Tonopah daily bonanza. [volume] (Tonopah, Nev.) 1906-1929, 1914-05-28
NET WEIGHT LAW
NOW APPLIES TO
ALL PACKAGES
RULES TO GUIDE BUYERS THAT
MUST BE STRICTLY
OBSERVED.

WASHINGTON. D. C., May 2s--The
regulations for the carrying out of
the sO-called -net,weight law" which
compels manufacturers 10 make
clear statement Of the weight, vol
ume. or contents Of their packages
Of food. we're signed May IL by the
secretaries of the treasury. agricul-
ture. and commerce. The regulations
as signed become effective at once.
The regulations. in general. require
that the manufacturer of foods shall
plainly mark all packages. bottles. or
other containers holding more than
two ounces ayerdupois, or more than
one fluid ounce. to show the net weight
or volume of the contents.
The quantity stated on the con-
tainer must represent the actual
quantity Of food exclusive Of wrap
pings and container.
In the case Of certain articles the
contents may be stated by numerical
count. provided such numerical count
gives accurate information as TO the
quantity of food in the package. I'm
der this requirement it would not be
enough TO state that a package Of
candy contained "a cream pepper
mints, as candies vary in size, and
this would not be statement of tht
actual quantity of candy in the pack
age
The regulations also permit th'
statement of minimum volume O
weight, as Minimum weight, i
ounces; minimum volume, one gal
lon: mot less than four ounces" Il
such cases the amount stated mus
r approximate the actual quantity. NJ
, variations below the stated minimum
d quantity viii be permitted.
The statement of weight or meas
). ure must be marked in terms OF tn
a largest unit contained in the pael
q age: for example, if the package cor
tains a pound and a fraction, tn
contents must be expressed in term
OF pounds and fractions thereof. O
pounds and ounces and not merely !
ounces.
In the packing and bottling
" many foods it would be impossible
= or else add unnecessarily to cost, fc
the manufacturer to place an abs
= lutely accurate statement OF u
u amount Of the food in every packag
and for this reason the regulation
= permit tolerances or variations
packages where the discrepancies al
due exclusively to unavoidable errol
- in weighing, measuring, or countin
'r which occur in packing conducted
e compliance with good commerci
u practice. This tolerance is allowed
:, order to permit the use of weighiT
- and measuring machines which. III
10 hyman operators. can not weigh Z
. Measure with absolute accuracy evel
> package The regulations. howeve
y provide that a run of such packag
must show as many cases OF owe
b. weight and as much excess as
MS does cases OF underweight or unde
VI. volume.
II Similarly in the case OF bottle
L which can not be blown with absolu
'e accuracy. tolerances are allowed, b
- with the same proviso that the I'll
10 of bottles must show as much exec
% in volume as deficiency in volum
- Queer-shaped bottles must not sho
We greater discrepancies than standa
al round or square bottles of the san
n. capacity. This means that a man
'e- facturer who uses some special bolt
DC OF odd shape can not claim a great
&c. variation because Of the difficulty
If blowing or manufacturing such a be
tie or container.
a. Because goods shipped from Oh
~ part Of the country to another lo
~ in weight by natural evaporation d.
~ TO differences of atmospheric cont
u. tons or temperature, tolerances W
u be allowed for such changes. TT
~ proper tolerances to be allowed W
10 be determined on the facts In eat
n case, and 1t is probable that the d
1 partment will establish tolerances 4
* evaporation of various foods