grocers and coal deal RS
Said their scales were not tested for years
al time. One gentleman not long ago
made the statement that there has been
no test o. his scales fo- twelve years.
The law requires an examination every
three months.
The office rooms of the sealer are small
and unprctentious. There are two Of them,
sx1O each, and they are uncarpeted and
unadcrned