The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1903-01-31
District SeaIer Makes Reply
to SundrV Complaints,
CHARGES NOT EXCESSIVE
Visitations Keep Dishonest Dealers in
Check-Many Tradesmen Do Not
ScrupIe to Use Bad Measures.

Complaint is made to the District
Commissioners from time to time OF
the operations of the Office of the Sealer
of Weights and Measures. GTOceTymen
and others appear to think the inspec-
ton of their scales at intervals and the
fee charged for sealing are a hardship
they ought not to bear. The Commits
sioners have been asked many times to
modify the law OF to abolish the Office
altogether.
Similar complaints come from dairy
men and others selling liquids by
measure. and from hucksters whose
measures are interfered with by the
inspectors from this Office Moreover
it has been charged the receipts Of the
Office are greater than the expense of
administration. and for this reason The
fees might be reduced
Col ". c. Haskell. the SeaIer of
Weights and Measures, said today he
facts were that up TO 1901 the office
was barely sgIf-sustaining, with the
practice Of the most rigid economy
That year. though some addition was
made to the facilities Of the office. The
expenditure of something over $1,000
was met BY the receipts collected For
the last fiscal year. be said. there vas
a surplus of $21I. Colonel Haskell
thought there was no room for com
plant on the lire Of 100 large fees. He
said the office was now on a fairly eff
lcient basis. and the receipts were just
about equal 10 the necessary expeudi-
lures.
With reference to the hardship of in
spection and sealing of weights and
measures, Colonel Haskell said it was
generally the persons worst hurt Who
complained the l0udest. He said the
! inspections showed many scales and
measures below the legal standard.
Scales sometimes would be weighted
and measures cut down in order TO
give customers less merchandise than
they were entitled to.
Colonel Haskell said that in order to
ind these dishonest tradesmen it was
necessary 10 take them by surprise. If
they knew the inspector was coming
they would fix scales and measures so
that nothing would be found wrong.
Moreover. he thought IT had saIuJary
! effect upon many vendors to know that
| they might be visited any day and their
| scales and measures tested Colonel
1 Haskell said he OF his assistant were
almost daily IN the Police Court pre-
/ senting evidence against people who
were found violating the law. # 1t was
! i hardship TO have wholesome restraint
! put upon dishonest weights and meas
ures, then possibly the policy which die
/ tated The establishment and maInten-
/ ance Of his Office was wrong
! Colonel Haskell admitted there was
/ some ground for the complaints made IN
/ the cases Of honest men who kept thai-
scales and measures up to the standard.
| To visit these men three OF four times
year and charge them a fee for seal
ing was possibly not necessary, but this
was, he thought. the penalty which hon
! est men everywhere pay for the misdeeds
/ Of their dishonest competitors The fact
IS. he said. Washington is fun Of mer
who do not scrupIe 10 use short weights
/ and measures, and it is these the Office
IS after. Instead Of honest men com
( planning about the sealing Of theil
! scales and milk jars. he thought they
should cooperate with the Office and
/ assist in roofing out dishonest practices
Commissioner MacfarIand. who ha.