The comet. (Johnson City, Tenn.) 1884-1916, 1915-02-11
THOUSANDS
OF DOLLARS
ARE LOST
BY SHORT WENIGHTS
AND MEASURES IN STATE
70 PER CENT OF PACKAGES.
Are Short Weight and Nearly Half OF
the Scales Inspected We're Found
to be IncOrrect-Great Loss
to Consumers.

Nashville, Feb. 7.-Lucius p Brown
pure food and drug inspector has
made his annual report to Gov. T. C
Rye. In this document he says:
Nashville, Tenn, Feb. 6, 1915
His Excellency,
Tom C. Rye, Governor of Tennessee
Sir:-The present weights and
measures law of the state went into
effect January !, 1914. 1t made some
essential changes in the methods OF
handling this matter heretofore pre-
valent in the state, our own laws be-
ing insufficient, and little attention
being generally paid to them. AS
soon as practicable after theh law
went into effect, three of the muni-
cipalities, namely, Knoxville, Nash
vile and Chattanooga, which had ex-
listing departments of weights and
measures, took steps to conform to
the law The city sealers of Knox
vile aud Chattanooga, were likewise
elected county sealers of Knox and
Hamilton counties. Earlier in the
year Robertson county elected John
E. Bridges, county sealer, and in Oc-
tober Davidson county elected Geo
r. Langham sealer. These are all up
to January /. have been unable to
get any report from Memphis and l
have understood that no work has
being done there under the weights
and measures lact. AS you know.
since the first of the year. the city of
sMemphis had passed through the
legislature law, entirely divorcing
it from the general system of weights
and measures of the state.
AS required by law, ali sealers ex-
cept Mr.. Langham, who was unable
to get his equipment in time to do
any special amount of work, have
made reports summary of which is
here to attached. This shows in de-
tail the work of each man in the SER
vice, and is self explanatory.
Many Inspections Made.
You will note that according to this
report, the scales; Weights and meas
ure of e939 establishments have been
inspected. About half of these are
grocer stores, marketheuses scales
and the like, 458 in number. On the
face OF the returns over thirty per
cent of all scales, weights. and meas
ures in the state were wrong. This
is much below the experience else
where where rigid weights and meas
ures laws have not been enforced,
but 1t is bad enough. 1t is possible
that the low figures may be attribute
ed to familiarity of the local men
with duties under the new law, and
possibly likewise, due to the fact
that there had been some inspection
in. certain of these communities be-
fore the passage of this law.
Mr. Titcomb, chief of the weights
and measures division of this depart
ment, has covered the whole state
and his experience is much better
guide as ii existing statewide condi-
TOMS than the experience of local men
necessarily can be. Mr.: Titcomb made
1912 inspections of all kinds. 6l.3
per cent of these showed illegal con-
ditions. Note that he found about
fiye-sixths lin exact figures S3.7 per
cent? of the linear measures OF the
state, which are chiefly used for the
measuring of dry goods and the like,
illegal. rs per cent of the liquid
measures were illegal. and he found
69.2 per cent of the package goods
which he weighed, were below weight.
The latter is a very significant item
in that Il represents direct loss to
the consumer. or course scale may
be absolutely correct, bt unless it is
correctly used, just as much damage
Is done as il the scale were wrong.
big Losses In Groceries.
OF the total scales inspected $500
in number) LIPS or 4sk per cent
were illegal. About half of these
were condemned absolutely as unfit /
for use, and should have not been in
operation at all. Experience OF
weights and measures officials the
country over shows that about 20
per cent of all illegal scales, weights
and measures work against the con- : :
sumner, and in favor of the enormous
oss per annum which can be expect