The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1897-08-03
GROCERS in ARMS
They Make a Bad Half Hour
for Weights Inspector
R0ede.
CHARGE HIM WITH SPITE WORK
Say That His Accusations Against
Mr.. Banks and Others Are
Groundless.
CHARGE HIM WITH SPITE WORK

The Merchants Protective Association
at its meeting last night the
action of Inspector of Weights anu
Measures A. Edward Roede, In naiing d
number of reputable grocers into court on
the charge of using lightweights, WITH
out first notifying them and giving them q
chance to ave the defects remedleo.
Joseph Anderson, counsel for the assocla-
ton. was instructed by the unanimous
vote of the so members present to be IN
court when the cases of Mr.. Banks n
other members of the association are
called. and defend them in the name OF
the association. There was a lengthy n
animated discussion of the matter, and
the charges that the Inspector has failed
to do his duty were renewed ana
sized even more vigorously than at the
previous meeting when the remarks MI
Roede took exception to were made.
The discussion was started by VICE
President James Cough, who SAID ne
would like to hear something OF MT.
Banks experience with the Inspector.
For one," he said, 81 have not seen the
Inspector of Weights and Measures for
two years. I have seen the statement
in the press, that in the year just ended,
he visited all but twenty of the business
men in the city. I must have been one OIL
the twenty he missed. / don't see n
he is drawing his none for anyway. /
would k to near how some OF the rest
of you feel on the matter"
President Anderson asked all members
present who received one or more visits
from the Inspector of Weights and Meas
ures during the year ending July l last,
to rise to their feet. Not a member re-
sponded. He next asked those who had
not received a visit from the Inspector IN
that time to rise, n 10, including James
Banks and H. Jantzen, who were ar
raigned before Justice Nevin yesterday
morning. jumped TO their feet at once
While they were standing Mr.. Banks ad-
dressed them thus
Gentlemen, do you feel perfectly safe
In signifying your ~disapproval OF the
methods of the Inspector of Weights ana
Measures in this fashion,? l warn you
that each one OF you is liable to arrest
before you are a week older for SO DONG.
Remember that Mr.. Roede makes an ann
dayit that he has examined the scales OF
all but twenty of the merchants in Jersey
City and has found forty-three OF the
members of this association using 1mper-
feet weights and measures. 1t looks as
though you gentlemen are in for a little
of the roasting too. I want you to be per-
fectly sure in making the statement that
the Inspector did not visit you during the
first year he was in Office, as, if my case
is pressed any further. I shall call upon
each one of you to show your hands and
your faces in court as you have shown
them" loud %cheering.)
William Beach said:-"My weights and
measures may be out of order, but now
am 1 to know it? 1t is the duty OF the In
spector of Weights and Measures to in
spect e~verybody's scales, and if he find
them out of order to notify them so that
they can have them set right"
Mr.. Jantzig told how he had been ac-
cused of using false weights. He hoped
that the association would stand by him
and help him fight the matter to the end.
He declared that he had e~ndeavored to
get proper weights, but he had no n to
tell him whether his weights were right
Or wrong. When Inspector Roede called
last week he was ignorant Of the fact
that MI. Black had ceased to be inspec-
tor.
Secretary Newton ssid:-"It seems to
k1c lldl tH1o ID d CAdi6C Johns
chants Protective Association, not
against any individual member or mem
bers. The Inspector, in his statement to
the press, charges that he has found
.forty-three merchants who have been
using false weights and takes particular
pains to specify that they are all mem
bers of this association. This is a ques-
ton the Association ought to TAKE in
hand. 1t should have its counsel at the
trials when they come up, and should
stand by its member and fight their case
to the end. Regarding the visits OF the
Inspector I can say nothing. In the last
month I have visited nearly every mer-
chant in the city. not including those IN
the Greenville, Lafayette and West Ber-
gen sections. 1t is safe to say that I ! lave
visited ITO of the members of this as
sociation and have interviewed them on
his subject, and l have yet to find one
who received a visit from the Inspector
Of WEIGHTS and Measures within the year
ending July /, 1885. ~.
HE can't prove his case" said MT.
Banks, ''unless he can show his receipts
for the Inspection, signed by you or one
of your clerks. There is n gentleman
on this floor who can testify that his
weights and seals have not been inspected
in over five years, or since the Inspector
had been a paid employee OF the CITY.
William Beach said he Thought tnf
statements of the members showed con.
clusively that the arrests the inspector
had caused had been made merely sIol
spite. 1t was apparent, ne SAD, tnat5nt
was retaliating for the scoring ne goI -
the previous meeting of the ASSOCIATION.
j. w. Black, former Inspector o
Weights Measures, moved that coun.
sci be instructed to appear in court ant
conduct the case of any member OF thu
association who shall be tried on the com.
Dlaint of the Inspector of Weights ane
Measures. Mr.. Bruins wanted to near I'M
opinion of counsel on the So 9Jecl. CounI
seIor Joseph Anderson replied as fol
IcWs:-"I do not understand that there II
anv crime where there is not a guilty IN
tent. The members of this ASSOCIATION
have been SO honorable in their endeaVol
to uphold the law that no one would thini
for an instant of wilfully using snor
weights. This Inspector will not be abl
to prove any crime in MI
Blacks resolution was put by the t1reSl
dent and was carried by an unanlmou'
J. ShelIenberger, as Chairman of a spec
ial committee, consisting OF john Bruns
Henry Hoersch, E. A. Kaufman, Jame'
that the Committee had met with a com
mites Of six FROM the State Merchants
Protective Association for the purpose Q
discussing the possibility q the Hudsoi
state body. The meeting was held yester
day afternoon IN b Avenue House, ant
after the conference the local
entertained i emissaries from the stat
]. S. Van Anglen Of New Brunswick, J
L~udianvorst of ,1Boonton PS. Atki9sol
of New Brurswiek, W. Wilkir of H8rri
son "; H; E vsssdt % Of N fT0sbSsz a bet; Il !
the Hudson County Association n TIL
State Association, OWL out of TIL