Evening star., 1926-05-25
INSPECTOR FORCE
FOUND TOO SMALL
Guarding Weights and Meas
ures in D. c. Difficult, Con-
ference Is Told.

Handica ped by shortage m IN
spectors. the Office of the inspector
Of weights and measures or the DIS
trict OF Columbia is unable to accom-
plsh the work it could do II sufticien'
men were available, George M. NOD
erts. superintendent of weights meas
,res and markets. told the opening
session Of the Nineteenth National
Conference on Weights and Measures
at the Bureau Of Standards today.
..'rhs District of Columbia is put
ting forth its best efforts TO snow
prorress in weights and measures :
work" Mr.. Roberts said. But
shortage of inspectors handlcaps the
work. We expect to make every ei,
fort next year to increase the hui'i"ei
Of experienced men,.
More than 40 per cent of S6 gaso-
line filing stations in st. Louis, from
which samples were obtained by use
Of 2. decoy automobile, showed snort
measure in gasoline sales. Cllnofd :.
HALEY. SUPERINTENDENT OF weights ana
measures Of St. Louis. told the CON
ference. THE cost of such snort
measure to the consumer. ne salo,
sis estimated at between $l3S,Ooo ana
$15N,000 a year.
Trouble With Chain Stores.
Mr.. Haley also said st. LOUIS had
considerable trouble with chain stores
selling food packages prepared In ad'
vance of a period of brisk business.
About Is per cent of the packages
sold In this manner were correct ne
said. The practice was stopped when
one store proprietor was fined 800
each on two short weight counts.
The visible gasoline pump. while
still in the experimental stage. mas
struck the public fancy and with I'M
provement seems destined to become
standard gasoline station equipment.
A. W. Schwartz of New Jersey said.
"It offers less chance for fraud ana
the public likes to see what 1t gets.
Mr.. Schwartz said sale OF laundry
service by weight is a subject for Sc
rjous concern in New Jersey because
of fraudulent practices of laundry
wagon drivers.
The annual address of George X.
Burgess, president of the conferences
and director of the Bureau Of STAND
ards. was devoted almost exclusively
To resume of the national legislative
situation wath regard TO weights ana
measures. Mr.. Burgess said the pres
ent Congress has had much legislation
before it touchin. on this subject. ana
extended hearings have been held ne
fore committees of both houses.
TWENTY-FIVE separate bills bearing on
the subject have been discussed by
Congress. Mr.. Burgess said. of winch
tho most fundamental is the metric
hill to establish in the United States
the metric system of measurement.
sThe present Congress has consid-
cred the metric system At length. Oth-
.rs are: Setting up of a master rail
road track scale in Chicago. a bill for
81 a nda rdiZation nf commodity guam
tiiy units and q hill for testing of
clinical thermometers by the Stand
ards Bureau.
Secretary of Commerce Hoover will
address the conference tomorrow: Col.
I. G. MOller. asSSta Mt director of traffic
of the District of Columbia, will talk
on Friday Morning, and on the same
day at noon the delegates will be
received BY President Coolidge at the
White House. George M. Roberts.
weights and mea sureS superintendent
for the District, will speak tomorrow
morning.