The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1913-03-24
SHORT WEIGHT BUTTER
Correspondent Thinks Company
Should Not Be Blamed.

Editor the Banner:-A few days
ago the driver of the White Creek
Creamery Co., on complaint of one
of the state inspectors of weights
and measures, was arrested, plead
guilty, and paid the fine imposed by
the municipal court for delivering
short weight butter to LaMarre &
Co. These were the bald-headed
facts PUBLISHED in the Banner as a
legitimate item of news. The item
further stated, however, that the
weight fell short about five ounces in
twenty-five pounds, or one-fifth OF an
ounce to the pound, which is hardly
measurable on ordinary commercial
scales.
This was a crime indeed, since the
present high cost of living" is the
camel that can hardly bear another
straw without getting at least sway
back, if not breaking down absolute
ly.
But, to be serious, let us look a lit
tie deeper into this case that in
wolves the good faith and reputation
of a number of enterprising farmers
in a neighboring town-(acr the
state line, to be sure, but who come
to Bennington to do their marketing
both buying and selling)-who
have got together under the title of
the White Creek Creamery Co., and
who have furnished us reputable but
ter for good many years.
The state inspector acknowledged
to the states attorney that he had
been trying TO trap these people for
a good while, and this was the first
chance he had to put one over" on
the company, or words TO that effect.
Now we submit that this is not in ac-
cordance with the intent and purpose
of the law. To detect false bottomed
and dented measures, wired or
manipulated scales and other devices
intended to defraud is the object of
the law. To say that twenty five
prints of butter are short five ounces,
when one may be full weight or over
weight and another more or less
short, which may come about by an
air space or by shrinkage in standing
in the refrigerator for a time, is
stretching the law perilously fine
The inspector has weighed the
White Creek Creamery butter at La
Mares on several occasions and
found it full weight, and has weighed
it at other dealers and found it full
weight, but on this occasion the COM
pany was detected red handed in
their trickery! us, pray.
In an interview with the business
manager of the White Creek Cream
cry Co., the statement was made
that the driver should have waived
examination and given bail, as the
manager could readily have furnish
ed surety by telephone had he
been notified, and stood trial, when
the case would have been fought
through the courts, but the driver
got frightened and plead guilty,
thinking il the easiest way out. That
necessarily acts as an estoppel TO
further proceedings. However. the
company will hereafter weigh its
butter in bulk and sell 1t in bulk,
leaving the dealer responsible, who
must needs then weigh each print
separately and charge accordingly,
whether the print is over or under
weight. 1t need not be questioned
that the farmers comprising the
White Creek Creamery Co are an
upright. honorable and conscientious
body of men who conduct their en-
terprise in a highly sanitary and
purely legitimate and lawful way and
should not be held up as tricksters
in any sense whatever.
A Citizan