Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1918-09-25
GOVERNOR URGES
UNERRING PROBE
OF PA. WEIGHTS
Declares Against Elements of
Waste and Unfairness in
Commercial Life

Declaring for an impartial inves-
! tigation cf the weighing machinery
| of the state and against every ele-
ment of waste and unfairness in the
states commerce, Governor Martin
G.. Brumbaugh addressed members
of the Pennsylvania Association of
| Inspectors of Weights and Measures
at the opening session of their three
day conference held in the Senate
chamber at the Capitol this morn.
ing. 1t is the sixth annual confer
ence of the kind to be held by the
inspectors, of which there were
about 100 present. The Governor s
, address of welcome and that of Jam es
sweeney. chief of the Pennsylvania
Bureau of Standards, were the prin-
! cipal features of the morning session,
reports of different committees and
/ that OF the treasurer of the associa-
ton taking other places on the pro-
gram.
The Department of Weights and
Measures averred tho Governor,
will be a greatly increased and I'M
portant one during the coming year.
we have come to a point in this
country due to the war when every
element of waste and unfairness
must disappear from the marts of
trade and when every man must get
what he pays for, no more and no
less" Continuing, Governor Brum-
| baugh said:
Urges Fair Inquiry
1t is of the utmost importance
that an impartial investigation of the
| weighing machinery of the state be
made to assure fairness to the seller
and buyer alike. The State of Penn
sylvania is coming to be free, l am
! glad to say. OF any atmosphere OF
! cheat or fraud surrounding It's
weights and standards"
Speaking of the states relation ito
! the Federal government in the war
| crisis, the Governor said:
! so far, iIs this war, the national
government hasn't asked anything OF
| the old Commonwealth of Pennsylvn-
MIA that the latter hasn't given great
| and gloriously. Anything that we
! can do for the nation should be
done freely, promptly and splendidly
for the winning of the war" In this
! respect, the Governor added all
Pennsylvanians should strike tc
! make this state first.
Chief Praises Inspectors
Congratulating the inspectors fog
the work they had accom- plished dur
ing the past year and emphasizing
! the pressing need of "devising meth
! DDS to prevent the profiteering OF
! certain dealers who take advantage
of the abnormal conditions existing
! as a result of the war" Chief Swee-
ney, of the Bureau of Standards, also
addressed the conference.
This speaker urged the adoption OF
resolutions by the conference. before
it adjourned, pledging its members
! collectively and individually, tc
/ whole hearted aid in the countrv's
cause and 10 give its soldiers the
fullest encouragement in winning the
| war. There never was a time in the
history of the weight and measure
! proposition in Pennsylvania, Mr.
| Sweeney said. when a conference OF
the inspectors of weights and meas
ures was more necessary than at the
! present time. Tho chief of the Du-
reau stressed the important aid rem
! dered by the inspectors to the State
Food Administrator in preventing the
violation of regulations affecting the
! conservation of food.
Interest i'll Court Decision
! Much interest attached to the con-
! ference hereabouts apropos of its
! likely action touching Judge McCar-
relPs decision made in the Dauphin
county court last winter when he
ruled for defendant in a coal case
| that dealer could not be legally
! prosecuted who had given short
weight by scales that had been duly
| tested and passed by inspectors even
! though the shortage be proved. II
! is expected that the conference will
urge the enactment of a law by the
! state Legislature making such cases
amenable to prosecution and punish
ment.