The Washington herald., 1913-05-12
CONFERENCE Will
TAKEUP Weights
officials to Gather Wednesday
to Consider Standardized
ton Of Measures.
WILL BALK DECEPTIONS
Laxity and Diversity in State Laws
Will Be Theme of Experts
in Meeting.

The eighth annual conference on the
weights and measures of the United
States will be held at the Bureau of
Standards, May IA to IL. The confer
ence is composed of State officials hav-
ing charge of the weights and measures
departments in their respective States,
and of city and other sealers of weights
and measures throughout the country.
The sessions will open at 10 o'clock
on Wednesday morning by an address
of welcome by Secretary of Commerce
Redfield Papers will be read on the
enforcement Of weights and measures
laws, and on the methods of dealing
with problems affecting the inspection
OF weights and measures. 1t is the aim
TO obtain honest weights and measures
for the people, and to require commodi-
ties to be marked in such a way as to
permit the purchaser to know how much
he is getting, and to get all that he pays
for.
With a view to remedying the chaotic
conditions existing in regard to weights
and measures, the Bureau of Stand
ards called upon the Governors of the
various States to send delegates to the
first annual Conference on weights
and Measures, held in January lSo5.
Every year since the conference has
met to discuss weights and measures
matters.
Twenty states Now I'm Line.
When these conferences were inau-
gurated few States had laws of much
value in preventing evils existing In
the use of weights and measures. Only
two States in the Union had actiVe
weights and measures departments,
while now about twenty States have
such departments. A model State law
was adopted by the conference in 1910
and further amended in 1911, which
has accomplished great deal along
this line.
Laws out of all harmony with one
another are still in force in different
States. For instance, bushel of cram
berries is required to weigh thirty
two pounds in Massachusetts and for
ty pounds in Michigan, difference OF
- per cent. Turnips are required TO
weigh forty-two pounds per bushel In
Wisconsin. while in the Dakotas the
legal weight is sixty pounds, dif-
ference of u per cent.
Coun. Must Be Marked.
Seven States, namely, Connecticut, Flor
ida, Nebraska, Nevada, North Dakota,
South Dakota, and Wyoming, have net
weight laws covering foodstuffs, and the
State of New York has gone a step fur
ther and included other commodities. A
number of other States have net weights
concerning certain products. A more inn
portant net weight law, however, is the
act of Congress, approved March 3, 1913,
amending the national food and drugs
act, requiring the net weight, measure, or
numerical count to be stated on the out
side of all packages covered by the food
and drugs act.
The establishing of standard shipping
containers is a matter of prime impor-
tance in Interstate commerce. The barrel
is the most common of all such contain
ers, and the need of having it standard
lied has long been felt, and the lack of its
Standardization being a fruitful source IF
deception. The conference on weights
and measures has been strongly in favor
of Congress establishing a standard bar
rel and, as an outcome of this agitation,
Congress passed law, approved August
.. 1912. establishing a standard barrel and
standard grades for apples when packed
in barrels.