Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1914-07-29
STATES BINDING TWINE
is SHORT IN WEIGHT
Senator James, of RichIand Center
Thinks State is Violating One
of Its Own Laws.

Complaint has been made that
binding Irvine turned out by the Wis
consin prison plant is short in weight
and much dissatisfaction has arisen
thereby. Senator James, OF Rich
land Center, who is a dealer in such
products, was one who got bit by the
shortage, and published in the Mil
waukee Journal, a few days ago, the
following particulars concerning it.:
'In answer to yours over the phone
today, will say that ] purchased of the
State of Wisconsin this spring, through
an agent representing the Penitentiary
Twine Plant, two thousand pounds OF
Standard binder Irvine, at Sd cents
per pound, making $155.00.
II supposed that was getting two
thousand pounds of Irvine, as the sacks
were branded gross weight fifty pounds.
/ found out from weighing the sacks
that none of them weighed over as IL
pounds and two pounds off for the
sack, rope and paper, making net
weight of ID 1-2 pounds to the bale.
being member of the legislature
when the weights and measures bill
was passed and an ardent worker for
that bill, knowing great injustice was
being done throughout the country with
short weight scales and measures |
desired fair play and that man should
get what he paid for and so supported
the bill very ardently and was COM
PEELED to throw away my old scales.
81 Immediately wrote to the sealer
of weights and measures, Mr.. Emery
and informed him of the fact by the
following letter:
II would like to know if the State of Wis
cOnSin is amenable to the laws. governing
commercial subjects of the state. where the
state goes in to the manufacturing ana sale
OF products
IF | sell goods manufactured by the state
on short weight to the farmer, who is re-
sponSible for the violation of the law"
/ received from Mr.. Emery, in
reply, a letter reading thus:
yours of the 18th was duly received
AS the point you therein raised seemed
to me to be technical, ] submitted the
letter to the attorney general with
the request that he direct me what
answer should be made. Herewith
am enclosing copy of the reply | re-
ceived from the attorney generals Of
fice."
And this was inclosed from the at
torney general of the state, which
explains itself:
ut is general principle that statutes in
general terms do not bind the State"-State
VS. Milwaukee. 145 Wis. 13l. 135. Such pr1n-
ciple has been applied to make inapDlicaole
to the state the building ordinances or the
city of Milwaukee where the board of nor
NAL school regents was erecting normal
school building. See Milwaukee VS.. Nc
Gregor, 40 Wis. 50.
whether this principle is applicable to
tempt to determine in the absence OF de-
finite statement of the violation Thereon
that is claimed to have taken place. sug'
gest that your correspondent furnish either
you or the district attorney OF his county a
detailed statement of the transaction which
he thinks may constitute violation OF the
law, and if further advice is desired from
this department shall be glad to furnish
the same. Copy of the letter is inclOsed for
transmission to Mr.. James,"
Mr.. James then adds:
81 have no comments to make on the
subject only am not pushing the sale
of Irvine manufactured by the state,
because if / sell it as / do that made
by the outside manufacturers, would
sell it at loss, as that would cost me
more money by the hundred feet than !
would consider myself allowed to sell
it for. F"