The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1900-10-24
THE MORNING NEWS: WEDNESDAY. OCTOBER "A. 1900

Z
moved only on special occasions
July -. i<6 Congress passed on lact
making the metric system lawful through
out me United Statee and defining the
weights and measures in common use in
terms Of the units 81 this system. The
government mint however. has a sys-
tern OF as own. by special act OF Con-
gresr passed ~ is2s the Troy pound WINS
made the standard for weighing the gov
eminent bullion. ard prototype obtained
the previous year from London and made
hy Gelatin was declared standard.
Although there has been no adequate
legislation OF the subject. the government
attempts IN q haphazard sort Of way 20
supply tho states with accurate standards
Of the ordinary pound. bushel ana gallon
used IN every DAY commercial trausac-
tions. Each state Il supposed 20 have
fun set 81 the government prototypes. and
the bureau az Washington Is now engaged
Ia making two sets. FOR recently admitted
states OF the Far West. Zach state Is sup
POSED 20 have an orlcial sealer Of weights
and measures with CORPS Of inspectors
under him. ana then each municipality or
township IS supposed 10 have It's duly
appointed authorities who have their
working copies OF the standard measures
ana 200 that tradesmen do not employ
false scales in dealing out their wares
30 tho people
That Is the theory Of -; tho way g
works out IN practice Is very different
The carefully worked out standards which
are furnished By the government are US
ualiy stored IN cellars or unused vaults
and their very existence forgotten. In one
OF the Eastern states Il was discovered
recently that tho gold-plated half-bushel
standard measure was being used TO feed
the horse belonging 90 the assistant chief
Of the IRE department; the standard pound
weight was busy holding a door open the
gallon measure found it, sphere OF useful
ness a cuspidor and the smaller proto-
types all had jobs as paper weights. In
another state the custodian bored a hole
ia the standard Of liquid measure and Mt
ted 70 with a spigot In order TO facilitate
the measuring operations.
Sometimes the state officials begin 10
suspect that their measures are in need
of polishing up and they send them 20
Washington for renewal Thus weights
which never should he handled except
with specially devised instruments come
IN battered and bruised and corroded IN
al they have not a suggestion OF accuracy
about them.
There IS no doubt that the public IS
cheated daily In a thousand small way
| by false weights and measures. There Is
a certain style OF scales in common use
which the government experts say should
which has two pans supported on up
rights which rise from a horizontal bar
| balanced IN the middle on q pivot. The
| balance may be perfect ard the weights
| up 10 standard. and yet the customer may
have short weight given TO him BY the
| simple device OF placing the weight on
| the outside Of the pan and the mercan-
disc on the side nearest the pivot. Thus
one arm OF the balance - heightened and
ghrfrfapnA in the Of the
dealer.
The advent Of electricity and the general
| advancement OF science has brought new
work 10 che Bureau OF Weights and
Measures. II has also emphasized the
need Of adequate legislation under the
constitutional power to provide the coun-
try with uniform standards. All over
the land people are paying for electric
light: and yet they have no standard by
which TO measure u or 20 gauge the size
| Of their bills except the eay-so OF the
! company which furnishes n. There Is no
/ legal standard OF measure and the ohm.
/ which Is borrowed from Germany. may
/ be "a big or a little ohm a. Il suits the
| company 10 make IL. There Is no stand
ard candle power. and there Is no way for
a customer TO know whether his lamp Is
/ OF a certain brllliance OF not. The same
| principle applies 10 the scale OF electric
i power for the running OF machinery.
/ The United States have bought some test
ing apparatus for measuring volts and
ohms from Germany. but no effort has
been made 10 furnish standards 20 the
states The appropriation for this pur-
pose has been entirely inadequate.
There il almost no occupation where the
need OF accurate standards OF some kind
H. not fat. For example. II s. said thai
n Is almost impossible TO get an accurate
clinical thermometer. A physician hap
pens to have a high registering instrl-
ment. and oh the patients he r. called up
on 10 examine show an alarming tempera-
ture. surveyor has wrong tape ami
years later the error results IN a lawsii;
and great loss. Not long ago a discrep.
ancy amounting to 10000 between a bill
o. ladinR and the goods delivered was
| traced to defective hydrometer used TO
gauge alcoholic spirits. In the customs
duty on sugar. the importations of which
amount 20 "a hundred million dollars "a
year. an error Of the smallest fraction In
one OF the small TASKS used IN the tests
will cause a difference in the amount ~
! receipts amounting 20 thousands OF dol
lars. The need for uniformity in the Gus
/ toms was recognized in 1880. when an in
vestiFntion showed great discrepancies
resulting in such serious loss TO the gov
ernment that the Secretary OF tho Treas
ury was compelled 10 take action with
out waiting for Congress.
The question Of establishing an Amer
lean S,andardizing Bureau will come be-
| fore Congress at next winters session A
bill was introduced last December and
was favorably reported by the House
Committee having II in charge The Sen.
| ate Committee on Commerce has not Yet
given it consideration. II r. proposed 10
| create bureau with authority TO under.
take all functions contemplated BY the
clause Ia the Constitution relative 20 FIX
ing the standard OF weights and meas
| ures"
| Tho new report OF the British and
] Foreign Rlhie gocIety sfatea that lac, 49,