The comet. (Johnson City, Tenn.) 1884-1916, 1909-05-06
DR.. L. P. BROWN
EXAMINES SAMPLES
Continued from last week

"The city of Nashville has an effici-
ent official of this character and | pre-
sumo the other large cities of the state
are in like case. Regarding the laws,
it will probably be news to you that
the following laws are on the books,
to-wit: First, every person keeping any
store, grocery, warehouse, merchant
mill, commission house, railroad depot
or anyscales or apparatus for weighing
and measuring for the public shall once
in each year have the weights and
measures and other apparatus used by
him proved and sealed. The penalty
for neglect of this provision is fine OF
S. and may be recovered before JUS
tice of the peace, hAlf of which goes TO
the informer. Every other person, not
enumerated as above, who is guilty of
! like offense shall be fined 81 and costs.
"Second, if any person uses such
weights, measures and apparatus which
have not been sealed according TO law
or altered after having been sealed, he
shall be subject to an action at law, in
which the person so defrauded shall
recover three times the amount of dam
ages and costs. Third, if any person
have in his possession or use with in
tent to defraud any false balances,
weights and measures in any transac-
ton, he shall be guilty of misde-
meanor; the false weights and meas
ures and balances may be forfeited and
sold by the county after correction. |
may say further that it was the intent
of the law that each county should
keep standards which were not to be
used except for the verification and adj
iustment of substitutes and the latter
THAT is, the substitutes), only were to
be used for the testing of the citizens
scales.
"Now, l have suggested to several
members of the Legislature who have
thought favorably of it that the state
food and drug inspector is the only of
! fetal of the state who is required by
law to be a scientific man, and that,
therefore, the logical thing to do about
the weights and measures of the state
is to make the food and drug inspector
ex of1icio the superintendent of the
weights and measures of the state and
the state sealer. He can in connection
with his other duties, even with the
large amount of work that now de-
wolves upon him, come nearer carrying
out the provision of the existing stat
utes than any other official. If to this
be added the right to inspect and test
any such scales or measures as he has
reason to suppose might be wrong, a
| further step in advance would be TAX
| en-.
"Such law has been passed in some
of the other states. The measures pro-
posed would be a very short one and
S4lOulu LiVCu IN OppOpieAO'' ~ "NNiN
require no appropriation, a simple au-
thorization to the inspector to expend
the sum of $500 or so much thereof
from the appropriation for his office as
may be necessary, would cover all costs
that might come up at this time.
ats not my idea to cover the whole
ground at this time, for one thing, il
would probably take more time than
the present legislature is able to give to
it and public sentiment has not been
directed to these things. During the
next two years the subject could by the
food and drugs inspector be invesGgat-
ed with authority of law, the matter
agitated in the press and otherwise and
l believe great good DONE An offense
of this character would naturally bear
hardest on the weaker elements of the
community-on the laboring man, and
the poor man who buys in small guam
titles and trades with the obscure gro
Ger.
"The interests of this class ought to
be protected by the state. 1t is obvious
that great deal can be done not only
for these but for the more well-to-do
elements of the community. Mash
vile American.