The Oskaloosa herald., 1913-01-23
BILLS AGAINST
COST Of LIVING
MILLER, OF WAvERLY, HAS TWO
OF INTEREST TO WIVES.
NEW WEIGHT AND MEASURE LAW
More Rigid inspection Provided
Each Sale Slip Must Show the
Amount OF Each Article Pur-
chased by Customer.

| CndeCu ny SuStofUcFs
Des MONIES, Jan. 22.-The house.
wives OF Iowa will be greatly inter-
ested in the confident claim of Repre-
sentative Charley Miller, of Waverly,
that the passage of two bills he has
before the present general assembly
will bring about reduction in the
! cost of living of fully ten per cent in
most of lowa's cities and towns, and
even greater measure In some of
them.
! The bills for which he makes this
flattering promise are House File No.
z and the new weights and measure
bill that he offered as substitute for
a somewhat similar. though less
comprehensive, law that he proposed
and championed to a successful issue
last session. ...
| The first mentioned Of these bills
is a duplicate of the one he proposed
two years ago which failed in the sen.
ate during the rush hours of the last
day of the session and which was al
luded TO in a commendatory way by
Governor Carroll in his recent mes
sage. The measure would invest the
attorney generals Office with a spe-
cial fund of $4,000 to be used to in
veStigate and prosecute Illegal com
binations, whether of city, county or
state wide scope, and concede to the
courts the power to grant immunity
to necessary witnesses and thus de-
prive them of all the right TO refuse
to testify on the ground that their
evidence might incriminate them, the
lack OF chick power is the greatest
defect of our antitrust law as it now
stands.
The proposed new weights and
measures law, which has been pre-
pared with the cooperation of the
Food and Dairy Commissioner Barney
and Senator Head, who will be its
champion in the senate, Celebrates to
a considerable extent upon the pres
ent law, and also enlarges consider
ably upon the list of dry commodi-
ties with reference TO which another
law describes the number of pounds
that shall compromise bushel Of
each. Dealers in dry commodities
sfiiifl Il 10 their advantage to buy by
weight, and though the present Miller
law contemplates that the consumer
should have the same advantage, it
measurement to the consumer can
not be compelled Berries are not
included in things that must be sold
by weight, but a berry box may not
be short of measure without being in
danger of being confiscated by an in
spector.
/ Another feature of the proposed
law Is that sale slips provided by re-
tailers to purchasers, shall have the
amount of each article bought noted
thereon. The ordinary practice now
is TO name the commodity and the
price of the whole amount thereof
purchased, which compels the house
hold economist TO grope in the dark
when at the end of the week or
month she undertakes to ascertain
how much of various things the fam.
lily consumed, measured in pounds,
which is just as important for her
10 know as their worth in money
I More rigid and thorough inspection
of weights and measures Is provided
for and all sales at railway yards as
well as others that are used to weigh
in or out commodities for others than
their owner, are TO be subject TO H.
cense, which will serve as a guaranty
of their accuracy, according TO the
inspection made of them, and their
license shall be revoked If they are
permitted to get out of order.
The weights and measures law
passed by the last general assembly
has accomplished great deal OF
good" declared Mr.. Miller, but it
has been especially useful in point
ing out the need OF more progress
along the line ii has tenated. am
satisfied that no honest merchant will
oppose II for he s always the greatest
sufferer when dishonest weights or
measures are used by a competitor,
for the latter can apparently undersell
him witnout in fact doing so.
However much the consumer
would gain through the operation OF
this law, and il would be consider,
able, it would be small in comparison
with what they would gain by the
adoption of House File Z, which ! am
morally certain promises far greater
effect on the cost of living in Iowa
than any adjustment of our traffic
laws that our Lawmakers in Wash
ington could possibly contrive. ] real
ize that reduction in the cost oil
living OF ten per cent seems like q
pretty large contract but | feel that
the legislature viii not so regard il
when | get my facts before it,"
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