The Detroit times., 1915-01-11
Would Fix Size of Berry Boxes
and Compel Guarantee of All
Milk Bottles
WANTES NEW WEIGHTS
PER BUSHEL STATUTE
Licensing of Creameries, Pure
Booze Law and Penalty For
Sale" Measure Advocated
From a stan Correspondent i.

LANSING. Mich, Jan. 1l.-"Jim
Helme. state dairy and food commits.
sioner, has a lot OF legislation up his
sleeve for future presentation to the
state lawmaking bodies. All OF II Is
consistent with the policy 10 which
the doughty champion OF pure food
has committed himself for several
years, and is intended for the protec-
tion OF the much-harassed ultimate
consumer"
The commissioner has six specific
pieces OF legislation which he is de-
sirous or incorporating in the laws OF
the state OF Michigan They are:
!. Passage OF a law fixing the size
or berry boxes at one pint, one quart,
or two quarts, thus doing away with
the practice OF many dealers OF sell
Ing goods by the box and not by the
measure The average quart berry
box contains about ffteen-sixteenths
OF quart, according TO the commits.
siOner. and, as a 'box' may be OF
any size. there is no way OF protect
ing the public from imposition OF this
sort.
2. a law compelling manufacture
ers or milk bottles for use in Michi-
gan to file bond with the depart
ment guaranteeing all bottles TO be OF
standard measure. Manufacturers
would be designated by number
blown in every bottle, under Helme's
plan. The find OF number of bottles
revealing short measure would offer
grounds for the forfeiture of the bond,
according TO the proposed law.
3. Amendment of the present seiz-
nNpA lnu Itr ~ stsNar ,N.Af 10 for
the sale of goods seized by the depart.
ment. Under the present law goods
may be seized by the inspectors or
the department, may be marked and
left in the dealers place OF business
under orders that they may not be
disturbed or moved under any condi-
tions The law. however, carries with
IL no. penalty, and INSCRIPTIONS deai-
ers may sell the goods confiscated by
The department without fear or prose.
cution.
T. Passage OF law licensing
creameries Creameries are now reg
istered, a nominal fee being paid for
his service. The licensing system
need not raise the fee, according to
Helme, but would give the depart
ment a chance TO take away the IL
cense and stop, an unsanitary or dis
honest creamery man from doing bus
mess for period OF as long as six
months
s. Substitution OF new law for
the present weights per bushel"
statute This Is measure OF imme-
date Importance to farmers, Helme
believes, inasmuch as many OF the
present weights are very far from be-
Ing In just proportions. while some
important Michigan. products are not
mentioned In the statute. For in
stance, says Helme. the present law
places the weight OF bushel of corn
on the cob at 70 pounds AS mat
ter OF fact, 20 pounds OF corn on the
cob makes approximately two bushels
by measure.
i. g. A pure booze" law Such a
measure was introduced during the
latter part OF last session but was
lost in the shuttle during the haste
incident to closing. Commissioner
Helme's idea is TO compel each and
every manufacturer OF liquors to file
with the department. sworn copy OF
the formula under which the product
Is made. This formula is subject to
approval or rejection by the commits
sioner. On its acceptance. as bond
must be filed with the department
and any variation in the formula may
be punished by forfeiture.
Commissioner Helme will also make
an effort to have the word knowing.
ly" stricken out OF the present pure
food law, as he declares 1t has proven
loophole through which many OF
tenders have escaped the conse-
quences OF violating IL.
III. A. BALLENGER.