Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1905-11-08
STANDARD WEIGHTS FIXED
Each County Should Have the Off,
cial Measures.


some counties as to the question OF
weights and measures. The issue
seems to have been joined at first by
two rival Coj1ceri1s which sell compu-
ting scales. Governor Hayward has
received perhaps d dozen letters from
clerks IF court ill reference TO the
standard measures which Should be in
the court houses in compliance with
an act passed in 1912.
The acts Of this State declare that
weights and measures must be regu-
lated by & standard fixed by the con-
gress of the United States, that the
weights furnished by The federal gov
ernment must be kept by the State
treasurer and by such shall all weights
in the State be regulated.
Section 1911 says: "trhe clerk of
cokrt in each county shall furnish and
isirequired to keep in his Office the
weights and measures established by
law which shall be tile standard of all
other weights and measures in The
county and to which any person shall
have access la fest the SAME; The
governor Of the State is authorized
and required to purchase Such stand
ard weights and measures out Of the
fines and forfeitures incurred in their
respective counties
To begin at the beginning, Cover
nor Hayward wrote to the department
Of commerce and labor at Washington.
stating the case and asiiiilg IL this
State has been supplied with the Off
cial weights and measures of the fed
eral government. In regard thereto,
MI. F. B. Ross, acting director of the
bureau Of standards, has written to
the governor as follows:
- In reply to yours of the 18th ul-
tino I have to state that complete
set Of customary weights and meas
ures was furnished to the State of
South Carolina prior to lS42 and that
three balances to be used in connec-
ton with the standard weights were
delivered July, 1S4S. all Of this APP
paratus being delivered at Columbia.
"Our records further show that
set of avordupois weights, set of
capacity measures from l-2 gallon to
10 pint and 1-2 bushel measure and
a ward were delivered OH July "a.
1856, to the governor at Columbia
This set was to replace the former
one which wirieelh~was destroyed These
measures are doubtless somewhere n
Calumbi,l at the present time and we
RoTad suggest that search be made
fol them and that If found, they be
returned to this bureau for repair and
verifcation.
'sIn regard to the weights and
measures for use in the several coun-
ties, I would suggest that you CORES
pond with W. g. L. E. Grrley, Troy,
New YoEk, who have gone into the
business Of making sets Of weights.
and measures suitable for county and
city sealers. They have several dlf.
ferent grades Of standards, all OF
which have been constructed IN con-
fornlity with specifications prepared
by this bureau.
"Thc bureau is very much interest
ed in the question Of the proper i'll,
spection of commercial weights and
measures throughout the country and
arranged for a meeting Of State seal
ers which was held last January. The
purpose cf this meeting was to discuss
the question Of uniform laws and IN,
spection throughout the country and
,tbe discussion which took place at this
meeting certainly illustrated that
there is great necessity Tor co-opera-
ton in the different States.
cit is proposed to hold a second
meeting in the near future and 1t IS
hoped that the State Of South Caro-
lima will send delegate. AS soon as
the minutes Of the first meeting has
been published we shall forward you
a copy" III
While It would be costly and we'll
nigh impracticable at present to sup
Div each Of the Al counties with the
official weights and measures, yet IT
might prcvc saving in the end. II
scales record weights imperfectly,
there is a loss incurred by somebody
every time transaction or al ex-
change is made.