The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1915-09-09
How the Law
Can Make
Merchants
Honest
The Necessity of Strict
Enforcement Of C.oun-
4try-Wido Statues
Compelling Homes.
Weights and Measures
By Charles G. johnson

By Charles G. johnson
~ ures Toe California.
<<I Tow much doe. n vsssh.- ana How
much does It Easasursr ThssA
two questions are today - CON
mon ~, How much does Il eost.'
1t 10 proud boast that Honesty b The $3.50
policy" Il 10 D doctrine advocated and
preached from the cradle 70 the grave n
make this doctrine . practical faA there
should BE- written into the statutes q every
State In the Untcn honest woayht and meas.
ure laws These laws are nocoosasy q 10
basic principle Of our commercial sosasSooA,
They sstabllsh . unifnem system q vsagaAa
and measures and afford .protectioa to tAs mez.
chants who eenscisntiously and fearisaslN
maintain these standards, and threaasa pm.
ishment for those who vioAss them.
Trade custuaD established ~ the :,owssfu0
years. $50 have grown 70 monsmental proDoqs
lions % that until lately even the smalle1o
merchant did not deem Il wrong to sell two.
pound square Of butter that wslghsl oan
tWentynlne ounces.
In 1864 Congress adopted standard weighs
toms. and for tn mintase These standa =
have s.nce been adopted a the conmon coHa
mercial standards for use in al the esates.
Commerce 10 universally conditioned upou
sale I'D trade arc equivalen& t. dollars and
cents. On the accuracy OF the former de-
Ponds tho honesty Of ths transsotion. aud
to the value Of the latter.
The scale or the balance % Q mschanica: 10.
. yace WHICH 1esistsrs what, In The opinio Of
forms 4. function sn .. ": ssa
DRAFT Transfer its responsibility to the -
OF right and wrong OF it, user.
Hume. Human ssniuses have eontrived mschs Il
to weigh and measure. From the time -
use OF the steel yard b. the Egyptians I. .
automatic weighing devices Of to-day :.
struction.
scale. - . great many think, u not ey n.
.asme. It 10 . scale Just - long a. it ma n.
sains sccurscy. When It docs not w,ish &C.
should be destroyed. Tho elimination Of com,
mercial fraud and crime ~ the result Of dis.
r n0nest WIGHT. ana measures cannot be cor
Iecteo oy tho rigid adoption Of q certain typs
Oh weighing and measuring apparatus Almost
10y scale can be adjusted to maintain ael
SuIacy. The problem lies In forcibly estab.
Mannfacturers Of weighing and e.surln.
apparatus for many years had the reputation
OF manufacturing scales that could be rex.
o's 1sa 70 xeieh falsely. This fact e,tabnshca
20 such proportions that It threatened to de,
stroy entirely the common standard. II was
the 1nss the Feae.. oo.srnmens .woke
established the Federal Department AZ
Weiehts and Measures This resulted Z, =
revolution in the construction Of scale.. and
to-day specifications must be approved by The
Federal Bureau before they are permitted for
distribution. thus effectively establishing the
principle OF accuracy BY careful construction
and greatly eliminating the possibiItty Of
fraud.
The establishment Of Q uniform system OF
we18nts and measures. and the enactme OF
laws to protect IT, is approved by all merchants
who want protection against di,he nest com.
petition. They must be protected or do one OF
two thilgs-retire from business or adopt the
tactics OF the short.weighter. Honest com.
petition based on dollars and cents is a slim.
ulant to trade. Dishonest competition, based
on fraudulent weights and measurss. II fatal
to trade.
Weight and measure frauds arc not a.
many think. petty larceny crimes Fraud IN
the short weight Of coal to the amount OF
nearly $SoC0.00o was established year ago.
men in one city thirty eight wagon loads Of
fraudulent scales. weights and measures were
coInscated and destroyed In anot:er. 14S.o0o
fraudulent milk bottles were confscated and
destroyed. and, significantly enough. no com.
plant was registered By the dairymen whose
property was destroyed.
be classified, Is probably the largest bushes,
in the world. General indifference and lack
of application on the part OF tn. housen i:
a first cause for fraudulent weights and nea~
ures II is admitted that the people vhn
can least afford 1t are the greatest victima a.
abort weight and measure frauds, All tho
tao are the people who show the ', - -
tion to protect themselves. -
The social value OF the work of department
=, weights and measures 10 greater than any
ether modern reform movement. It breaches
Ne gospel Of truth and honesty. and makes is
TACTICAL By making It dangerous to lie aboar
n,alitv and steal in quantity. MANS inhuman.
Nv toward man" manifests itself effectively in
80, weights and measures. Fraud OF this
Character has double force OF evil: your
enemie. don't trade with you. but those who are
S-;endiv Not alone 10 theft committed bue
49, "a a violation OF that force by which men
.asain seifrespect ~ men.
Tonesty in weights and measures Is a r..
,orno that can only be accomplished through
.n.s -,eid enforcement Of STRIFE laws. The .pr.
NEE public don't set the price They pay
:, and they are entitled to . full delivery Of
49,. .n,ount prom, led and cold to them. End it
t tne the sacred duty OF the We = and
osas.nres officials to demand the fulhllEens
- this contract. the violation OF whiei estab-
H.hes prima-facis evidence Of both perjury and
larceny.
7;;;::ss|s ~ IN