The Monmouth inquirer., 1924-09-18
WEIGHT LAW FOR
ROADSIDE MARTS
Unfair to Prosecute for Violations
Unfamiliar to Dealers, Con-
vention Is Told.
WOULD GIVE DATA TO BUYERS
Weight Law Education for Merchants
Ursed-Fluffins Of Ice Cream
Brings Protest-War on Bank
ruptcy Ring Given Impetus.

OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES TO action TAX
en- at the closing session Of thu an
nual convention of the New Jersey
Weights and Measures Association, in
Atlantic City, farmers will be reqp.r-
ed to live up to the new law which
became effective last July requiring
sales of vegetables in retail. quantities
to be weighed instead of dry meas
ure.
1t was reported to the convention
that many of the farmers who are
selling their products at roadside mar
kets have made no effort to comply
with the law With the exception Of
the markets, it was stated that tbs
provisions are being generally observ.
ed by retailers throughout the state.
While making a drastic change in Gus
tom, the delegates agree that it would
eventually react to the benefit of both
the seller and purchaser.
Sale Of ice cream and eggs by
weight was advocated by the associa-
tion. Speakers declared that selling
the former by weight would eliminate
the controversy between manufacture
er. dealer and consumer over the al
legged "fuff1ng" by air of the product.
Urges Eggs Sale by Weight.
The resolution concerning the sale
of. eggs was introduced by Horace B.
Holcomb. superintendent of the Essex
County Department of Weights and
Measures. Mr. Holcomb, in his prefa-
1.lz hot -
an exhaustive study of conditions he
was convinced that the best way in
which to protect the interests of all
concerned was to sell eggs by weight
instead of by number. He told Of in
stances where consumers failed TO get
their moneys worth in buying by the
dozen because of the small size OF
eggs.
That both, the consuming public and
the retailers we're sustaining large.
losses by the sale Of ice cream in
bulk was the gist Of the argument
made by Elliot B. Holton, assistant
superintendent of the State Depart
ment of Weights and Measures, and
Patrick J. Caufield, superintendent of
the corresponding Newark depart
ment, who were instrumental in OBJ
tanning the passage Of the resolution
concerning the sale of ice cream by
weight The public officials were op-
posed by DR.. c. H. Kimberly of New
York, who spoke as the representa-
tive of the combined ice cream com
panies of the metropolitan district of
New York.
"FIuffing" Is Condemned
Messrs. Holcomb and Cauffeld ar
rued that by the process of "fiufing"
the companies put on the market a
substance which is 80 per cent air
They said that when ice cream in a
twenty gallon can is shipped from the
factory to a retailer it is firm and
hard, but that when it stands for a
while in the store it softens, some Of
the air whipped into it escapes and
a much smaller bulk is left for sale.
The retailer suffers correspondingly.
In some instances, the officials assert
ed. he sustains rs per cent loss. The
consuming public pays ice cream
prices for the remainder.
Figures concerning the consump-
tion of ice cream in this state were
presented by Messrs. Holcomb and
Caufield to the conference. Last year
6.556 S31 gallons of ice cream, or eight
quarts. one pint, for every man, wo-
man and child in New Jersey.
Argues for Uniformity.
rs Kimberly in opposing the adop-
tion VI the resolution said the initia-
tive IN such a move should be left to
the Federal government for purposes
of uniformity. He claimed that diff
ferent standards in different states
would work a hardship on the COM
panies.
Jerome Nasbaum. assistant super
intendent of the Newark Department
of Weights and Measures, read dur
ing the conference a paper entitled
publicity as an Ally for Better
WEIGHTS and Measures. In it he dis
cussed the value of newspaper pub
hcity in arriving at fair standards,
and the aid that newspapers give to
somebuilders in making public those
standards.
Another resolution advocated a con-
tinuance of efforts to secure legisla-
tion to provide for standard weight
toaves Of bread. A policy of public
education in laws controlling weights
md measures was advocated by State
Senator Firman M. Reeves OF Mill
vile. president of the New Jersey
Senate. in the principal speech.
In commenting on the necessity for
statewide educational campaign,
Senator Reeves said. at is manifest
" unfair to prosecute for violations
Of the weights and measures statutes
merchants who are not familiar with
the new laws"
The convention launched plan OF
nublicitv to educate the public also
concerning the new sale-by-weight
law in order to protect buyers from
dealers who are persisting in selling
eortrarv to its provisions.
The association will circulate cards
49, uraiohts of different farm