The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1911-12-07
WEIGHT SHORTAGE ON BUTTER

The question Of shortage IN weights,
especially in the matter of butter, is
one that would appear to be insIgnlli-
cant as applied TO any one purchase OF
isav) what is assumed TO be a pound
of butter. The package containing this
assumed pound being of but fifteen
ounce weight, And yet. when one con
sidcrs that families Of any size have
good many pounds of butter to buy IN
the course of the year, the Importance
Of that missing ounce becomes evident
And when, further. the reckoning OF
this ounce shortage is made IN favor
Of the dealer TO (lct us say) thousand
families, the importance of that ounce
becomes at once strongly III evidence.
In line with this thought we are glad
TO print and commend the following ad-
dress TO the public from the Social
Service Commission of the Episcopal
Church for the District OF Utah;
Thou shalt have Il perfect and just
weight---for all that do such things, and
all that do unrightcously are an aboml-
nation unto tic Lord thy God.-Deutcron-
omy 20, lo-lb.
be sold in II pound OF ID ounces. IL sim
ply holds the dealer To tie requirement
that the net weight shall be stamped up
ON the cover of the package. So at pres
cnt packages OF butter are marked as
containing 10 ounces. This circumstance
offers an illustration of how the law can
be used 10 help the Industry In enhanc-
ing its profits and leave the people uu-
protected and wholly at The mercy of an
unjust business.
The wholesale price OF butter is not
set by the local supply and demand, but
by tho quotations in the large producing
ccnters, particularly at Elgiu The price
at ElSin has at no time during the year
been aboye - cents per pound OF JIG
ounces New York and eastern markets
are at the ElSin quotations plus the cN-
press rate. In like manner the price is
fixed here, but with this difference that
II is set on 10 ounces only. The creamery
buys the butter fat by the pound of l6
ounces and sells IT as butter In sup
posed pounds of 10 ounces. Thus on
every pound the sellers gain the illegiti-
mate surplus of an ounce through buying
by the normal standard and selling by
another Aside from that gain. they OBJ
tain the legitimate surplus through the
increase OF every l6 ounces or butter fat
into 10 ounces of butter due 10 the add J.
ton OF salt and moisture.
The loss OF one ounce per pound means
10 the family of llNc that uses only a
pound per week, about two and half
cents or Sl.25 per wear But IT amounts
To much for the creamery man. IL means
w nun hH uittlIleI Hlpll OF A-J,NUU on
the 10000 families in the city. Moreover.
there Is nothing To prevent him from
dropping the net contents TO II ounces
and thus getting $3.50 per year from
each family. The present law gives him
that privilege IL he can stiu fool tho
people into thinking they get a full
pound, as he does now.
The value of this warning 10 YOU il
you have family. is that YOU can, il
you wish, reduce the cost Of YOUR living
al least one dollar and a quarter per wear.
Moreover YOU can help 10 bring greater
honesty into business. Finally You can
help 10 form sentiment against this in
Sidious and cumulalivcly important
| method Of robbing The public SO that al
| the next session of the legislature tho
| law may be changed, Utah i'm thIs re-
spect VIII then he on the same mora
| level as the other states.
WE ASK YOU THEREFORE, TO DE.
MAND in EACH PACKAGE OF BUT.
TER THE FULL WEIGHT or SIN
| TEEN OUNCES. INSIST III YOU Mis-
UPON YOUR DEALER GIVING YOT
PART OF ANOTHER PACKAGE TC
Make Up THE FULL WEIGHT YOT'
Phf FOR IT AND WHY NOT HAVE
| IT? 80 >
SOCIAL SERVICE COMMISSION or
! THE EPISCOPAL CHURCH For TUT
| DISTRICT OF UTAH.