The Watertown weekly leader. [volume] (Watertown, Jefferson County, Wis.) 1912-1917, 1913-12-05
The Sedler'S Report.


weights ard measures has been present
ed to Mayor CRUDE by City sealer Ed
ward Gnatzig:
1t gives me pleasure to report that the
general conditions of weights and meas
ures are improving in this city as a
comparison Of the enclosed report with
the report of 1912 will show.
The best evidence that consumers are
deriving vast benefit through the en-
| forcement Of the weights and measures
laws is shown under the heading TRY
Outs" By tryouts. / mean, visiting
places of business and holding up ped
dlers on the street and reweighing their
packages.
/ found that most all Of the merchants
are doing their best to comply with the
law by instructing their clerks to be
careful and give full weight and meas
ure.
| In fact I found loads of coal over
weight. This is explained that the deal
ers that have their drivers weigh their
own loads ana tell them that if caught
they must pay their own fine. The driv-
er gives overweight. Have found the
same condition in flour.
The wholesale dealers and farmers
peddling in this city gave me more
| trouble | found sacks OF coffee marked
100 lbs. to weigh SO with the sack.
Prints of butter Ssesssshed 1511z ounces
until | prosecuted and had fine i'm
posed Found that gallon oyster con-
| tainers in which oysters were shipped
into the city nearly one quart short.
And I have a long list of farmers that
have made good three times the amount
of shortage to the purchaser as first Of
fense. | have punished in this way as
want to give them the benefit of a doubt
and not put a court record against
man at once. But if caught again it
gives him no excuse.
And business men and farmers now
look at this office in a different light
than they did when | started and call
me up or come and see me if something
turns up that they are not familiar with
in weights and measures.
have not as yet tested our beer bar
rels for the reason that the sealer of an
other city has three cases against brew
ers of their city and one was carried to
the supreme court and all sealers await
ed the outcome. The cases were all won
by the sealer, and the brewers have
year to recooper their barrels and now
I will test barrels found in this city as
! soon as l can get three gallon Stand
ard and have the same tested and sealed
by the state department.
am also obliged to test all druggists
and doctors prescriptions and jewelers.
scales for which | must have the work
ing standards. The departm ment finds a
lot of fraud in fake jewellery and insist
that all sealers start campaign against
all misrepresenting and prosecute OF
the charge of "obtaining money under
false pretenses," | have some complaints
ON file at this time.
| The net weight container law also
impose new duties but it is good thing
for both merchant and consumer. AS
we have four large cheese dealers I ex-
pect that section 1670m, 1913 is going to
create a lot of work. Also the 1913 net
weight container law which goes into
effect September 3, 1914. And which l
am trying to explain to the merchants,
will save lot of trouble, when fully un-
derstoed and infOTced.
Eggs and poultry have come in very
good as [ had few complaints on bad
eggs. And poultrymen did not overf6ed
just before killing so that our people
did not pay from 15 to "A cents per
pound for corn.
am also investigating why pork on
the hoof at s. per hundred should cost
at an average of II cents per pound over
the block and other things about the
meat business which | shall make pub
lie as soon as I get the desired informa-
ton.
And will be thankful at all times for
any information that will tend to get
full weight and measure for the whole
of the people and cut down the high
cost of living for US all.