The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1900-10-21
AN INSPECTION LAW NEEDED.
PRACTICALLY No INSPECTION NOW
OF WEIGHTS AND MEASURES.

They Are 80 Worded That the in-
spector g. Practically without An-
thorIty and the Law Almost Dead
Letter one Inspection D. Good
Forever ana the Inspector Hns NO
Authority 60 Make m Inspection
of his own Motion.
While the Senator and Representatives
elect are considering what legislation they
shall introduce before The next Georgia
Legislature q might De- wen for them 20
give their attention 10 small matter Ike
the inspection OF weights and .mcasurea.
Savannah has an Inspector OF weights and
measure ard there ore statutes ~ the
staac requiring inspection OF weights.
scales ana rneasurcs. but for oil practical
purposos these laws nrc dcnl-lcucrs e1-
oept In occasional Instances whore the Of
ncial Inspector is called iu 20 pass upon p
new scale ~ TO settle dispute between
buyer and seller as 20 the correctness Of
weight
Capt Joseph r. White. the wcn-known
sllnsmlth b. the Official inspector OF
weights and measures for Savannah. ana
has a very correct idea OF h.s business
but little opportunity 20 exercise Il. There
are 100 firms. little and big doing busi-
ness ia Savannah. everyone using from
one 10 a dozen or more weights and
measures 90 say nothing Of the score OF
huchstcrs and market dealers. who also
make use q measures and occasionally OF
woghU Apparently u is the Intention
Of che law that all scales ana measure
should be Inspected once "a year. Asked
~
many Inspections he made during the
year Capt white replied thns y hardly
amounted 20 one a month,
This rs due 20 q very peculiar feature
OF tho law While according 60 the Jet
ter Of tho law Inspections are made com
puls0ry there 81 no time liked o. 20 wheh
inspections shall bc made and no authority
given 90 the Inspector 20 make compui-
cory inspectioua. The law is complied
with when a scale weight or measure o.
once inspected and though this scale.
weight or measure may De used for TWEEN
~ years after the owner or user cannot
b. compelled 10 have Il reinspected The
law was compiled with when u was hfHt
inspected and there is no requirement Tor
an annual inspection or for any reinapee-
ton.
This seems 60 be a queer stale OF af-
fairs. especially in a commercial city
where barter and trade, large and small.
H. tho NE OF the community. Yet such
IS the case Tho wonder b. that there tS
go little complaint on this s-orc when
there Is so litsle regulation. This may De-
due 20 the fact that the laws Of trade.
rather than the scrupulOusneas Of tine
dealers. require an approximate degree Of
accuracy in weights and measurements.
Savannah tuterchangcs trade with the
East the West. the North and the South,
and any decided variation ia weights
would at once call OF necessity the scales
OF the Savannah merchants must CORE
spond with those OF Chicago New York
and Baltimore.
This r. aH very true as applied TO whole
sale dealing. but the local interest lies
an retail trading. where almost every deal
er. from groceryman 10 huckstcr, rcFu-
hates his own scales and measures accord
sng TO his own ideas o. the rules 81
avoirdupois uud dry ana wet measure.
and his own regard Cor Justice and fair
dealing. IL b. true that the average
dealer could not AFFORD 60 have his
weights far out OF the way. for tho rea-
son that his customers would soon die
cover that something was wrong and
he would be- given bad name, but
difference OF an ounce in the pound would
amount TO "a considerable gain or loss
"a the course OF "a year.
Lawns out the hucksteTs TO whom
or cave IN the bottoms is almost lrresisti-
bic. said Capt white. u think there
= very little actual dishonesty among
the generality OF dealers. both large ana
small The trouble does not come 80
much IN the intent 10 defraud as % does
IN the liability OF scales 90 get ont OF
order. Scales Eet rusty. they get out
OF balance or something is Jared out Of
place. and they no longer give correct
weight. The odds ere as likely TO be
against the dealer az they are Go be- in
his favor, and hence the necessity Of hav-
ang regular inspection AL scales should
Dc required 20 be Inspected az least once %
year. The Inspector should have the right
10 inspect any scale or weight or meas
ure whenever and wherever and as often
az he pleased, but he should be allowed
a fee only for the annual inspection This
would prevent him from taking advant-
age Of his position 20 run NO his fees at
the expense OF the dealers As matters
stand now ! can only Inspect such scales
weights ana measures as are brought and
submitted TO me or that am called upon
10 80 and inspect ! collect no fees unless
stamp the scales or measures correct.
end this / cannot DO until the error, II
any. has been corrected"
As an evidence OF the necessity for in
specti0n. Capt. White narrated an incl
dent Of a well known grocery company
which made "a large purchase OF rice from
broker The company had new set Of
scales which had just been erected, aud
the correctness OF which had been certi-
ned 10 by the representative OF the man
ufacturers who erected the scale. There
was an apparent shortage IN tho weight
Of the rice and the broker was called upon
40 make good. He contcndcd that accord
ing TO his scales the exact amour called
for had been delivered The contcnton
had reached an unpleasant point when
the Inspector was called In 20 fest the
new scales. He found them apparently all
right until he reached tne iOl-pound
weight owing TO some error in adjust
ment. there WINS a difference OF Just one
pound IN a hundred. The grocery people
were very glad 20 have the error correct-
ed, az they were losing just one Ia a hun
dred on every sale they made on those
scales
Capt. White does not mend scales or
other measures which he Is called unou %
inspect He holds that n O. not proper
for the inspector 20 pass upon his own
work. and IN cases where he is called
upon 10 make Inspection and errors are
found, tho parties are required 90 get
some other artisan TO make the co-rsc-
ton.
IL would seem that this matter Of che
regulation Of weights and measure
might be left 20 the city and that on act
might b. obtained from tho Legislature