The Plymouth tribune. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1901-1911, 1910-12-29
BARNARD To
FORCE HONEST
MEASUREMENT
WILL DRAW UP WEIGHTS AND
MEASURES Law FOR
NEXT SESSION
Wholesale and Retail Food Dealer,
Will Change Tactics and Give
United Support to Legislation

Indianapolis, Dee. 23.-Following
general abolishing of the worst form
OF food adulteration in the foodstuff
sold IN TIE state people have turne,
their attention to the details connect
ed with the sale and delivery of food
stuffs with the result that all over th
state as shown by reports there is
demand for the enactment of
weights and measures law which vii
insure an honest dollars worth whel
a dollar is spent for foodstufs. H. T
Barnard state food and drug com
missioner who had charge Of the worl
which reduced the food a~dulteratiol
throughout Indiana from ~approxim
ately 80 per zen to between one an,
two per cent he's prepared a bill 70
introduction in the coming genera
assembly in which are embodied tn
proposed law has been laid befor
Gov. Marshall who is understood t,
have given it his approval.
After several years spent In oppos
ing such a measure as is now beiny
prepared association of retail an,
wholesale food dealers have signiie,
their willingness to support thu
weights and measure bill. National or
carnations are behind a similar NOV,
ment to obtain national legislation
which 1t is proposal to pattern afte,
The bills drawn for the several states
We shall not ask for any addition
al money with which to carry out tn,
provisions of the proposed act, SAID
Nr. Barnard. We propose only to ash
for enough money to purchase for tn,
state a set of United States standard
weights and measures for use by the
department in sealing scales and
measures used in the state.
We propose that the enforcement
Of the law be left to the food and
drug commissioner and the field men
regularly employed in food and drug
work and to the local health officials
who are regularly appointed deputy
food and drug commissioners. 1t is
planned that the field men shall In
eestigate weights and measures JUS,
as they now investigate foodstuffs
and drugs offered for sale. The state
food and drug commissioner would
be known as the chief state sealer
and the deputies as deputy sealers
with power to bring action against
The user of false weights or measures
lust as the officials now have power
20 bring action against the dealers
who offer Illegal foods or drugs for
sale.
The need of some such is
apparent to any one who has been
following the food movement in Indi-
ana. There has come into market an
alarmingly large number of food car,
tons, which while they are not label
ed as holding a pound or a pint, or
whatever the unit may be, and are
not sold as pounds, pints, etc., are of
very deceptive nature. The housewife
usually thinks she is buying a pound
Of butter in one of the butter cartons
and is justified in thinking So, since
she pays the price of a pound. The
unscruplous dealer can buy his but
ter at wholesale and put it up for
sale in n of those short weight ear
tons, with the result that he can sell
his butter for a cent or two under the
pound rates of an honest competitor
and still make more money than his
neighbor. But his customer gets short
weight.
The bill as drawn by MI. Barnard
Will provide for the following:
A complete and comprehensive stan
dard for weights and measures Of all
kinds and denominations and cover
ing all known classes of commodities.
A state sealer and superintendent
of weights and measures, with suf-
ficient assistants local deputies, In
spectors, etc., to cover the entire
state and to enforce the law with per-
feet impartiality.
Punishment for the use of false
weights or measures and for false or
incorrect scales, with strict provisions
for sealing.
Punishment for delivering a less
quantity than the customer pays for
or is charged for.
An enactment against the delivery
sale Of gross weight Nor measures
Of goods branded differently from
what is understood by the purchaser
and ABSOLUTELY requiring delivery Of
full weight or measure Of the com.
modify itself as ordered without unde,
any circumstances whatever including
the wrapping or c~ontainer as q mar.