The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1911-09-14
Donovan Fears that Bill Is Drawn to Create Horde of
 Office Holders
Measure Will Probably Be
 Signed by Governor Baldwin and is of Great
 Importance to Merchants
Special to The Farmer. }

Of the Specfal committee on 1nveStl- gation into the cost of necessities The bill was championed by Senator 1 Platt, Senate chairman of the commit 1 tee. He said that at the hearings before the committee there was album l dant testimony to indicate that much fraud was being practiced in Connec- tdcut. Senator Pqatt stated that the l State police in tfleir. investi igation had found that 50 per cent. of the articles
 sold over counters in this State or through distributing centers was short weight He explained in detail the l provisions of this bill which it is i hoped, he said, would correct the evils
 complained of This bill, he said
 provided for county sealers to be
 named by the county commissioners. 1 Originally the bill provided that these
 county sealers should receive not less
 than $1,OO0 per year as salary. This has been changed to read not more
 than sl.000 a year.
 Senator Paddock of Bridgeport, 1 spoke in favor of the biM.' He said 1 that he knew of many personal in- | stances in Bridgeport where consum-
 CTS had been sold coal by dealers there that was short weight. He referred to the attempt which was made to recall the bread bill which had passed
 both hoWes. He said he thought the | bread bill was a just measure, and
 that it was not unreasonable to ask that bread be sold by weight. That was why he opposed the move to have the biM recalledt He thought the present bill was goods one and should pass.
 Senator Woodruff said that if this bill passed it would entail an expense
 of at least $30.000 annually upon the
 State and that thousands of legitimate
 business concerns of Connecticut
 would be harrassed and annoyed by
 much of this legislation. He felt cer-
 tain that there was law enough now to punish any person who was de- I Ifrauding the public by short weights or measures.
 Senator Donovan was strongly op- posed to the Dill because he said, it
 was case of the tan wagging the
 dog. He said before we should
 fasteaD upon the State a new depart
 ment with retinue of office holders
 which would easily include 20 or 30 men, we should pass sane and Sen- sibQe act. '"The present bill," said he, 'is one that provides for offices which wiM be filled by the fellows with the pull, and it provides for little else. " He asked why the committee did not report such a law as Massachusetts
 had on this very subject. Referring
 to the Bay State as the most progres- sive of any in New England, he spoke highly of the manner in which the
 interests of the people are legisdated for in that Commonwealth. The Massachusetts law, he said, provided in detail how measurements are to be
 determined, etc. He declared that the proposition in the bill now pending providing for so many new office hold CTS was oupt of all proportion to the
 good which could possibly be accom- plished under the provisions of the act.
 Senator Holloran of New Britain,
 ascer,tained by inquiry of Senator Platt
 that under the provisions of this act the cities still have jurisdiction over their sealers of weights and meas
 uTes. The one change that has been made concerns the manner of their selection Hereafter they are to be vice and the consent of the Common Council. When the vote was taken upon the passage of the bila, the only opponents were Senator Donovan of Norwaak and Slhanley of New Haven. Inasmuch as the bill w1iM probably receive the signature of Governor Baldwin, and is of great importance print the text in it's entirety below. The text of the bill follows:
 Section l.. The weights and meas ures received from the United States under a resolution of Congress ap- proved June IA. 1886, and such new ceived from the United States as standard weights and measures in ad- dition thereto or in renewal thereof, and such as shall be supplied by the state in conformity herewith and certified by the national bureau of I,r -1G esyz IL, @- ards, by which all county and muni- cipai standards of weights and meas
 ures shall be tried, proved, and seal ed.
 Sec. ?. The superintendent of state police shall be state superintendent
 be a deputy superintendent of weights and measuFes and inspectors of weights and measures, to be appoint ed by the superintendent of weights and measures and to hold office 1ur-
 ing the superintendent's term of of- fee; the officers of the state police
 department shall act as inspectors,
 when directed to do SO by the state superintendent or the deputy superin- tendent. The superintendent of
 weights and measures shall be allow ed, for salaries for the deputy sr- perintendent of weights and meas ures, inspectors of weights and meas
 ures, clerical services and travelling and contingent expenses for himself, his deputy, and inspectors, such sums
 as shall be appropriated therefor by
 the general assembly.
 Sec. 5. The superintendent of
 weights and measures shall take
 charge of the standards adopted by
 this act as the standards of the state, and cause them to be kept in 8 fire
 proof building belonging to the state,
 or in a suitable place in the office of
 CnnarlnfanHnnf rxrni T
 shall not be removed except for re-
 pairs or for certifcation, and he shall
 take all other necessary precautions
 for their safekeeping. He shall main-
 tain the state standards in good or
 der and shall submit them, at least
 once in ten years, to the national bu-
 reau of standards for certification. He shall, at least once in two years, try
 and prove by the state standards all Standard weights, measures, and oth-. Ter apparatus which may belong 10 any county or city, and shall seal such apparatus as is found to be accurate
 by stamping thereon, with seals kept for that purpose, the letter "C" and
 the last two figures of. the year of
 certification. He shall have general supervision of the weights, measures, and weighing and measuring devices sold, offered for sale, or used in the state. He shall, upon the written request of any person, firm, corpora tion. or educational institution in the state, test or calibrate weights, meas
 ures, weighing or measuring devices, and instruments or ia ma ratuS lISed a S