The Democratic banner. (Mt. Vernon, Ohio) 1898-192?, 1912-10-11
ENFORCES Law
SAVES MILLIONS
Commissioner Strobe Stops
Frauds On Consumers.

Although 70 years ago the general
assembly created weights and meas.
ares standards and provisions were
made from time to time for stopping
cheating by weighing devices, State
Dairy and Food Commissioner Strobe
10 the first ofticer to conduct . sys-
tematic statewide campaign to stop
the frauds perpstrated by unscrupu.
lous dealers.
A New York expert testified before
an Ohio senate investigating COM
mittee that the consumers in this
state were robbed Of s10.000.O00 an
nually. To eliminate this enormous
waste, which Is responsible to a Ger.
tain extent for the high cost of liv.
ing. Commissioner Strobe had life in
jected in,o the dead weights and
measures law.
When Strobe took Office Ohio
seemed to be the dumping ground for
incorrect weighing and measuring de-
vices.
For many years the secretary OF
state was custodian of the standards
furnished the state by the federal
government Later the professor Of
physics Of Ohio State University was
designated by statute as state sealer
Of weights and measures.
With the support Of the press the
Iublic was aroused to the importance
Of this work. and in 1910 the general
assembly designated the State Dairy
and Food Commissioner 40 state
Seaaer, but overlooked the appropria-
ton necessary to make this change
effective.
The law made It the duty Of tho
State Dairy and Food Commissioner.
cnce every three years, to require
each auditor and city or village ,sealer,
In this state, to present all standards
Of weights and measures in their pos.
session to him for comparison; and
generally he was charged with the
enforcement of all weights and meas
ures laws.
There was defect in that neither
the state sealer nor his deputies. the
county sealer nor his deputy, nor the
city sealer were authorized or re-
CURED to compare and seal any
weights or measures except such 40
we're brought to them for that pur.
Jose. 1t was apparent that II the pur-
chasing public and dealers In mer-
chandise were to receive the benefits
evidently intended by the trainers OF
the weights and measures laws, 1t
was necessary that state and local
sealers should be empowered to 60
cut and inspect scales, weights and
measures wherever they were used or
maintained for use; to abolish the
fee system and place the deputy sealer
on straight salary; to bring COM
putting scales under the Jurisdiction Of
the sealers; to require that certain
commodities must be sold by avordu-
pole weight or numerical count; and,
finally, that at least modest appro-
pNation should be made 10 the end
that the weights and measures laws
might become effective.
The changes in the law 40 above
outlined were made by the general
assembly. and State Sealer Strode ct
once put new life into the weights
ena measures department by issuing
\ circular Ct instructions 10 all coun-
~ and city sealers.
1t was well past the middle Of June.
Hll, when this work was inaugu-
rated, but the response to the circu-
lar was immediate and effective and
the state department had the instant
cooperation Of most Of the county
and city sealers.
In little more than one year since
these changes became effective, sixty
eight counties have secured new
standards and the sealers are dill
gently and enthusiastically at work.
In this short time the department has
demonstrated that the work Of cor
recting conditions with reference to
weighing and measuring devices is
among the most important in the
state. The public is Just awaking
TO this fac, and united public sen.
tinent will make the task Of the
st talers much easier The state sealer
is vigorously keeping up this cam
raigp Of education and II gratified to
know that he has the earnest support
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