The county record. [volume] (Kingstree, S.C.) 1885-1975, 1905-11-09
STANDARD WEIGHTS FIXED
Each County Should Have the Off
cial Measures.

SOluululd otdtC.
There is not little discussion in
some counties as to the question Of
weights and measures. The issue
seems to have been joined at first by
two rival concerns which sell compu-
ting scales. Governor Hayward has
received perhaps a dozen letters from
clerks of court in reference to the
standard measures which. should be in
the court houses in compliance with
an act passed in 1S42.
The acts of this State declare that
weights and measures must be regu-
lated by a standard fixed by the con-
gress Of the United States, that the
weights furnished by :he federal gov
ernment must be kept by the State
treasurer and by such shall all weights
in the State be regulated.
Section 1914 says: "The clerk of
court in each county shall furnish and
is required to keep in his office the
weights and measures established by
law which shall be the standard of all
other weights and measures in the
county and to which any person shall
have access to test 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 asking if this
State has been supplied with the Off
cial weights and measures OF the fed
eral government. In regard thereto,
Mr.. F. B. Ross, acting director Of the
bureau of standards, has written to
the governor as follows:
SIN reply to yours of the 18th ul-
timo 1 have to state that complete
set of customary weights and meas
ures was furnished to the State OF
South Carolina prior to 1912 and that
three balances to be used in connec-
ton with the standard weights were
delivered July, 1S4S, all of this ap-
paratus being delivered at Columbia.
"Our records further show that a
set of avordupois weights, a set OF
capacity measures from 1-2 gallon to
- pint and 1-2 bushel measure and
a yard were delivered on July "A,
1866, to the governor at Columbia.
This set was to replace the former
one which was destroyed. These
measures are doubtless somewhere IN
Columbia at the present time and we
would suggest that search be made
for them and that if found, they be
returned to this bureau for repair and
verifcation.
"In regard to the weights and
measures for use in the several corn-
ties, would suggest that you CORES
pond with W. & L. E. Gurley, Troy,
New York, 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-
formity with specifications prepared
by this bureau.
"The bureau is very much interest
ed in the question of the proper IN,
spection of commercial weights and
measures throughout the country and
arranged for meeting of State seal
ers which was held last January. The
purpose of this meeting was to discuss
the question Of uniform laws and In
spection throughout the country and
the discussion which took place at this
meeting certainly illustrated that
there is great necessity for eo-opera-
ton in the different States. :,
"It is proposed to hold 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" Ill
while it would be costly and we'll
nigh impracticable at present to sup
ply each of the Al counties with the
official weights and measures, yet 1t
MIGHT prove a saving in the end. II
scales record weights imperfectly,
there is Joss incurred by somebody
every time transaction or an eA-
change is made.