The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1910-10-15
CLAIMING OUR
 POUND OF FLESH
Warfare Against 1T a1s e Scales and Measures De- ceitful Practices in Vari- ous Trades Measures Needed to Protect Public
John KjeIIander, City SeaIer of
 Weights and Measures, Chicago,


 (Exclusive Service The Survey Press
 Bureaul
 Recently there has been an awaA- 7ening to the opportunity for making the examination of weights and mea- sures more valuable protection to the public than the routine work of recent years has proved itself. MT. Kjellander has been so successful that the United States Bureau of Stand ards announced that in Chicago only 5 per cent of the scales in retail stores were faulty whereas in many cities as high as 50 percent of the scales examined gave underweight)
 Every trade or line of business that we have investigated contributes in stances of short weight or measure, either through design or custom: In
 extremely busy trying to see that the consumer gets sixteen ounces net weight for each pound purchased, and a quart for a quart and peck for a peck.
 We frss test all the scales and measures and after they have been sealed we send inspectors to Inake purchases and learn if the dealers are using the scales and measures cor rectly. We found when we first start ed this system large number Of dealers and clerks who could not see the sixteen ounce mark on their scales when weighing nearly as well as they could that for fourteen ounces. Re peated prosecutions have had a whole
 I had an ordinance passed provid- ing that if milk Or cream is sold in glass bottles each must have the ca pacity blown into the glass or oth- made the milk dealers and bottle manufacturers come in droves de- manding that leeway under and ov- CT measure be allowed. After giving them ample time to weed out their short bottles, sent inspectors to test those found in use. As result s3,- The dealers appealed to the supreme court of the State which said that if it was impossible to make every bot tie alike they could hold little bit meant just what it said and nothing less.
 Our first try out of milk bottles showed in round figures that 1000 out of 10000 ran small. Our last test which was made in June tells an en- tirely different story for out of 4,500 bottles only 800 were small.
 The ordinance regulating the sale of bread in Chicago when I came into of flee was held invalid by Judge Windes of the Superior Court. had new ordinance drawn up to overcome the objections he had made and we went before him a second time on a test case. He held against the city again and we went up to the supreme court where we were upheld. The Bread Ordinance has now been taken I'D to the United States Supreme Court by the bakers on an appeal. This is the first time in the history of the coun- try that this question has been laid before the highest tribunal in the land. A decision is expected in this matter in the near future.
 An ordinance was passed requiring that a ticket showing the net weight must accompany each load of coal and be given by the driver to the purchas- stopped the practice of delivering an order of say twenty tons in four or five loads with a bill covering the en- tire amount with the last load. Form er1y if an inspector stopped one of these loads the driver would say he did not know how much was on the of ten or twenty tons. The inspector was helpless because if he weighed the load and any short weight, had been delivered previously, it could a1- an inspector stops a wagon he must be given ticket showing the weight of that particular, load. If he finds the weight to be short or if there is no ticket, a card is given the driv- CT for his firm asking them to a1- plain why the ordinance has been vio- lated. If no satisfactory reason is forthcoming a suit is sent over to court.
 number of small dealers formerly drove into a wholesale yard and or dered 1900 pounds of coal. If. stop ped by an inspector they would tell him they did not have money enough to buy a ton and that the other POO pounds would be delivered later on. Of course no ticket ccompanied the load so no case could be made out but if they were not stopped the 1900 would have been delivered for ton.
 During the last session of our legis- lature I had three bills pertaining to weights and measures introduced. One was to revise the weights and mea- sures law and make them more com prehensive. This measure called up in the dying hours of the session lost by three votes. The second, which passed, was an act giving power to boards of trustees in villages and un- towns to pass ordinances requiring the sale of various kinds of dry commodities by weight instead of measure A large number of ped dIers and dealers buy their potatoes etc., by weight and then turn around and sell them by measure. In the case of potatoes they get sixty pounds to the bushel and make five pecks out of it by selling by measure.
 The third bill introduced was what was commonly termed the 'fNet Bil1' and provided that all goods sold in original packa ges should bear the net weight, the net measure or numeri- cal count of the contents conspicu- ousIy displayed upon the outside. For some reason it was not reported out of the committee.
 This bill is very much needed and it's lack is a most important defect in the laws intended to insure to the public honest weight and measure. After the nanufa acturer has attained a certain popularity for his product he apparently tries to get the money he spent in advertising by cutting 1 down the seize Of the package. He is careful however, to preserve the same Sometimes if the ! weight was at first one pound he calls it E'size one'' after it is reduc- i ed In North Dakota where there is a net weight law similar to the one | rejected in Illinois the gross weight 1 in ounces for canned goods has in i creased ''inspite of the fact that prices | .---A-. -- --La.. AL...s. l