The Birmingham age-herald., 1904-11-30
EVERY BUYER GETS CORRECT MEASURE Official City Scales Established on Twenty-third Street A QUESTION OF VICINITY Law Says Scales Must Be In Vicinity of City Hall and Inquiry Arises
 How Fan That Vicinity
 Extends.
A QUESTION OF VICINITY

After much controversy and divergence of opinion. the official city scales have been established on Twenty-third street between Morris avenue and the railroad tracks, and if the spirit of ordinances re- gently adopted by the city council Is carried out the people of Birmingham will get honest measurement and weight.
 Two ordinances were passed by the citv council on the night of August Is, one providing for the correct weighing of coal and the other for the appointment of a city inspector of weights and meas ures to see that coal and other eommod- tiles are weighed according to law.
 If these ordinances are enforced to the letter 1t will be almost impossible Tor a citizen of Birmingham to receive short weight ton of coal. It is said that con siderable complaint had been made along this line and the board of aldermen adopted the measures mentioned to rem edy the trouble and apprehend the neg ligent or guilty persons.
 Must Weigh Coal Correctly. Vne COIL WClEnliib t- for a licensed weigher at every coal yard. Any person who has reason to believe that his coal is not full weight has the right to have It re-weighed by the li- censed weigher. and If 1t Is found that the wagon load is more than seventy-hve pounds short the seller of the coal shall be fined not less than s10 nor more than | han raRaiUa g3 as a fee out of this amount.
 l A very strong feature of the law, and one which will force everybody to give full measure, provides that 1t shall be the duty of the city inspector of weights and measures to require one or more wagons | from each coal seller, at least four times a month to be weighed on the city scales These wagons are to be stopped at any place the inspector may see fit without giving the seller prior notice. 1t is believed by coal men that this will prove effective, as tho sellers will not know when their wagons are going to be weighed, and if they should be in clined to give short weight this will be a sufficient warning to prevent such prac- tices.
 It is further provided in the ordinance that any person or corporation found guilty of violating the ordinance twice is liable to have all licenses for such busl- ness revoked and never reissued.
 The mayor and those in charge of in stalling the scales have struck rather difficult snag in English in the eighth l as follows:
 Question of Vicinity.
 "Be 1t further ordained, That the mayor shall purchase for the city and cause tt be installed and maintained at some convenient point in the vicinity or th' city hall wagon scales of standard make and of four tons weighing capacity
 Now the question arises as to wher' the limits of this "vicinity" extend. Int scales have been established at Twenty third stret and Morris avenue. VIII tha be construed to be in the vicinity of thu city hall?
 The discussion naturally centers on tn meaning of the word vicinity" Web ster's dictionary says vicinity is eth' quality or state of being near; not re mote."
 "When asked about this matter of 10 : cation in the "vicinity of the city hall, Mayor Drennen said he thought vicinity extended that far"-Twenty-th third stree and Morris avenue.
 Now if man should live one mil' from Philadelphia" reasoned the mayor land you should ask me where h' lived very naturally I would say hi lived in the vicinity of Philadelphia" This appeared to be reasonable, bu the question has been asked, "suppos' you were standing on the Twenty -flrs street bridge and by-stander shoul' r tell you that the scales were located fl the vicinity of the city hall which wa! would you go-toward Twenty-third stree or toward the city hall?'
 Those who have reasoned the matte out to their satisfaction say that tn limits of a vicinity is altogether due t , where the man was located when h f asked the question. The mayor and alder s men were in the city hall at the tim the ordinance was passed; therefore 1t i
 reasoned that Twenty-third street is Il
 that vicinity, taking 1t for granted tha
 the city centers around the seat of mu Q nicipal government.
 { At any rate the scales have been es 9 tablished, and A. J. Hall the official in n spector, says he is ready to give tn , people their moneys worth in weight . and measures.