The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1910-05-24
State Inspector Barnard Says
That His Inspectors Re-
veaIed This.
MlLLERS ARE STIRRED UP
MlLLERs GENERALLY, HE SAYS,
OiScIAlMED KNOWLEDGE AS
TO WHAT CONSTITUTES THE
WEIGHT OF A BARREL.
Palladium Specially

indianapolis, May 24-H. E. Bar
nard, state food and drug commission
or, makes the statement that nearly
all OF the sacks of flour weighed by
the inspectors under his direction in
Indiana were short weight, and he has
started something among the millers
as result of these investigations. In
statement which he gave out and
in which he pays attention to this
subject. Mr.. Barnard says:
"A special Investigation was made
during March of the weight Of sacks
Of flour milled both In Indiana and
in surrounding states and sold as
fourth and eighth barrels. and in q
few instances under other fractions.
The examinations made covered
wide range of brands sold in every
part of the state under all conditions
Of climate and storage. The result
showed an almost universal tendency
toward short weight. and correspon-
dence with many OF the millers VIII Sc
goods fell below the required weight
Indicated that a practice almost uni
Nersal In it's extent among Indiana
millers existed of calling a 24-po!,ad
sack one eighth barrel. The millers
generally disclaimed knowledge as to
what constituted the weight of bar
rel OF flour, although such weight has
been fixed at least twice by Indiana
legislators at 1876 pounds net, the last
legislation being enacted in 1905.
Competition an Excuse.
Several OF the millers corresponded
with excused the short weight of their
package by saying that they were
compelled to reduce the amount Of
flour placed in each sack because of
the competition of other millers. Such
justification of an act is manifestly
10 the detriment OF the purchaser and
the profit OF the manufacturer. is
wholly inexcusable. OF II samples Of
flour weighed on tested scales. in In
dianapolis every sample was short
weight. In some instances the short
age exceeded 2h pounds to an eighth
barrel, and in nearly every instance
the shortage was one-half pound or
over. 1t apparently has been the
practice of the miller to weigh his
sacks gross, thus selling the sacks ut
the price of flour. Since the net
weight OF barrel of flour is fixed. it
tion OF a barrel should also be taken
as net. The extent of short weigh
Ing was found to be so serious that
the attention of the secretary of the
State Millers Association was called
TO the matter. He Immediately called
I meeting Of the executive committee
of the association to consider the
facts and II possible to suggest rem
edy for the existing unsatisfactory, II
hot, indeed, dishonest, trade practice.
The committee went over the matter
with the state food commissioner and
expressed themselves as being fully in
late the weights of flour. and at once
took steps to inform the milling trade
Of the necessity OF increasing the
weight of a sack of flour to meet the
legal requirements. AS explained to
the executive committee. the opinion
Of the department Is that a sack Of
hour billed as an eighth must contain
R41a pounds net and that any sack
containing less than this amount, IL
sold as an eighth barrel. is misbrand-
ed and therefore in violation of the
law"
The Indiana Millers Association is
holding it's annual convention in this
city today. and one of the subjects
under discussion and one which will
receive probably as much attention as
any other on the program is this sub
ject Of the proper weight OF sacks of
flour and proper branding. MIR. Bar
hard Is on the program for an address
IN the subject