Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-06-16

the customers end. IN one instance an
inspector had caught the daughter OF .
proprietor weighing meat with the po1se
Of the scale in this position He gave
warning and later sent q woman In to
make q purchase that might be tested
He walked IN Just after the woman had
made her purchase and caught the pro-
prfetor slipping the poise back into place.
wasn't true and the only way to prove
1t was to weigh the beans. These were
found to be one and q half ounces short
Those scales, weights and measures
throughout the District that are found
to be correct are stamped with the seal
Of the office and remain In USE This
seal consists Of w, the letters d. c.
and the date OF sealing. During the past
year 1859 scales received this stamp OF
approval. Though the weights seem
scarcely q separate item from the scales.
they are classed in this way by the in
spectors. Quite frequently dealer will
use a weight that on one sort OF a
scale weighs several pounds. and even
hundreds of pounds. more than on an
and seventy various weights We're
stamped with the seal Of approval the
past year. The liquid and dry meas
ures that were examined and sealed
is
examined, LILO were found to be accu-
rate. Taximeters are included I'm the
list OF articles tested by the Office, and
164 Of these were found to be service
able and were sealed.
The figures under the condemned and
destroyed are much smaller. and each
year has witnessed their decrease. The
scales put under ban amounted to l59
and the weights 1o3 in the past year:
36f liquid and dry measures were con-
demned for inaccuracy. Five yard meas
ures were tested and put in this class.
Inspections are quite frequently made by
request. and for these no fees are charged.
There were $50 scales tested in this way
and condemned for repairs.
Scales tested In the regular routine OF
work and found inaccurate and needing
attention numbered 90 during the past
year. Nineteen weights were condemned
to the repair shop and two dry measures.
For the District government, 1O1 scales.
Ia weights and 1 liquid measure were
sealed. For the United States govern
ment the Office sealed 341 scales and 81
weights and condemned II scales for re-
pairs
The records thus show total OF 2S,Sps
inspections for the year. This number
does not include the milk bottles tn
spected. nor the paper boxes used In the
sale Of ice cream. All the da1ries In tho
District and drug stores and other places
where ice cream Ia sold are visited rogu-
larly and the bottles and paper measures
tested in large quantities TO see thai
they are standard capacity. which means
the supervision OF over 100000 MIX BOT.
ties and 100000 Ice cream paper honss
used annually In the District
s.
Honest dealers have nothing 60 feaP
from the Inspections Of weights and
said Col Haskell In his last
annual report "Our experience has
demonstrated. however, that rigid In.
spections and the greatest vigilance
are necessary on the part OF the ONCE
to keep some dealers honest. and that
there will always be this class Of deaI-
ers willing to take the chance Of de-
for their own gain.
The most urgent reform necessary
now seems to be uniform laws through
out the United States to compel the
containers In terms OF weight or meas
ure. Package goods have an advantage
In cleanliness OF contents and com
venience Of handling. but these pack
put up In such manner that they ap-
pear to represent q standard weight
or measure, but are almost invariably
short Of the supposed weight or meas
ure.
"It is estimated that about 30 per
cent OF these packages. bottles and
cartons are short Of the purported
capacity, which we assume TO be for
in my opinion. adds more than 10
per cent to the cost OF the consumer.
The sale Of commodities by net weight
is objected to by the large packers,
who claim the difference In weight L.
due to shrinkage.
while there 10 some basis for this
In the northern section OF
the country the shrinkage ia rarely
ever equal to the actual shortage. and
packages used In the south. where the
dampness IL greater. viii not shrink.
but In many places will increase In
weight Tests do not show an over
weight, but q condition almost In
varfably against tho consumer. There
ID also imperative need for national
legislation fixing uniform standard
FOR the size Of barrels apd cyates used
By farmers and shippers Sf pg01uoAs