The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1915-07-09
ROBBERS
. PLAGUE Of
HOUSEWIFE
Entirely At Mercy of
Weight and Measure
Men
HUCKSTER HOLDS
OUT POTATOES
"What Are We to D0?''
Asks Mrs. Alfred
Dunk

Why the once Of city sealer Of
weights and measures means little
to the Detroit housewife was told BY
Mrs. Alfred o. Dunk, who addressed
the second annual conference Of the
state, county and city inspectors of
weights and measures, In the county
building. Thursday morning.
Mrs. Dunk was appointed by State
Dairy and Food Inspector Helme. .
deputy dairy and food Inspector
without pay, with the emphasis,
Mrs. Dunk says, on the without
pay" She has made considerable
study Of the local situation. and she
presented her findings TO the in
spectors without mincing words.
Mrs. Dunk began by telling her
experience with Arm which sells
"half-pint' bottles OF a refreshing
liquid (non-alcoholic) In bottles
marked "61s ounces"
"A bottle marked '6h ounces
doesn't mean much to q woman"
she said. mot one woman In 1000
knows how many ounces there are
in pint. OF course | know that
there are Is ounces in a pint, but
I've made ii my business to find
out. And II we find that we have
been given short measure, to whom
ought we to report It? We try the
phone book. but we don't find out
anything there. We look 1t up under
one head and then another, and
meanwhile the baby is falling down.
stairs and the things In the oven
are burning up.
What you need is good pub
licity man or woman to tell people
where to find you when they want
you. I've been to the Broadway
market many a time, but I've never
seen a sign that said: II you think
the weights and measures here are
incorrect, come to u.s." with the sig
nature of an inspector, and the
place where we can find him.
1.-THE state dairy and food, depart
ment issues pretty little book, but
nobody reads 1t. You must get this
information into the newspapers,
where people will see II. Then, IL
you want more inspectors, the wom-
en- who have read the papers and
know conditions--these women can't
vote, you know-will tell their hus-
bands: That department wants
more inspectors and ought to have
1t. It is saving money for U.S.
do you know that measures are
disappearing from Detroit markets?
Berries and tomatoes are sold by
the box. You don't know what the
box holds; 1t isn't measure, it's
just a box. The law doesn't inter
fere because no claim is made that
IL Is a pint box or d quart box.
"Tf every bushel basket was
stamped as an official measure, and
If every quart box was SO stamped,
and every other measure, we would
know what we were getting.
Women don't understand the
scales that stand on the counters
Of shops. They always watch the
scale. to make the dealer think they
understand 1t, but they don't. They
don't know what the red numbers
mean, or the black numbers. We
women have never seen any instruc-
tions posted beside the counter, that
we could read while we we're wait
ing for our change, telling US just
what the scale means.
Where can we get yardsticks
and tape-measures that are correct
I don't know, and I am here to ask
for information.
Women don't like to get into
arguments with dealers, about
weights and measures, for they fee
that they are likely to lose the argu
ment. and they don't want to fee
cheap. But men are just as bad
or worse. wouldn't let my hus
band do any shopping for me, be
cause he wouldn't question meas
ure, or even ask the price.
1--WE should show our appreciation