The Yakima herald. [volume] (North Yakima, W.T. [Wash.]) 1889-1914, 1911-11-22
SHORT WEIGHTS
AND MEASURES
Contribute Generously to the In
creased Cost of Keeping
Families Fed
FORMER YAKIMA MAN is
INSPECTOR IN SEATTLE
Coal Dealers Are Under Bond to
Give Fair Weight--Suits Are
Brought Against Packers to
Make Them Label Contents

With the season for winter buy
fact that year or so ago Mayor
Schott was advocating the establish
ment here of an inspection of weights
and measures, as possible factor in
reducing the high cost Of living. While
prices may continue high, it is ar
gued, If the buyer gets what he pays
for, he will be something ahead.
No action was taken upon the sug-
gestion at the time, and possibly none
will be considered feasible at this
time; but at least, it is interesting to
know that Seattle has, during the
past year, tackled the problem with
results beneficial to the buying pub
lie. Out of 1900 scales tested by the
weights and measures department,
400 were condemned, and many of
the others had to be repaired. Where
nearly % per cent of the scales are
weighing Incorrectly, it is easy to see
that q little loss to each customer
makes great big total of loss to
people collectively.
After the passage of the Seattle or
dinance, three inspectors were chosen
There were sixty applicants. The
chief inspector A. w. Rhinehart, for
merly lived in North Yakima.
Had Them Standardized
The first thing the Seattle inspec-
tors did was to establish standards for
the weighing and measuring of all
comm ODDITIES bought and sold in the
city. The necessary celebrating in
struments and weights were sent to
Washington to be standardized by the
federal department. Then they were
set up in the office of the public util-
tiles department and the merchants
weighing and measuring appliances
tested by them. The result of about
eight months work in this line is that
Seattle's public markets rank among
the first in the United States in ac-
curacy of weights and measures.
Cheated Himself
As a rule, the legitimate grocer, is
found to be honest. In some cases,
his scales were found to be working to
his disadvantage, but the family
scales in general use among huksters,
peddlers and market men, were high
ly variable, some as far off as four
ounces.
The Seattle ordinance requires that
IAN commodities. where placed in a
package and sealed, must have their
net weight stamped plainly upon
them. This ordinance aroused the big
packing people, and they have taken
the matter into the higher courts to
see if the law cannot be found faulty
in some technical way Ins the mat
ter of lard pals, butter in rolls, salt
in sacks and raisins in packages, it
was found that short weight was
quite general. Some of the FIVE pound
lard pals, it is said, were found to
contain only four pounds and one
ounce; butter was quite generally re-
failing on a fourteen ounce basis.
while the sacked salt, made a pound
and three quarters pass for two.
Selling Fuel by Guess
For years, coal dealers had been
selling fuel by guess. Only recently
dealer tried to collect from the city
for 39A tons for school, whereas
only 321a tons were delivered. Fifty
of the coal dealers now have taken
out weighing masters certificates and
re uhutl DOIlu Ol SDUu TO give honest
weight. The city will be able to keep
warm ills winter, it is safe to as
sumo, at considerably less cost than
in previous winters.
Made Arrests
The scales in the stores are labeled
either approved" or CONDEMNED" by
the city department, and buyers are
warned to refuse goods sold over the
scales bearing the latter tag. AS
result of compelling wholesalers and
packers refusing to comply with the
law requiring the net weight printed
on sealed packages, the city arrested
the manager of a large Wholesale
house, a national packing house and
meat company. The cases were
tried and the defendants required to
pay fine of $40 in each case. The
big concerns We're indignant and ap-
pealed the cases
The weight inspector urge women