The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1910-04-26
Declares Most Food Manu-
facturers Put Out Short
Weight Packages.
RETAILERS UNABLE
TO HELP THEMSELVES
Illegal Combinations Also Boost
Prices and Boycott Dealers,
II Is Asserted.

Short weight packages and secret
agreements between wholesalers and
retailers are responsible. in large
measure. for Il e Increased cost Of Ifv-
ing. according 70 testimony given today
before the House Committee on Dis
trtct Of Columbia by DIT. William c.
woodward. Health officer OF the Dis
tricL and Colonel William c. Haskell.
superintendent Of weights ard measures
Dr. Woodward. testified at length as
70 the conditions IN the District Of Co
lumbia with regard TO the manner in
which the consumer IS without recourse
to the law when ne pays for short
weight bread, tiour, and other necessities
Of life.
Representative Moore Of Pennsylvania
introduced in evidence a publication
known as The Direct Buyers Journal %
published al Birmingham. Ala. which
has reproduced letters between whole
salers and retailers all OF which show
ed, said AIr. Moore. that there IS an
association Of dealers banded together
not only TO protect themselves. but also
TO decide what retailers should be al
lowed to sell the products OF the manu-
lecturers and 10 bar out the retailers
who proved TO be unsatisfactory com
petitOrs-
Cause of High Prices.
Does not this organization juggle the
prices" asked Mr. Moore. and does not
chis juggling account in a large Measure
for the high cost OF living
Il think" replied Dr. Woodward,
that this condition Of affairs IS large
y responsible for the hiEh prices"
superintendent Haskell declared that
chere was no District law compelling the
labelling nf packages Of food for the
purpose OF showing their weight and he
-eca rcled this a@ r8r-is-rrsaT1s- ~ez-51ei Il e
wholesaler and retailer 10 seI5 a consum-
CT q Euuch less quantity than the con-
sur1er suDposes he IS getting for his
Colonel Haskell said that his office
vas satisfied after many investigations
tnat practically every package sold in
grocery stores Is from one 10 four
ounces short Of the weight which the
purchaser believes ne IS Daving for
The only exception 10 this short weight
Wllcn mad ever come 20 his attention
Is IN the case OF one brand OF
sugar every package Of which he said.
Is slightly in excess Of the supposed
weight
Hucksters Cheat, He Says
The witness said that his Office ex-
i5ie hucksteTs Jhan with any other class
OF dealers IN the District. and stated
that only last week he had complaint
from a prominent physician whose wife
bought two bushels of potatoes from a
luckster. When the potatoes were meas
Ered by the superintendent oftlc-- it
was found that there was only one
buSheI and one peck Of potatoes
He advocated increasing the hIickErers-
license fee from $3.50 TO SIo5 or $50 q
year This, ne said, would keep .out the
irresponsible men who profess 10 be
farmers but who only remain in the bus
mess long enough to make big profits b.
ueITaUding their customers
In response to questions by 0Tr- Pearre
Colonel Haskell said that only on rare
occasions DO purchasers Of whisky get
fuu plnJs. half pinLS. and quarts The
pint bottles. he said. are usually two
ounces short, and the quarts are ordf-
narily three ana four ounces short Re
pointed out that as a result OF several
prosecutions by his office liquor dealers
now post signs declaring that they sell
bottled liquor by the bottle and not by
the measure
Representative Cox Of Ohio. who
earlier in the session had declared thar
the committee had no authority TO con
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