Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1911-06-10
THE NET WEIGHT LAW
Goes Into Effect July 1st. Boxes Of
Berries Must be Labeled.
BULLETIN NO. Is.

The Net Weight Law, known as the
Curtiss Bill [also as Senate Bill No. All,
imposes the following requirements:
l. Each and every package of food
must be stamped to show the true net
weight, measure, or numerical count.
2. 1t must bear the name of the man.
ufacturer or wholesaler, together with
the address of the same.
8. The true grade, or class, of the pro-
duct must be given.
4. All goods in the hands of retailers
and wholesalers within the State on
July LIST, 1911, are exempt and do not
come within the terms Of the law. Ac-
cording to the opinion of the Attorney
General, this provision does not apply to
goods outside of the State.
The Department will allow variations
on account of small unavoidable errors
in weighing, if the error is found to be
as often above as below the stated weight,
and will also take into consideration
shrinkage due to climatic conditions in
case of packages put up under normal
conditions from normal stock.
Pending the establishing of standards
by the State Food and Drug Commits
sioner, we would respectfully request
wholesale firms doing business in South
Dakota to comply as nearly as possible
with that part of the law requiring the
true class or grade of the product to be
plainly marked upon the container.
1t is expected that system of stand
ards can be established and announced
by March lst, 1912.
Dealers should always protect them
selves by obtaining a written guaranty
from jobbers with whom they deal. The
federal guaranty stamped upon each
package will give no protection what
ever to dealer in South Dakota, or any
other state. Iii is only intended to ap
ply to goods in interstate commerce.
The legend, Guaranteed Under the
Food and Drugs Act of June 80, l906,'
is misleading many dealers and consum-
ers, as it seems to convey the idea that
the government, in some sort of way, is
behind the product and guarantees the
same. But many of the worst frauds we
have found bear the above legend, and
it is not necessarily a guaranty of purity
in any manner whatever.
The Commissioner will enforce this
law with prosecutions, if necessary.
Therefore, dealers should not accept
any goods after July lst, which are not
labeled to show the true net weight, or
measure, or numerical count, as we'll as
the name of the manufacturer or whole
saler, unless such goods are purchased
from one of our own wholesale houses
within the State. Our own South Da-
kota wholesale houses will on the first
of July, no doubt, have in stock con-
siderable quantity of goods not labeled
according to our Net Weight law, and,
under the terms ofthe law, these goods
will be exempt and dealers need have
no fear in handling the same.
OpcCidt dLl0uLlOu 10 Cdilcu W INC ldCC
that boxes of berries must be labeled to
show the true measure after July lst,
1911.
The following is the text of the law,
which is simply an amendment to the
third paragraph of Section of our gen.
eral food law, passed two years ago.
The law, as amended, reads as follows !:
"That for the purposes of this Act, an
article shall be deemed to be mis-
branded.
"In case of food.
First and second paragraphs omitted.
Third. Every package-form, bottle
or container, if the same does not bear
the true net weight, the true net meas
ure or true numerical count, the name
of the real manufacturer or jobbers, and
the true grade or class of the product,
all of which is to be expressed on the
face of the principal label, in clear, dis
tinct English words, so that the same
can be plainly read, provided, that pack
age, bottle or container on hand at the
time of taking effect of this Act do not
come within the provisions of this
paragraph" 1e
ALFRED N. COOK,
Commissioner.