The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1913-12-12

of the previous law, mahing it obliga'
tory that "all commodities shall be
sold by standard weight or measure,
except those articles which are usual
ly sold by numerical count, such as
eggs, or melons, squashes, etc., or
those articles sold in packages, such
as the various kinds of breakfast
foods, etc. This means, If it means
anything, that berries must be sold
by dry measure, that is legal quart
of strawberries or raspberries must
contain 672 cubic inches, and pint.
one-half that amount; a peck of pota-
toes must weigh Is pounds; and yet
we have been getting In our markets
during the present summer, berry
boxes which fell sholt from five to
ten cubic inches, and 1t Is common
thing, with some dealers at least, for
peck of potatoes to weigh only II
or 13 pounds This means that the
purchaser Is not getting what is COM
ing to him when he buys these ber-
ries, and he is losing from s to IL
pounds on each bushel Of potatoes
yet, when there is large family to
support, he is paying for five or six
bushels more than he gets during the
year, and this is only one item In the
| list.
In a recent trade paper the state
ment is made that growers In anoth-
er state are attributing the shortage
/ Of RI
were required to use standard quart
boxes; that where heretofore they
have had 400 crates, this year they
only had 800 crates from about the
same quantity of berries. This gives
one an idea of what the consumer
has been getting in years past, be-
cause the retailer very seldom changes
his berries from short" box to a
dry measure box before selling them
Very likely, the aforementioned
conditions do not prevail now in all
cities and towns OF this state; 1t
ought not to be so in any Of Il EN-, but
1t is. 1t is a condition that we are
facing. not a theory.
A Defect in the Law.
Section l of the weights and meas
ures law, approved March 10, 1913,
amends section 3 of the law Of 1911,
so that 1.-The board of county commits
sioners of every county of $4,000 popu-
lation or more shall. and the board
OF county commissioners in counties
of less than $4,000 population may ap-
point a county inspector OF weights
and measures who shall serve during
the pleasure of the said board
Provided. however. that Ii shall not
be obligatory upon the board OF coun.
~ commissioners OF such counties
containing a city or cities OF the first
second. third or fourth class which
are already provided with an inspec
: tor OF weights and measures or city
sealers TO make such appointment
In other words, a county which has
less than $4,000 population, but which
} has a city of either class mentioned
J above. and which is provided with ar
} inspector or sealer OF weights anC
measures. need not have a county In
; spector; neither are the county com
! missioners required 10 appoint an I'm
! spector in any case In such a county
3 city inspectors jurisdiction doe.
< not extend beyond the city limits. con
r seQpently the balance OF the county
y no matter how many towns and VII
s lagos IL may contain. is left withou
4 difficulty; without any one to enforc,
: II. y law is of no account. Either eacl
county should have an inspector. o
p else each city inspector should hav,
s jurisdiction over the whole country.