Evening star., 1926-10-31


Il come in our National Capital.
BY schooling Washington s
business world to dscountenance
fllegitimate dealing and by employing
punitive measures where educat ton
fails. our District government is elm
mating dishonest dealing and is fos-
terinG fur weight and true measure
as the guardians of honest trade.
Supt. George NJ. Roberts of
the Department of Weights. Meas
ures and Markets instructs the
tradesnen, dealers and business men
who fall within the authority of his
office. If he is rot successful in
teaching the lesson OF honest, fair
and square dealing 70 any dealers, he
resorts to the practically unlimited
legal powers Of his remarkable de-
partment and forces the dishonest to
become honest and honorable. Dis
trict inspectors and '"full-measure'
pollcemen are on the Job.
Washington today ranks rs one of
the safest cities in ;he country for
Mister Average consumer to make his
purchases of beans, bread. butter and
bacon. When YOU buy food in pack
ages or bulk, bottled milk. legaliZed
loaveS Of bread, gasoline. drugs, dress
goods in a local store or shop, you
are over 90 per cent certain 10 obtain
true weight and full measure Of
quality products. This Is due to the
model law fathered by George NJ.
Roberts and passed by Congress five
years ago one OF the greatest for
ward steps In honest commerce which
American cities can now institute is
to write into their local ordinances
similar regulations.
II barter and exchange in Washing
ton were sort Of GO-as-you-p please
affair, without official direction or Sll-
pervision, your dollar and mine might
have to pay toll and tribute 10 false
bottom measures, dOctored weights,
bootlegging scales and various count
ing devices which would yield added
profits from miscounting. This tribute
might range anywhere from to 90
cents or more on the dollar. Other
American cities which have neglected
TO control the local SardSticks for
weighing and measuring goods, pro-
duce and foods report peak profits,
high prices and every phase of unfair
competition.
The efficient work OF the Depart
ncnt Of Weights, Measures and
Markets directly affects every house
hold and business establishment in
the District. AS a guardian angel
this branch of the District govern
ment tests weighing and measuring
equipment and devices, inspects ap-
pllanceS in active use, tests the ac-
curacy Of scales, gasoline pumps and
mechanical fingers which measure
goods and compute prices. keeps tab
on the business operations of mer-
chants, venders and hucksters and
generally supervisCs the activities Of
1000 recognized stores and shops.
8 ;, =
DURING the last fiscal year Dis
trict inspectors made 11,102 of
ficial visits to Washington stores,
shops, factories offices and other
business headquarters. The span eX-
tended from shops 50 small that you
have to hunt for them painstai1ingly
or YOU Will pass them hv unnoticed
to the largest mercantile and manu-
featuring institutions in Washington
Altogether / 30 .902 commercial and
prescription scales weights, capacity
measures, mech% niral fabric meas
ureS. linear measures. gasoline dis
penSlnE pumps and similar inStru-
mentS were examined during a recent
~ months. OF this number, .513, 1856
were found correct and approved,
proved, and 39.5iG were condemned.
Thirty-two thousand and twenty
ihree Of those last mentioned pieces
"t appaIatuS We're COnflScated and de-
StrOyed because Of ilcEality or un-
fitness. The majority of the CON
fiSCated measures We're new milk bot
ties which violated the District law
Just to illustrate the increased ef-
f'rienCy which is obtaining annually
n the inspection service. d compar-
ts0n of last years report and that of
the current season is interesting. 1t
shows that the inspectors made
.356 more visits To business establish
nents during the 1926 period and
examined an increase Of 653.S74 IN
struments of all kinds and classes.
Condemnat!ors increased 81, So, while
conf1scatiors gained 29,714. These re
suits do not signify that shrewd
practices are increasing. but that the
inspection is becoming stricter.
We who every once in 50 often
pass the District Building might ap-
propriately doff our hats in homage
10 the many municipal activities
which ii houses that are carrying on
so successfully for the up;uilding of
n greater and hctter Washington.
None of these agencies is perform
ing a more worthy work than the
Department Of Weights. Measures
and Markets.
All weighing and measuring de
vices used COR commercial purposes i'll
the District are tested ou- before be
Ing placed in service. The luSpt"-
tors ascertain whether or rot the
pieces of apparatus comply with local
regulations, are accurate and are
suitable for the us.s intended. Every
row type OF weighing or measuring &
az calculating appliance when intro
dured into Wash:nG,o Oh must first be
officially approved by Mr.. Roberts and
his assistants.
one explanation Of Congress Ceieri-
" in euacting The Dis>rict law was
that trade abuses "na pro!iteerlng
were found in the city during and i'm.
mediately after the war. Senators and
Representatives who carried their
market baskets down 10 the corner
groceries. meat chops or fruit stands
anne face to face W-th unusual con
titions Hence they Wer@ loaded for
hear when the District legislation was
placed before them.
The enforcement of Washington S
model law has not been rs rigid in the
past as il will be in the future. be-
cause Of the lack of funds or expert
enCcd personnel which Supt. Roberts
now has available TO carr out his
orders Thg results which have been
secured are SO impressive that an
rually the District Commissioners are
rpportionine more and more money 10
the Department OF Weights. Measures
A SUBSTITUT