Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1911-04-28
HOUSEWIFE Gets
OBJECT LESSON
IN WEIGHT FRAUD
Devices Confiscated by City
SeaIer Prove Dishonesty
Hasn't Emigrated.

Madame Housewife, this article IS
written for your especial benefit. IL Is
about scales and weights and measures
and all that sort of thing. And, 10
make sure that it will be interesting TO
you, and as a warning against dishon-
est dealers, and dishonest scales, MOTH
ing but ''phony' weights will be talked
about.
Today, at the Office of City Sealer OF
Weights and Measures John H. Sulli-
van, there is a sight that will positive
ly do the eyes of any and every house,
wife a world of good. The sight con-
sists of an orderly arrangement OF
almost every device in use by dishon-
est dealers to cheat the public. You
will see there about $50 confiscated
scales, of the computing, spring, u
terbaiance and rag" variety, not to
mention the family scale. You will also
see tin measures that are way short
of what they ought to m-easure-about
$50 of these are on exhibition. And
then there are the baskets and dry
boxes.
Guards Housewives Interests.
All these false measures are in the
city sealer's office because he is safe
guarding the interests of Madame
Housewife. He and his men are out
every day to see hat nc dealer gives
less than he should. During this year
sixteen dealers have been convicted for
violation of the city ordinance. Eleven
were fined $25, and the other five had
to pay $50.
Some of the reasons for confscating
the scales are these: Very often pieces
of fat and chopped beef are found III.
der the pans of spring scales, some
times a butcher cleaver is hung on the
hook with the scales and f~aisifies the
weight in favor of the dealer. One
computing scale was confiscated be-
cause 1t did not compute to the salts
of the purchaser but always in.
dictated from a cent to five cents m
favor of the owner.
The rag scale has a Sliding face"
means that the face is loosed
from the top and adjusted to suit the
operator. Inc TN nle@sures aIe snort
because they are made short. The
baskets, too, are made short, and to
help along the shortness they are often
with paper. The dry measures
are in the sealer's office for various
Some of them have false
bottoms, some have pushed in bottoms,
were cut off at the top and some
were relapped.
The ice cream boxes are four ounces
short, ana the butter dishes were
brought to the office to show house
wives that although they weigh q OF
an ounce. the dealer does not allow for
it.
Holes Plugged with Wax.
Iron weights, of which there is almost
a ton, show thai they had been tam
pered with. Instead of filling the holes
with lead, in order to get the exact
weight, the holes are closed with wax
cork.
All this shows that Newark has
among its business men some that
ought to be in another State. But do
not be discouraged, Madame House
wife: When T. S. Holbrook, of the
National Bureau Of Standards, was In
town some time ago, he hold City Seal
er Sullivan that the Centre Market and
the other business houses in the city
were in better shape than any he had
seen In the United States.
Mr.. Sullivan was asked for a state
ment today in reference to all the ir-
regular weights and measures he had
in his office. He told the reporter that
although conditions are not ideal he
hopes to make them so. Mr.. Sullivan
does not like to talk about himself
but those who watch him work know
that he is always on the job, and so
are his assistants, especially Patrick
j. Caul1eld, who is way up in every
thing touching on or appertaning to
weights and measures.
Mr.. Sullivan said that publicity is
what the department needs. That, he
said, would discourage dishonest deal
ere. He also said that the housewives
themselves can aid him by insisting
upon correct weights. and by having
a scale at home. He advised that pur.
chasers do not ask for 10 or Is cents
worth of anything but demand a cdr
tain woiOht