Evening star., 1925-08-16

trict's weights and measures require
ments."
1t is a remarkable assemblage of
words and phrases, sentences and
clauses, which spell exit" TO dishon-
est dealers and which maintain the
purchasing power of the consumers
money by assuring that he will re-
Ceive 100 cents worth of full measure
and true quality of goods for each dol
lar he pays out.
If there is one man today who is
garbed and vested with unlimited au-
thority. George NJ. Roberts, superin-
tendent of the District Department of
Weights, Measures and Markets, Is
that selfsame.
Supt Roberts has authority which
prohibition enforcement officials long
have coveted, for the members OF his
staff of inspectors are empowered to
enter any building or place other
than a private residence, in the Dis
rrict, in the pursuit of their duties,
and examine and test the contents
as they see fit, without the need of
search warrant or other orthodox arm
of authority. The law provides that
no person shall hinder or molest them.
When the SiXty-seventh Congress
passed the Districts weights and
measures law on March 3, 192l-Ihe
new law went into effect on the Sd OF
June of the same year-it did not
trifie with any halfway measures
Short weights, false measures, sharp
practices, trade trickeries and various
,ubterfuges which carved away large
slices from the buyers dollar got the
gate Mr. Roberts received authority
10 do his job as it should be done. =
Such power was necessary. And
Roberts, small in inches and avoirdu-
pois, but mighty in accomplishing
what he attempts, has made go of a
mighty tough assignment, so that to-
day the city of Washington is model
in the way it supervises commercial
barter and exchange. The swan song
of the rheumatic scale and the funeral
dirge of the cork-cored weight have
been sung in the latitude of the placid
Potomac.
THE campaign of determination has
not been a drive of gum-shoe spy
ing and merciless prosecution. Rather
IL has taken the form of an era of
education.
Don't imagine by this that Supt.
Roberts has had his assistants tramp
around like a crew of revivalists,
drumming up supporters for and prac-
titioners of the Districts best law.
The rod has not been spared where the
rod was needed. Prosecution of those
ca ash hardened "cheaters" who try to
increase their livelihood by unfair
practices has been achieved. But, in
the main, prosecution has not been
necessary.
The 1921 law has acted as a bell
wether. District merchants have been
governed by its directing tones since
they became familiar with the dulcet
melody.
If a shortage in weight of only one
ounce per pound, on the retail sales
in the District of Columbia, of IL i'm
portant food commodities for a single
year were effected by the connivance
of dishonest dealers, the profits for
these staples would amount to the
following amazing sums: Meats, $780,
900; butter and butter substitutes,
$275,0 900; bread, $40s,0 900; coffee, s75,-
600: sugar, $55 900; potatoes, $50, 900;
cheese, S24, 900; tea, $25 900; rice, $22,-
o00 lard, $32 900, and milk-a short
age of one liquid ounce per quart
$4,000.
In word, a scale discrepancy of
about 7 per cent would add exactly
$1,546, 900 to the Golfers of the deal
ers. Through the work Of the Dis
trict's weight and measures experts,
no such losses occur. However, the
chances are that large monetary
losses, which the consumers paid.
were features of our marketing his
tory previous to the inception and en-
actment of the law.
Every scale, weighing device or
allied instrument used in barter and
exchange in the District must be
tested and "okehed" by the proper
authorities before it can be used in
commerce. subsequently it Is tested
every six months. If it is found de-
fective at any time, it is temporarily
condemned and put out of official
commission until 1t is repaired. If it
is found to have been tampered with
or If it is a fragrant violator, it Is con-
fscated by the District authorities and
smashed into junk otherwise
destroyed. The catalogue of the types
CT scales tested includes practically
all varieties from alpha to omega of
weighing apparatus. For example,
there are spring scales, computing
scales. counter scales, counter plat
form scales, platform scales, prescrip-
tion and jewelry scales and weights.
linear measures, automatic measuring
pumps, capacity measures and milk
bottles, avoirdupois weights. abbatoir
scales, and wagon and truck scales
in the roster which the District in
Spectors test regularly, and sometimes
even oftener than that
During the last fiscal year. the six
inspectors made 9,748 official visits to
Washington business establishments.
They called on every class, from the
smallest shops to the largest depart
ment stores and manufacturing plants
They also made 1,636 catch-as-catch-
can or surprise calls-just dropped in
Unexpectedly to look things over and
leave their calling cards when the
shop was not all dolled UP and looking
for company.
The total number of examinations
of equipment. including commercial
and prescription scales. weights. ca
pacity measures, mechanical fabric
measures, linear measures, gasoline
dispensing pumps and similar inspec
tions, aggregated S99.12S. OF this
number, S91. .434 appliances were
found in apple-pie order and were ap
proved. Fourteen hundred and ninety
others were adjusted before being ap
proved, while 1854 forms of apparatus
were condemned. OF the sum total
of those condemned, 2,5S2 were sub
seuuently confiscated because of H.
legality and were placed where they
never again would be able to tell lies
about the articles which they weighed
or measured
Furthermore. 1851 laboratory tests
we're made of instruments and devices
of transient dealers as we'll as of very
delicate appliances which demanded
extra care. Yes, indeed, the Depart
ment of Weights and Measures is
about as busy a center as you will
find anywhere in Washington.
x
DAME COLUMBIA must garb her.
~ self surreptitiously in a vast ar.
ras Of finery If the shopping purchases
wade by some of her representatives
are any appropriate criterion by which
IL NrL... ....r, q L.