Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1903-02-05
HONEST
WEIGHT
Bill Is Introduced by
AssembIynnan
Dudgeon
Drawn by Grant
Thomas to Protect
Consumers
Sale by Short-Meas-
ure ReCeptaCIes
Forbidden

Madison, Feb s.
A bill looking to the protection of
consumers from dishonest dealers and
manufacturers who sell food products
in short-measure leceptaCles was in
troduced into the legislature last night
by Assemblyman NJ. S. Dudgeon of
Madison. TWAS drawn byGrant Thomas
of Madison, recently a candidate for
chief clerk of the senate. Mr.. Thomas
has made a study of such protective
legislation and has found that in the
retail business almost everywhere
there is much dishonesty in short
weight and short-measure packages,
bottles and other reCeptacles when
works to the profit of dealers and to
the loss of the retail buyer In fact,
he has found that the practice of hav-
ing short-measure receptacles has be
come so general that dealers seem to
think it perfectly right and business
like to impose upon their customers
by this mild swindle. Mr.. Thomas
has discovered upon investigation that
milk and cream bottles in Madison,
sold for half-pints and quarts, are
often of a capacity much less than the
quantity for which the buyers are
charged He carried his investigations
into drugstores, groceries and other
departments of retail trade and learn
ed that similar conditions prevailed.
In one drugstore he was present while
a travelling salesman for a large bottle
firm was trying to sell to the proprie-
tor of the store, the inducement being
that, while the bottles were each
marked full measure they were
enough short of the labeled capacity
to pay the retailer in saving of the
commodities sold enough to make up
for the cost of the bottle.
In New York and Massachusetts
there are laws providing against
shortmeasure fruit boxes, but these
laws do no go as far as that contem-
plated to be enacted in Wisconsin. The
laws of the two eastern states are
found to work we'll New York was
the first state to take legislative action
of this kind. This was in 1899, The
provision was SO equitable and its
working so effective that the follow
ing year Massachusetts passed a SINH
lar act. DR.. Charles Mccarthy, legis-
latiye statstican in the department of
documents at the capitol, has aScer-
aimed in his inquiries that the laws in
the east, limited as they are in their
provisions, are effective.
The bill as drawn by Mr.. Thomas
and introduced by Mr. Dudgeon is as
follows:
Section |. All baskets, boxes or
other receptacle used or intended to be
used in the sale of strawberries, black
berries, blueberries, gooseberries, cher
ries and currants and other small
fruits will be of the capacity of one
quart, one pine or one-half pine, Wis
consin standard dry measure, and all
crates, cases, or other packages used
or intended to be used in packing, stoT
ing shipping handling or selling said
baskets. boxes or other reCeptaCles
shall have visibly and legibly burned
stamped or printed on the outside
thereof. letters or figures not less than
one-half inch in height designating the
capacity of the baskets, boxes, or other
receptacle contained or intended to he
contained therein.
Section .. All casks. barrels, kegs.
Jugs, bottles or other receptacles used
or intended to be used in the sale OF
food or drink or other article of trade
or commerce shall be Of such capacity
as to contain a full pint, quart or gal.
Ion, or multiple thereof, as the case
may be, Wisconsin standard liquid
measure, and every such cask, barrel
key. jug. bottle or other receptacle so
used or intended to be so used shall
have visibly and legibly burned, print
ed or stamped thereon or blown
therein letters or figures not less than
one-half inch in height designating
its actual capacity,
Section 8. Every can. pail. jar. !
keg or other receptacle used or intend I
ed 10 be used in the sale of any canned
fruits or vegetables or preserves or !
other article Of food or commerce shall
be Of such size as to contain a full !
avoirdupois pound Of IS ounces, or a /
half such pound or a multiple thereof. |
and every such can. pail jar. keg. or |
other receptacle so used or intended |
to be 50 used shall have visible and !
legibly burned, printed or stamped
thereon letters or figures not less than