Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1910-12-31

mg's Call Agvakes
Generous Response.
the years work have been most graft
flying. Up to the fifteenth Of this month
the department conf1scated moro thar
1000 detective weights and measures,
adjusted more than S,00O scales and
weighing machines OF various kinds
and condemned several hundred more
that are being closely watched.
During the year fourteen convictions
We're secured in the case of dealers who
gave short weight or improper meas
ure, and 1t 10 worthy of note that the
department did not lose one case that
came to trial. There are several more
cases pending and the evidence is so
strong against tho guilty parties that
convictions are sure to follow.
The raids conducted during the year
have been OF considerable benefit to
the city aside from stopping the abuses
In the specific cases revealed. Through
these raids the department hss been
able 70 systematic frauds and
to get In touch with new methods Of
swindling the public that had hereto
fore been unknown 70 the Inspectors.
Following the revelations made by
the STAR some time ago. and a a re-
suit Of the experience OF the sealer's
department during the past year, a
new ordinance regulating weights and
measures been introduced that win
go a long way toward Strengthening
A. 80 -
edying the svils which were found to
exist in SO many different forms.
Perhaps he most important section
of the new ordinance Is the one which
compels all dealers selling weights and
measures TO submit them to the city
seaIer before they are placed on sale
for use by retailers or for any other
purpose. and unless they are officially
fered for sale.
ton OF this regulation. Another i'm
portant clause is the one compelling
all commodities, with a few excep-
tons, 20 be SOLD according TO weight
or measure. Hereafter vinegar, wines
and liquors or any similar commodity
must not be sold at so much per
bottle" but at a stated price per
quart or pint.
Similarly, package goods must state
the weight in pounds or fractions OF
pounds. The penalty for a violation
of this ruling is also $50 FOR each Of
Tense.
Other sections Of the ordinance give
the department power to regulate all
matters affecting weights md meas
ures, n the inspectors may seize and
Immediately destroy any outfits that
arc shown to be inaccurate.
During the year the department In
stalled a complete set of standard
weights and measures according to the
United States government standard.
and these are the only ones in this
State. In a few weeks q standard
metric set VIII be installed, and this,
with the addition Of other equipment
that It is proposed to install, will en-
able the department to verify any
weight or measure that Is in use any
where. Some of the scales are so en-
sitive that they will record a difference
of one grain, and the possibility of un-
scrupulous dealers successfully prac-
Using fraud 10 so remote hat It will
be found a very Improbable venture
the coming year.
The department has had photographs
made OF the various weights and meas
ures conf1scated during the year, show
ing how they were used to defraud
the purchaser. These photos have
been enlarged and a set of each win be
sent to all the women's clubs in the
city. so that they may be examined and
explained and perhaps made the sub
ject OF special addresses TO the club
members.
Coincident with the sending out of
these photos the department will issue
a booklet entitled, General Informa-
ton for the Purchasing Public" which
will be published in different languages
and sent by mail to as many house,
wives as tho department can reach.
The booklet Will tell what precaution-
airy methods to adopt in purchasing
goods of any kind, such as having a
sales slip for a han or q chicken made
out for so many pounds Of ham or
chicken instead Of simply "one ham
or "one chicken" a method often
adopted by interruptions dealers to
short-weight customers. The various
tricks of the trade" are exposed and
explained, and it is shown how they
may ne detected.
Tables of weights and measures are
included In the text, together with a
copy Of the new ordinance. Illustra-
tions are used to show the various
points discussed, and altogether the
publication will be a valuable one and
save housewives considerable money If
it's advice is followed. The department
of which John Sullivan ia the head
and Patrick Caufield assistant sealer.
will wage an unrelenting warfare
against dealers who are prone to give
short weights and measures, and with
the additional help that Mr.. Sullivan
expects to get and which the city really
needs IN this important department,
the work Of cleaning u fraudulent
weights and measures will be accom-
pIished In a comparatively short time
and the evil kept well in hand in the
] Future