El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1913-06-03
Consumers Pay Big Loss
Federal Net Weight Law Is De-
signed to Protect Consumers
and Dealers.
-By Frederic ,. HnsiSin-

N/ The committee appointed 10
w draw up regulations for the
enforcement Of the new federal net
weight law will begin to hold hearings
in New York on June 9, when manu-
facturers- dealers and others interested
in the provisions Of these regulations
will be examined. The law was signed
on March 5, the last day Of the Ia1l
administration. and is to go int eIIecs
IS months after that date IL IequlL ~
that the quantity OF the contents OF a.
food packages shall be plainly markeu
on the outside in terms OF WelSn-'
measure or numerical count II IN
cludes the provision that reasonable
allowance SHAH Pc made for tolerance
allow for Variations.
Upon. the proper Interpretation OE
this last provision rests the real Fd4ue
Of the law. The act provides that q
/ reasonable variation from the sIaJeu
weight is permissible provided this var
iation is as often above as below the
weight OF volume stated mis- FaTl1-
, ton shall be determined by the IN
] spector from the changes in the hu-
nudity of the atmosphere. from the eN-
I pOSure OF the package to eFapOralln8
I or TO absorption OF moisture anu
reasonable variations which attend Ihe
I Filling and weighing of packages
The committee authorized TO make In1
] regulations governed by this provision
I include representatives Of the secretary
I OF commerce, the secretary Of agrlcul-
/ lure and the secretary OF the treasury
standard Weights.
] The secretary Of commerce, through
Z the bureau Of standards has the au-
I thority 10 determine the justice Of the
Z weights and measures used The rep
resentatiTe Of the department OF az
riculture must fix the measure OF
I variation in the weights and measures
I or FOOD stuffs according to laboratory
L HnaI =
samples furnished for that purpose Dy
the manufacturers Of the various pro-
ducts The treasury is represented De-
cause OF the duties imposed upon i'm
ported food stuffs which come under
the Jurisdiction of the law and also be-
cause, until the establishment Of the
bureau OF standards unde- the depart
ment OF commerce, the matters regard
ing weights and measures were ali IN
der the direction Of the treasury de-
partment-
Designed to Protect Public.
The new law is designed primarily
to protect the public from loss by in
sufficient weights and measures, but u
Is not intended that any injustice shall
be done to dealers and manufacturer
Such circumstances as a cheese shipped
from Wisconsin to Colorado losing sew
eral pounds in weight from the change
in temperature and atmospheric cOnd1-
lions will form the basis Of some Of the
claims presented by manufacturers at
this month Consideration viii also
be given to a reasonable variance in
the weights Of packages and wrap
pings
Capacity Of Bottles.
Previous to the hearings in New
York hearings were conducted IN
Washington on the problem Of the ca
pacity Of bottles and jars manufactured
OF liquid products The discrepancies
in these articles were a surprise TO the
members OF the committee as they
demonstrated that few Of the bottles
had a capacity for the content they
were supposed TO carry The thickness
Of the glass. the presence OF air
bubbles, the quantity Of glass taken
up the blower and its heat all enter
into the problem Of manufacturing bot
ties which VIII be uniform in their ca
pacity- The bottles tested were from
the hand blowers The manufacturers
OF machine blown bottles claim a
greater uniformity for their products,
but the test has not been made TO
prove this assumption, although 1t VIII
be included in the work Of the weights
and measures committee.
Loss Totals Millions.
- There is no subject more closely in
touch with the daily life OF every man.
woman and child in the country than
that regarding weights and measures !
This nation has been almost criminalIT
lax IN this direction While the people
have had protection from menaces Of
every other kind they have as yet had
no protection from short weights and
measures. and their annuel losses from
this neglect are incredible The IN
designations made regarding the high
cost Of living point clearly TO the losses
from this cause and a crusade for pro
lection from such loss is sweeping
over every community in which the
matter has been brought into public
notice.
The population Of the United States
is nearly $4,000, 900. At least two
thirds OF this number can be fairly [
considered as buyers of some cOmmo-
dity- II each o. these were TO suffer [
from even the daily loss Of a mill. the I
tenth part Of cent. the amount would /
approximate SIS, 600, 600 in a year. Y ct Z
the Investigations conducted by ex-
perts in all parts of the country indl- !
cate that the average loss is many I
times mill each day and has been !
steadily upon the increase for the last I
20 years
state Laws Differ.
The discrepancy in the measures be
tween the different states is one Of the /
matters causing trouble alike to deal !
ers and Individual purchasers through /
out the country. The United States /
standard bushel contains 215O.42 cubic I
inches, but this is not required by all 4
OF the state laws. The difference be
tween liquid and dry measure is not /
generally recognized and il is the basis I
OF millions Of dollars Of loss TO the Z
quart, dry measure. should contain I
$40 cubic inches, being one thirty I
second part of a busheL Yet the ave I
rage dealer seI-s most articles sup
posedly for dry measure by the liquid \
quart which contains only 57.75 cubic I
inches a difference OF nearly Is per
cent Tt is estimated that upon beans \
alone the public loses over a million
dollars each year by the substitution
OF liquid measure for dry and as yet.
in most states, the dealers doing this
are quite safe from any legal penalty.
Cooperation Is Necessary.
The movement for the establishment I
OF protection for the public from short
weights and measures includes many
things. 1t requires Q sincere cOOpera-
ton upon the part Of the consumer
and the officers who are trying TO en-
force the laws which already have
been passed and which for years have
been practically a dead letter in most
communities. 1t viii also require addi-
ttonal legislation and the appropria-
ton OF sufficient money on the part OF
states and towns for the tabIishmenr
of commission or department of
weights and measures which shall be I
properly administered.
Those who have given attention 10
the Improvement Of city governments
now recognize the Importance Of the