The Union daily times. [volume] (Union, S.C.) 1918-current, 1922-08-23
Weights in Union
County Checked Up

Measures Are Also Investigated by|
Inspectors for the State.
Under the direction Of Commissions
or B. Harris, inspectors for the Stale
Department of Agriculture, Com
merce and Industries have ben inves.
tgating weights and measures in Tn
ion county, their report indicating
that sCme devices were found giving
incorrect weights. -
"The inspectors of the Department.
ct Agriculture, Commerce and Ind IS
tries have recently made an insp-c-
ion Of the Scales, weights and meas
ures used by the merchants in Union
county: 1875 scales inspected, S5 cor
rect, 4 condemned for repairs. 2 con-
fiscated; 5 found giving overweight
and 2s found. giving short weight
were adjusted by the inspectors; q
dry measures inspected. aid foaci
correct; SO yard measures inspect I'd
and found correct; 65 weights in.
spected and 80 found incorrect. Ia
Spect:on of gasoline pumps, Gotten
and coal scales will be made later.
"Since the beginning of the weigh ii
md measures inspection during the
pring of 1919, there has been p
marked Improvement in the manner
ii which the weighing and measuring
devices are kept. The inspectors ha.'e
paid particular attention to instruct
no 70 81
manner in which to keep their dc g.
vices in a satisfactory manner so as
to insure accuracy, and upon >subse-
Quent inspections it was found that
The merchants were taking a great
deal of interest as well as pride in
trying to keep their devices in such
manner as to insure accuracy. The
inspectors have adjusted thousands CT
scales and other devices in the state
without any expense to the mer
chants, and it. is believed that this
branch of the inspection work has
benefited the people as much, if not
more, than any other phase of the
work. Thousands of dollars have
sumers in detecting inaccurate DC
vices of all kinds. In number OF
instances scales used in grocery
stores have been found giving as
ruch as one pound over weight or
one pound under weight on each five
pounds weighed. Thousands of scales
lave been found weighing one TO
three ounces short on each article
weighed due to the scales not being
properly adjusted, but the inspectors
were able to adjust it at once. Cot.
ton scales have been found weighing
as much as five to ten pounds short
en- each bale weighed and these were
promptly condemned for repairs.
"The inspectors have found num-
bers of merchants in the state who
were using tin cups and liquid meas
ures for measuring dry commodities,
such as peas, beans, grits, onion sets,
ETC., and this practice was promptly
stopped. It was believed that the ma.
;erity of the MERCHANTS using ,these1
measures were doing so through ig-
norance rather than With the intent
to give short measure, as it had been
more of q custom and they had never
given it serious thought. When the
matter was brought to their atten-
tion, they were only too glad to dis
co7tlnuc the practice at once. How :.
ever, there may be some who did not
stop using these measures after the
inspectors had left, and this oppor-
tunity is. taken to notify all the
housekeepers and. others to see that
their dry commodities are properlr
measured in dry measure. A better
plan would be to have all dry com.
modities weighed instead of being
measured. asthis is {, more accurate
way of selling these articles. In-.thc
measuring of articles there is always
a chance of error, as a measure can
be filled accurately or the article can
be put in the measure in such way
as TO- be short: or it may be "heaped"
and in the latter instance the mer-
chant invariably loses: 1t has beer
found that in som, sections of the
state the dy measure has been dis
carded altogether. The department
issues q bulletin showing weights per
bushel Oil all dry commodities and
will be sent upo nrcquest to any one
desiring it.
THE inspectors travel over the en-
tire state, but on account of having
cnly two inspectors, the inspections
cannot be made as often as desired.
Considering the thousands of devices
in the state that should be inspected.
regularly such as scales Of ell kinds.