Clinch Valley news. [volume] (Jeffersonville, Va.) 18??-2019, 1906-03-16
Short Weights no Injustice.

| H. a-HAlOh.
notice again an article In your pa
per signed Consumer, who claims th,
JooDer as we'll as the retail merchan, is
responsible for the imposition for the
disregard OF the law as to weights ana
measures.
Also claims the merchants are y
law unto themselves, and the consumer
is at their mercy.
All this controversy was broucht
about 10y the millers aud iobbers put-
ting up meal and flour IN bags that do
not contain certain part of busheI
OF meal, or barrel of flour.
have taken the pains to look into
the matter, and so far as l can see. no
inJnstice is done the consumer.
The price of an article is an imnor-
tant part, and is 10 be considered
along with the quality and quantity. If
the consumer gets 10 pound bag of
meal and pays only for that amount.
the merchant ought not be prosecuted
Tor not selling a - pound bag and
charging for that amount
have been retail merchant for
more than 20 years, and have never
been offered an article of anv Kind nnt
up IN such quantity as would deceive
the purchaser, as the number OF pounds
IN almost every case is marked on the
package.
The small bags OF meal sold here do
not weigh IL pounds. / weighed some
ana found they contained III pounds
OF bolted meal, which is about what IL
should weigh, as it Is impossible To get
4o pounds of bolted meal out of 5G
pounds OF com, deducting the milIers
toll, and loss i'm boiling.
l also weighed some sacks OF chop
and found the gross weight IOI pounds
which is correct.
Such small packages are put up for
the convenience OF the merchant and
customer, and gives IA safe, clean and
convenient way OF taking it home. and
not Tor the purpose of deceiving.
ibis Is an age OF package goods
most everything now is put up i'm
packages and bags, and think the
merchant has the right TO have any
thing he wants put in any size pack
ages Just 50 he gives the customers the
amount for which he paws.
Ii Is amusing 10 hear some one sav
the people are at the mercy of the
merchants, and that the merchants are
law unto themselves.
Before the railroad came through
this section, and there were no public
wotk3, the farmers, as rule. paid his
hands I'm orders 10 the stores. and / ex-
pect, in sSme instances, the laborer
was imposed upon, but now cash is
pald, and they trade where they
choose. Competition is close and
sharp, consequently goods of all kinds
are sold on very small margins.
Now, as TO the merchants being n
law unCo themselves The retail mer-
chants are not organized even in the
degree. They have no fixed
price / mean 10y that they have no
understanding with themselves as to
the price certain article is To be Of !
fered.
There are contract goods, and the
price is fixed by the manufacturer. and
In that case the merchant IL powerless
TO do otherwise.
The retail merchants ought 10 he
organized. and the sooner the better.
not to fix pric -, but 20 bring about a
better condition as to the credit busi- |
ness. Some pay promptly the time they !
agree To pay, others are slow, and be |
In some way protected against that
class who do not expect to pay
The merchants have no bed of ease. |
They have their troubles. Their ac- |
counts are Incorrect, certain things
bought "A year ago, were paid for at the |
time, or they were returned, some |
things were not gotten at all-certain !
were paid, and the receipts
are lost, and hundred and one other
things too numerous to mention.
Mrs. A bought 10 yards or calico
and was one yard short-she measur- |
ed 1t correctly. from the end OF her
fingers 10 the end Of her nose.
Mrs. BIS sugar did not hold out
with her cup that just holds "A pound. |
SO you see there are different kinds OF |
weights and measures
EE-RETAIL MERCHANT.
n. Tazewell, Va, March II.