Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1913-09-04
ODD SIZE BASKETS
CANNOT Be USED
New Law Provides That All Re-
ceptacIes Must Be of Stand
ard Type.
rFrom a stan Correspondent.I

TFrOm n STAFF COrresp0ndent-l
TRENTON, N. j., Sept 4.-Whil'
New Jerseys recently enacted haske'
| law doesn't become effective until No
vember / next, preliminary work be-
gan yesterday with the object OF elm
mating from use every large anc
small basket that does not come with
in the requirements of this new piec'
of weights and measures legislation
The act in question, passed at the last
session of the Legislature, provides
for the use only of baskets that are OF
standard sizes, 1. e., two, four, eight
sixteen. twenty and thirty-two quarts
For the sale of berries and small
fruits baskets used must be capable
of holding one pint or one quart.
After the act becomes effective on
November 1, no baskets of odd sizes
can be used. It means the passing
away of the "josies" and other such
receptacles, which have been en-
ployed in unfair competition in New
Jersey for a long time. with the prl7
mary object, in many instances. OF
defrauding the buying public. yhe
sizes of baskets permissible under the
new measure will enable superintend-
ents of weights and measures to rec
ognize readily odd sizes whenever
used.
Customers Were Deceived.
The passage of the law regulating
the Standardization. of sizes in baskets
was urged by Superintendent oil
Weights and Measures Waldron, De
cause of the wholesale deception ano
fraud practised upon housewives
through the use by merchants ano
hucksters. especially the latter. OF
baskets that were not of uniform OF
standard sizes. These crooked deal
ers found it possible to deceive con,
sumers by selling them baskets OF
fruit OF vegetables. The capacity
though. of these baskets" was never
alluded to by the dealers. In this
way they were enabled to use baskets
| that looked to be of standard capacity
but which, In reality, were often IRON
| one to four quarts below it.
Honest merchants, too, have peer
sufferers as result or thls lnolscIiiii.
| mate use of baskets of uncertain
capacity An INSCRIPTIONS huckstel
has never had any difficulty in max
| ing a sale to a housewife OF three
| baskets of a certain commodity J.
| the merchant nearby would offer bu
| two. And vet. invariably, the mer'
| chant. using standard sized baskets
| has been offering as much, III no
more than the huckster because o.
the fact that his baskets were OF stan
dard capacity.
Superintendent Waldron has already
notified all the manufacturers of bas
kets of this State of the new law, ant
| they have agreed to at once cease th'
| making of receptacles which do no
conform with the act. Furthermore
most of them have expressed theil
| qualification with the legislation en-
acted. for the reason that it will SPAR
them the necessity of making such
| wide variety of sizes, as in the past.
Merchants Are Notified.
The campaign started yesterda!
consisted of the notification of ever!
merchant in the State of the provision
| of the act. Superintendent Waldorf
| ordered every sealer of weights ant
measures to abandon other work TO
| the time being and devote his atten
| ton to personal interviews with ever,
| dealer who has occasion to sell com
inodities in this manner.
Then, beginning November 1, tn
| superintendents throughout the Stat
will make complete tour Of their re
| Spective districts and connScate ever.
| basket found to be at variance will
the new law. Any merchant found
after that first visit, to be selling
again through baskets that are no
of standard size will be prosecuted
without further delay.
| The passage of this basket law. II
the face of considerable opposition
| from INSCRIPTIONS dealers, has givel
New Jersey first place among tn
weights and measures departments o
the nation, so far as this particula
kind of legislation is concerned. Thi
| State is actually the first State in tn
Union to adopt such an act In New
York and other States they hav
legislation that seeks to correct thi
evil, but the law is not SO drastic a.
here. Odd sized baskets are permitte'
In those States, with the proviso tina
the exact capacity be plainly market
| on the basket.