Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-12-03

United States government and 17S for the
District of Columbia. total Of @, SS6 in
spections for the year, exclusive OF the
number Of milk bottles and paper ice
| cream measures inspected
| During the year twenty-three cases were
presented to the Police Court for prosecu-
ton and fines to the amount OF 1903 I'M
posed, a decrease Of fifty-four from the
total of the preceding year. One ice
cream man was sentenced to thirty days
, in Jail in each OF three cases, upon his
failure to pay a total fine of $50 imposed
by the court.
| The general improveme shown in the
| condition of the scales. weights and
measures. in use in the District of Column
| bia and in the decrease in the number OF
| ca ses presented to the Police Court for
prosecution indicate that the purchas-
| ing public now receives more nearly than
| heretofore the quantities and quality for
what it pays.
much improved conditions. manufacturers
| of milk bottles apparently using care that
bottles should measure up to a standard
| of capacity. Eighty diaries were visited.
| in only five of which short bottles were
| found. Out of total of more than
| $4,000 milk bottles inspected, 5,812 were
seized and destroyed.
The coal merchants have continued to
exercise more care in weighing coal for
] delivery.
The use Of short boxes in the sale OF
| ice cream has been practically overcome
and fewer complaints of short weight Ice
We're received re during the summ ns t.,.noa
scales inspected on the semi-annual in
! spection Of those scales in use In the
several markets in the District, only ten
We're considered faulty to the extent OF
being condemned and seized
The receipts for rent Of stands In the
| Eastern, Western and Georgetown mar
kets and collections for the use of space
| at the farmers street markets. adjacent
thereto. and the Farmers produce mar
ket amounted to 500, $685. an increase
| of $1.231 .4 over the previous year. Ex-
| tensive renewals and repairs have been
made within the past two years, and these
markets now compare more than favOra-
| bly, with the other markets in the Dis
| trict and elsewhere.
During the year 1O.36s91O square feet
of merchantable lumber were inspected
and 324,O square feet Condemned; gross
| fees collected for said inspections amount
! ed to s., 23O51 expenses. 81. O6S. 53, the net
| fees retained by the inspectors for their
| services. The wood inspectors report
| 17.9677a cords OF wood measured; gross
retained for services.
X X
The total net revenue of this department
for the past ten and three-fifths years
has been $3s 269. 81.
Additional This profit was de-
c.p posted in the
superintendent. Treasury of the
| United States to the credit of the United
States and of the District of Columbia, in
| equal parts, and warrants an appropri-
alton for an assistant superintendent, who
F, is needed for the proper conduct OF this
expanding work of vital interest to every
home in the District which is apparently
not as yet fully appreciated.
| 1t should be stated as showing the
| economy in cost Of operation, that the
| net profit would have been $780, 800 greater
but for the expenditure during the period
| mentioned of 10000 for an addition to
| the Eastern market and 1850 for con-
| struction improvements to other markets,
| including the Farmers produce market.
The total net revenue of this market for
| ten years has been $14O17.52, and war
| rants an appropriation for improved shell
| tiers not only as a good business PROPOSE
| ton, but as affOrding increased facilities
| to the public for acquiring farm and gar
den produce direct from producers at rea-
sonable prices.
The net annual revenue Of all the mar
kets is $1,000. and represents the profits
| on an investment by the District, Of
$22SOOO, or less than IN per cent. This
low percentage of surplus income on in
| vestment demonstrates that this service
| is charging the smallest practicable rent
| for stall and other accommodations for
| dealers, and thereby contributing. in the
interest Of the public, to keep down the
| cost of living.