Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1913-06-05
WEIGHTS AND MEASURES.
Commissioner Henry Takes Prominent
Part in Deliberations of National
Conference.
(From the sd JohnsburY Republlcan }


Hugh Ii. Henry of Chester. Vermont,
commissioner of weights and measures,
was accorded prominent place in the
deliberations of the eighth annual meet
ing recently held in Washington of the
national conference on weights and meas
ures. Commissioner Henry was one of
those who appeared before the committee
chosen by the secretary of agriculture,
commerce and treasury departments, to
draft regulations amending the pure food
law requiring the quantity of contents to
be labelled on food packages.
Among the most important resolutions
lowing:
That the national bureau of standards
be given supervision over types of
weighing and measuring devices, so that
there may be uniformity throughout the
United States"
That the United States government
and all State governments be urged to
make the basis of sale of vegetables
fruits, etc, the pound rather than the
bushel by measure or by weight
That it is most important that all
weights and measures officials be placed
as far as possible under civil service and
not subject TO political vicissitudes and
Influences"
And that the United States govern
ment take note of the need of thorough
and periodical inspection of the weighing
and measuring apparatus used by the
government in the transaction of Its bus
mess with the public
This last resolution is explained by the
statement that the scales now used by
the government in its postal service, in
Its new transportation service and in
other lines in which it accepts the peo-
pies money for commodities or for serv-
ices on the basis of weights, etc, are
not subject to any regular inspection OF
any kind. These are, of course, outside
the jurisdiction of State officials SO that
their inspection must be initiated by the
national government and yet although
the national government is coming into
a full realization of the importance and
necessity OF strict enforcement of Its
weights and measures laws 1t has failed
to give this protection to the general pub
lie with which it does business and
throughout the United States.
Mr.. Henry was chairman of the COM
mittee appointed to present this resolu-
ton
Vermont was not lacking in good stand
ing with the rest of the union in its
weights and measures department. Mr.
Henry addressed the meeting on the
Functions of a state Sealer" at the Fri
day session. At the banquet held Thurs
day evening at the Raleigh hotel, Mr.
Henry was the second speaker, following
Congressman Mann of Illinois, the prin-
cipal speaker OF the evening He was
also unanimously reelected member of
the conference.
The conference adopted the following
resolution:
Resolved, That the members of the
eighth annual conference on the weights
and measures of the United States by
this resolution respectfully call the at
tention of the United States government
to the need of a thorough and periodical
inspection of the Weighing and measur-
ing apparatus used by the government I'm
the transaction of it's business with the
public"
1t was signed as follows: Hugh II.
Henry, commissioner of weights and
measures, State of Vermont; Charles B.
Wooley, seaer of weights and measures,
city of Boston; William +. Cluett, chief
deputy inspector of weights and meas
ures, Chicago