Omaha daily bee., 1912-08-18

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Burton bill. and there appeared repre-
sentatlves of the national associations of
Wholesale grocers and of retail grocers.
DIR. Wiley also appeared to give his Wig
orous support to this substitute for the
original section which he condemned.
The grocers associations representatives
presented an amendment which covers
the ground Of the principal. anxiety felt
by their members over such law. pro-
viding for reasonable tolerances and
variations In weight or measure.
Most OF the state laws have this and
New York's new law. does. The point is
many foodstuffs, usually packed with
out intentional excess of water, shrink
before reaching the consumer. Dried
fruits and cereals do, anything packed In
container not alright is' subject to
evaporation. There Is also the matter of
leakage. and the fact that container
Of standard size may not always take
the same weight OF contents--as in the
case OF sardines-but lawmakers and
state officials customarily regard these
conditions as quite within the control OF
the packer. while evaporation and the
possibilities Of variation in the weight Of
goods packed In one factory for ship
ment TO many states with differing cli-
mates clearly are not.
The Burton bill has not yet been re-
ported out OF the committee, and there
has been no active work on the Stevens
bill by the house committee.
This pressure for net weight legislation
comes from the campaigns which have
been waged by mothers associations and
DR.. Wiley and the advertising men Of
foodstuff manufacturers against the cat
in the-cracker grocery and the unsanitary
bulk methods Of handling household neces.
stiles. The consumer has been educated
to demand sanitary packages which have
not been opened between the factory and
the kitchen, The gradual lessening in
quantities packed In such packages has
escaped most buyers, however, though
often there is wonder that the money
spent for food doesn't go as far as II
used to go.
Soon after the national pure food act
was passed, there was a gathering Of
foodstuffs manufacturers who were af-
fected by II at Atlantic City. One OF
the largest OF them is reported to have
replied to some doleful comments on
the new law in this wise You fellows
don't seem to realize that there is a
very easy way to get even. II you re-
duce your packages a little now and
then or put just little less Of weight
into the same bulk In their contents, the
public win never realize the difference.
| In what household is there a last years
tomato can for comparison of size
with one bought this year,"
shrin,<sae I'm size OF Packages.
Clearly, he has been taken at his word
though possibly the idea didn't orlgi-
nate with him-and the shrinkage In the
contents Of .foodstuffs packages In five
Years is remarkable. Usually the pack
ages have grown smaller. and In some
case Of boxes OF cereals or cans OF baked
4 beans, but In the case OF articles packed
in glass. the amount OF glass has been
! increased, while the amount of contents
decreased Cereals have shrunk 10 and 50
per cent pancake flour. Is or so crack
ers and ginger snaps and the like, 10;
boxed dates and raisins. 3-and one
| might so on with the list Of articles
packed in pasteboard for some lines
more.
] In the commodities packed in glass