The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1908-12-30
DECEMBER 80. 1903
IS BASKET MAKING DOOMED
Manufacturers Hold That New Law Will
Kill Their Business.
Cannot Compete With the Other Makers.

Cannot Compete With the Other Makers.
II the present law regarding the man
niacturc Of peach baskets in this state,
is strictly adhered to by the manufac-
turers, it is doubtful if any Of them will
he able to continue in the business.
The law referred to, whichwas enact
ed by the last Legislature and which
went into effect ON the first OF last Oct,
specifies that all peach baskets must be
OF standard size. each Just large
enough to hold sixteen quarts, no more
and no less This law gives the exact
dimensions that baskets are 10 be made
and requires that each one shall be
branded with the words Standard,
NJ.
No fault would be found with the law
it New Jersey was the only state in the
Union in which peach baskets were
made, but they are also manufactured
in New York. Pennsylvania, Delaware
and other states and there is no law III
any Of these states which requires the
manufacturers 10 make their baskets oil
specified size. New Jefseyis the only
state IN winch such law Is in existence
and because OF this fact, the manufae-
turers here are AT disadvantage IN
competing with the other factories, II
they comply with the tqulrements OF
this law, Tor the reison that not one
dealer out of hundred wants the bask-
cts he buys To hold jus, such an amount
In other words, dealers want basket
supposed to hold sixteen quarts. to be
large enough to hold fifteen quarts As
peach basket manufacturers in other
states can make this kind OF basket,
there being no law to prevent, the deal
crs buy rom them IN preference 10 get
ting standard size basket, and SO the
New Jersey manufacturers are injured.
The law, which is Chapter g Laws,
Session of 1908, section 30 fecltes
"l'he standard size OF peach baskets
shall be sixteen 90 quarts, Winchester
half-bushel measure The height Of the
basket shall be twelve and one quarter
Qat) inches, the width across the top
shall be thirteen and one.half U,D
inches, tha, the inside measurement
shall contain one thousand and seventy
FIVE and ten one hundredths (io7s
io.Ioo) cubic inches. Each basket shall
be marked STANDARD n. j. upon the
slaves Just below the rim in Roman let
ters, which marking shall be burned ON
or printed thereon with permanent rcd
PANT in a straight hne Each of them
shall not be less than one inch e. in
length and not less than one half (l1
inch in width. Allpetsons, corporation
or corporations who shall manufacture
for sale, OF who shall offer OF expose Tor
sale any basket to hc used for shipping
or selling peaches, not standard. shall
distinctly and durahly stamp, brand or
mark upon such baskc, upon the stavcs
just below the nm the number OF quarts
such basket contains.
Section 81, of this law provides that
any one who makes any peach baskets
no, stamped, branded OF marked, Shall
pay a fine OF not less than $ss or more
than $50 for each oiiense.
The peach basket manufacturers in
this county arc at 4 loss lust wha, to do.
They donot want L. disobey the law
and At the same time they want toplease
their customers They cannot do both
and consequently they are losing sales
every day, Just because manufacturers
OF other states are not forced to brand
their baskets or TO print ON them lust
how much each one holds.
Former postmaster John Neiehhor OF
who Is one OF the largest manu-.
lacturers of peach baskets in this state,
says tor his part, he don't see what he is
gong To do. The law specifies one
thing and ms customers want Just the
Only few days ago, he was
unable to ill big order for baskets Tor
i firm in Pennsylvania that he had al
ways heretofore supplied, just because
they wanted 4 sixteen quart basket that
H. reality would only hold fifteen quarts
and they did not want the baskets
branded either. As he was unable, in
accordance with the law, to sell them
other then branded baskets, the arm
purchased their supply OF a carload
from 4 Delaware firm, where baskets do
not have to be marked or branded -
This order is not the first one that MIR.
Neighbor has los, OF late, for ever since
last October when the new law went into
effect and as he has fully 90, 600 hask-
cts ON hand, ready for shipment, il he
cannot sch them he will be forced 10
give up the business.
Last spring jus, after the new laws
adopted during the session OF 1905, had
been made public. Mr.. Neighbor called
ON Senator Gebhardt At Clinton and
asked his Interpretation of the peach
basket law, to which he says the Senator
claimed to know nothing, although he
must have been present when "Chapter
,So. An Act To Establish Uniform