The Washington times., 1901-08-13
AFFAIRS OF THE DISTRICT
A Protest Of Milk Dealers Againts
Present Inspection Fees.


'S"' "' '"e commissioners I" Fly
st"h"hrd benfed-Wnter Heh'
for Dwellings In which Rooms
Are Let-A PIumber's License.
Henry E. Davis. attorney for several
of the milk and cream dealers of the
city, has submitted to the Commissioners
long statement relative to the fees
| exacted by the Sealer of Weights and
| Measures for the inspection and sealing
| of the glass jars used in the distrib Ition
| of milk and cream throughout the Dis
| trict of Columbia. Mr.. Davis takes the
| broad ground that If Congress had in
] tended to confer upon the District the
! power to fix a standard of weights and
| measures, the recent order adopted by
| the Commissioners is unconstitutional
! In proof of this view he cites section
| s. article l. of the Constitution which
| confers upon Congress alone the power to
| fix standard of weights and measures
| He declares that this power cannot be
delegated, and that Congress, therefore,
did not intend to confer such authority
! upon the District Commissioners Mr.
| Davis quotes from various statutes and
calls attention to the fact that Congress
! has never fully exercised its right to fix
declares that from 1899 to the nresent dav
there has been no action of Congress-
looking tn the adontion of q svstan, of
weights and measures except the author
ization of the metric system tho flying
of the troy pound and the fixing of the
units of electrical measure
Relative to the duties of the Sealer of
Weights and Measures of the District of
Columbia Mr. Davis says: 1T is to be
observed that the Sealer of Weights and
Measures is not given power to fix any
standards whatever. His duties have
no Legislative, but only an administrative
ana executive character 1t follows in
evitably that any measure which the
Sealer of Weights and Measures is au-
thoriZed to try and prove must conform
to a measure in recognized use throughout
the United States. and further that such
measure must be of a material suscepti-
bile of star,nine p,ase hot,la ar ;ar
canine, no ,,,,,h ,,,<,s.,,7,q, -,
-, -, .. ~ me eohetu-
SNe REASON tiidt II IS Impossible 10 make
glass bottles or Jars of uniform size or
to stamp them when made"
Mr. Davis ASSERTS that tho ..toIara,,co,,
,ss,,,, - ,-,',l,'
,ssueu ny the sealer Oh Welehts ana
measures, liking the amount of Huid bot
ties and Jars should contain, Involves a
plain admission that il is iu,nossthIa RI
,.,,,-o -. - - ~
sass measure WHICH Can IN any
proper Sense OF the word be called
standard. THE regulation is without the
authority of the Commissioners to make
ANY Other co,,,,t ,,,,,,.,t - -.
80 INC Noi''ti'ioi "oufu VI Necessity
iiiNoi'e the hldelehsiDie proposition from
the standpoint of both practical admins
tration and legal authorization that the
Commissioners or tho Se,ie,. Of yys,,,t,s
-, - $3.50 VI "e-s'9
anu measures couid set up variable as
against fixed standard, and that the
extent of tolerance" which I'm IFS nature
;e f,.xibta ,o.,, h. ha.,,.,, = -, -, -
-. -. -. 80 W
uehles SCI ny either INC commissioners
or the Sealer of Weights and Measures,
which is the same as to say that the
c+andard Tor , ,;r, 49,, a, -. |
~ 80, pm -.,aS 'o'i', dc'eu
81 as " hoiu ohiy sni, OF eApdilueu SO
as to hold a quart.
IF glass bottles in vrhfc,, rniIk is sold |
ara 90 h., ,,.,o.,,,, :, a "a ,l..., =.
nor tba eiaeS Ia,,I. ~. ;sIitt - WY a.
sond ieird, ~, ~ III witch IiquoIs are
arc co 70 he ,-a.,,ad 49, a - -. - -, 80
.i9n on the part Oh me
and Measures To have every hottIa in tho |
groceries and restaurants subjected 10 |
inspection and sealing before their con- |
' 7. &, ~ ., ~ ~ ~, re solu -
is to be given sucf a brosd ,letinftio,,' Tho |
Sealer of Weights and Measures would |
have 70 inspect boxes in which berries /
ar sou sschs IN when ilouf Is s9Id ana
il is pevond do,Ibt Thai conpress used |
the word measure in the ordinary COM
merciai sense.
:. - III - "a; Sei i'u iiitI eliec.
degree The larger dealers in milk in the
District of Columbia require for the pur-
poses OF their business from 10000 to $4,000
Dotlies OF J.rs a year. anu such Is the
snonsibie dealers declare and their hooks
show, that their entire stock of bottles
and jars has to be replenished each year.
III the case oI uedlef using oV,Vvo potties
for insntc,ior and Seaiint involves bi,n in
a cost of 500 per year. which is equiva-
lent to the T. ense demanded of retail
liquor dealer ana is In effect tax upon
MN TN " ia, ,,.,tip' II, ,,o,i,, 20 M, do
Inanded by the customers and may. with
all Difference, be said to he an entirely I'M
necessary exercise OF power Onder ex-
~ ht,,i or iars IL o necet.arv
-
Some time ago w. III. Burr. of 1899 Four
+aor,h Stra., ,ortbuoe, rc5,n,,Iaipad of
.''''i 81 --oi % -' 900,
ne eAcessiNe water rent ior pichiises iV'A
Eleventh Street and IUl1 X Street north
vest Mr. Burr stated in his complaint
-. -. - -. - -, q "a ~. |
nat ms ~ ~ -
nat ne had received Il piii from the reg
strar's Office of SIZES. He says that the |
,ousa frants fifteen feet on Eleventh |
80, b., NJ for cC,,.a,,ior,c. ,ta lnt
''te''' "'' ' ~ - ~
|