The Washington herald., 1910-04-27

If your package Of breakfast hay con-
tains a little less this week than it did
last. what are you going 10 do about
Il? District officials told Washington's
lawmakers at the Capitol yesterday that
the increased cost of living is partly due
TO the fact that everybody who eats food
put up in package form sustains a heavy
loss in short weights. Manufacturers OF
these products came back with a de-
fense Of package('goods. declaring them
to be more sanitary than the bin under
the grocer's counter.
Hearings pro and con on the issue of
fraud in package goods occupied the at
tention of the District Committee Of the,
House in two sessions Yesterday morn
ing DIR. William c. Woodward, health
officer. and Col William c. Haskell su-
perintendent Of weights and measures,
told of short-welght packages and secret
agreements Between wholesalers and re-
tnilers. which they declared have helped
60 boost prices. At a session last night
the other side was heard.
Every one of the 100000 barrels Of
flour sold in the District annually" said
Col Haskell. "is short at least four
pounds This would amount 10 about
10000 pounds in a year and with the
average price of flour at 3I5 cents
pound. the people Of the District are
annually paying about $4,000 for -four
they do not receive. There should be
national legislation to prohibit this sort
of thing. Selling by packages should be
subject to prosecution unless the pack
ages show the weight OF the contents"
Don't Get All They Pay For.
Col Haskell said that practically every
package sold in grocery stores is from
one to four ounces short OF the weight
which the purchaser believes he is paying
for.
Would It be practicable TO label each
package with the weight of the con-
tents?" asked Mr.. Moore, chairman of the
select investigating committee.
Such action" replied Col. Haskell,
would not only be in the interest Of the
public. but also in the, interest Of the
retailer. The retailer haSto take what he
gets from the manufacturer just as the
public has to take what it can get from
the retailer The source OF trouble is
with the manufacturer"
DO these short-welght packages ac-
count for the increased cost OF Iving?"
asked Mr.. Moore.
Perhaps not entirely" replied Col
Haskell. but in a large measure.
Col. Haskell said that only on rare oc-
casions the purchasers Of whisky get
fun pints, half pints. and quarts. The
pint bottles. he said. are usually two
ounces short, and the quarts are ordinar-
ily three and four ounces short
Package Goods Defended.
The hearing was resumed at 7.3O o'clock
and continued until 10. Louis Runkel.
cocoa manufacturer. Of New York. de-
Tended selling goods in packages. citing
the lmpractability Of always getting the
same amounts into small packages which
are filed by machinery. Larger packages.
above a quarter of a pound in size. could
he filed without error and contained full
measure. He said that foods put up in
packages we're more sanitary than those
dispensed in bulk
Similar testimony was given by John A.
Green, secretary OF the National Ameri-
can Retail Grocers' Association. Of Cleve-
land, who spoke Of the superiority Of
cereals put up in packages.
Both Mr.. Green and Mr. Runkel opposed
bills pending before the District Commit
tee seeking to remedy the evils complain
ed Of by DR. Woodward and Col Haskell.
One is a bill by Representative Moore, Of
Pennsylvania, TO provide for the labelling
Of packages containing foods. beverages,
and drugs In the Dristrlct so as 20 show
the weight or measure Of their contents.
The other also by Mr.. Moore levies a
tax on certain classes Of vendors.