The San Francisco call., 1898-03-18
Universally De- nOunce the Scale Law
 as Bold Robbery.
1t Is Regarded as a Blackmailing Scheme, With a Fee Bill Ex- tOrtiOnate in Every
 Detail.

ing" act, by which the laWglverS or
 the State, under guidance of the late
 Senator Mahoney, sought to cinch mer-
 chants and create fat position for the
 inspector of weights and measures shows that it is universally condemned
 Merchants who have investigated the
 matter are appalled, at the unorldleo
 power vested in the officer created py
 the act of 1891. It would be an easy
 matter to make a calculation Wnlch
 would show that the fee bill for the
 official thus empowered to inspect
 weights and measures would amount to
 a prodigious sum in a year.
 The lowest sum named as fee IS oo
 cents, which would have to be paio
 by every person who is engaged III the
 business of selling goods that are to De
 measured by tape or yardstick Inls
 would include the owners of all lum-
 Der yards, dry goods houses and other
 establishments where footrules are Tn
 use.
 Every grocer and many dealers ln
 liauids use ordinary scales. Drug
 gists, confeetioners, bakers and all who
 use even the commonest balances will
 be compelled under this law to pay
 the censor of weights and measures
 the sum of 75 cents for each scale or
 balance inspected. On scales that
 weigh as much as 5000 pounds the ah-
 nual fee is the sum of S1.
 Under the provisions of the odlous
 law the Secretary of State IS ex-oliiCIo
 sealer of weights and measures. iT T
 is required to seal and certify to all
 standards of weights and measures
 used by sealers throughout the state.
 The refusal of the Secretary or state
 to heed the law has heretofore peeh d
 barrier in the way or the luiiliiiilelI. T :
 of the purposes of the clnch pln.
 is probable, however, that there Wou.u
 be little trouble in induclng .ne me, coul eWanf ,f
 to mandamus that officer ln she even.
 of The annointment of such officer ln
 the various counties ,oh
 If there is an attempt to have sucn
 an officer in the city and county oi Sdi,
 Francisco it is evident that he Will ma
 great deal Of opposition. Mercnantss :
 who oppose the strange system ol
 blackmail involved in the law VIII hsiil ST
 the matter In the courts and carry the case to the tribunals of last resort.
 There have been previous attempts to have s1ch a law enforced, but such mea sures have always been worthless. The first act on the subject was passed as early as 1850, but 1t was amended and often modified down to lS6l- III snite of the fact that none or It's pro- visions were as odiouS as the Mahoney law. this act was repealed in April iooo' During all these years the people ol liie State have been able to live ana trans act the business of life without any body to watch over them to plexen' them from being robbed at the bar gain counter. |.
 The feature of the measure that IS most patent to all who give 1t even the most casual examination is that It's
 main purpose to to benefit the persons holding the office.
 The uselessness of the measure. the absolute lack of any reason for such an | office. is so apparent to all that the matter needs not moments thouSnl. | Merchants who had not known or the matter until lately have unlVersally
 been appalled, at the magnitude and boIdness of the attempted steal. They look mon the entire measure as a hIackmailing scheme instituted Tor the n11rposes of plunder and possessing no other merits. . striking illustration of the feeling of local merchants on the law came 10 light yesterday in the form or an old circular, which was issued about wear after the passage or the act. 1iie following excerpt from the circular IS in point, and it brings out the strong | fact that the law is largely useless by reason of improved methods in the con- struction of scales It is as follows: Every person who knows how modern | scales are constructed, so different from the old beam and poise, must know the uselesSnesS of such a law as tnlS. IL IS known to have been designed to create a horde of bloodsuckers to prey upoh 'iie public. .,, ,,roo,o o,,a l will power of the present Secretary or | State E. G. Waite, that the law has never been put in operation. lmmedlately | on the passage of the act representative merchants, among the number GoVernor l Newton Booth, made appeals to the Sec 1 retary to thwart the schemes of the pub | lie plunderers, and not in vain.
 The following additional opinions, supplementary to those published yes terdav. will show the general feeling on l the subject:
 CAPTAIN c. F. Everybody l knows that the law is useless and that the appointment of such h an ofIieer .hs IS nrovisions of the law are carried out the office will be one of the best in the United l States. The rates charged are certainiy eel, ia ' most extortionate, and the system IS disgrace to modern leglslationc; c;,,., Q
 JAMES o'BRIEN of J. J: O'Brien x x
 Co-The act of 1891 is an outrage Sa'ea pure tbe Boards of Supervisors neglect to have it 1 enforced but 1t should be repealed at | once. I am not saying this because oD- l feet to having my measures tested; on 1 The contrary I think it would be only right and proper to have an official in- spector who will come around say once | ar twice a year and see that everything is all right. but he should be a salaried | official. and then there should be some one over him to see that he does his duty. | Rut to say that member Of some pollti- l caI ring will have the privilege Of fnvad- l inc the houses of reputable business men ulS5enever he is in need of a little ready nonay and compel the storekeepers to
 nay him what is certainly an exorbtant pprice for his services is. as 1 said before, ppothing more or less than an outrage, and | it is the duty of every renutable news | naDer to take a firm stand against It. l 6ur. Supervisors are not angels by any means. but I hardly think they would be | the means of perpetrating such down rieht swindle on the business community nf San Francisco. We should have an odinster of weights, measures and bal ances, but let him be paid regular sal ary for the performance Of his duties JOHN ELIIOTTof Montgomery x Co., | Tt is simply a perfidious scheme originat- ad so far as I can see, for the sole pur- nose of giving employment to some mem her of a political ring. The merchants of this city are already overtaxed. We must have a license to do business, license to run a delivery wagon, and are taxed for everything it is possible to find a pretext le-- foy This nian means