Evening star., 1927-05-23
WILL DISCUSS OIL
AND GAS MEASURE
Weights Conference to Meet
Tomorrow at Bureau
of Standards.

Leading figures in the world OF
science and industry and representa-.
tives of State governments are sched.
uled to address the twentieth annual
national conference on weights and
which begins a four-day
program tomorrow at the Bureau of
Standards.
Methods of protecting the public,
and the dealer as well, against errors
in weight and measurement of com
modities or service will be considered
at the sessions, in which weights and
measures officials and representative
buinesS men and manufacturers from
all parts Of the country will partici'
pate.
Speakers on the program include
DR.. George X. Burgess. director of
the Bureau Of Standards; M. J. J.
Harrison Of the Pennsylvania Rail
road, David Lawrence, president of
the United States Daily; l.. r. Boyer
OF Fairba nks Morse & Co; Miss Mar
garetta Barnes of Hutzler Brothers
Co., and the following weights and
measures officials: r. J. Saldana, Porto
Rico; L. +. Strong, Michigan; w. i.
Swoger, Pennsylvania; j. W. Foley,
New Jersey: II. l.. FURRY. Alabama;
J. J. Cummings, Massachusetts;
George Warner, Wisconsn; c. M.
Fuller, CALIFORNIA;: S. r. Griffith, Mary
land J. II. Meek, Virginia; G. F.
Michigan: A. w. Corwin, New
York; G.. A. Notaw, Ohio. and q. q.
Grant, Minnesota.
$50 Delegates Expected.
Several members of the staff Of the
Bureau of Standards also will address
he conference on technical subjects.
The opening session will begin tomor-
row morning at 10 O'Clock at the
bureau. All sessions will be held al
the bureau except the final one, which
will convene in the Raleigh Hotel.
This hotel will be the downtown head
nuarters of the conference. About 250
delegates are expected.
A feature of the conference this
year will be an extensive tour or tne
laboratories Of the Bureau of Stand
ards.
The following statement explana-
-orv of the conference was issued to-
Law by Ralph w. Smith of the Bu-
,eaus of Standards staff:
although the conference is MADE
IN largely of State and local weights
and measures officials, the general
public has a very direct interest IN
he proceedings, because the matters
% he discussed affect the pocketbooks
IF every citizen.
Scope of Ofacials.
"The weights and measures official
8 the representative Of the State or
ocal government who is charged with
he duty of examining all commercial
weighing and measuring devices In
he territory over which he exercises
approving for use such
,f that equipment as meets the stand
ards of accuracy, and rejecting any
which is faulty in any particular. The
official also exercises supervision over
he use of scales, weights, measures,
gasoline pumps, taXimeters, ETC., his
1uty in this connection being to insure
an exact weight or measure when'
ever any commodity or service Is
sold. This service is rendered to the
entire community, and results in pro-
.ection to both the consumer and rep
utable dealer, for the weights and
measures officer is just as watchfW
10 see to it that the interests Of the
merchant are protected as he is to
see to it that the interests of the
purcha sing public are not jeopardized:
in short, his function Is to bring about
equity in all commercial determina'
tions of quantity.
d Every year these officials gather
at the Bureau of Standards for the
purpose of discussing the many prob
lens which arise in connection with
heir duties, and of working out solu.
tions which will be fair to all con-
,erned. These meetings are attended
by representatives of manufacturers,
railroads and industry, in addition to
the State and local government OFF,
cials. and are open to all who are
in the objects Of the con.
ference.
Covers Wide Range.
"The programs cover a wide range
Of subjects from year to year. Thls
wear particular attention will be paid
10 the devices used in dispensing gaso-
line, oil and greases to the motorist,
almost an entire day being scheduled
for consideration of these matters. 1t
is anticipated that with other things
the conference will adopt regulations
for the glass bottles which are becom-
ing so common at retail filling stations
for dispensing lubricating oil; in this
relation one of the questions to be set.
tied is how. large the so-called quart"
bottle should be in order that the mo.
torist actually may get quart of
oil and not a quart minus the amount
which clings to the inside of the bot
tie.
1.-THE increas sing use Of meters and
visible pumps for selling gasoline for
has made it necessary,
according to officials who have made
a study of the matter, to modify the
existing regulations on devices OF this
general character, especially in con-
nection with those attachments which
indicate to the customer when COM
piete delivery has been made. Some
filling station operat tors close the dis
charge valves on gasoline pumps so
soon that the customer does not get
all the gasoline which he Is supposed
to get for a delivery of given num-
ber of gallons; unless there Is some
indicator to tell both op-
orator and customer when all of the
measured gasoline has run out OF the
pump, there In very apt to be short
measure. Many manufacturers have
already equipped their pumps with In
dicators of this kind, but in some
ca ses it Is said that these are not as
efficient as they should he. The confer.
ence will probab bly, make definite re.
quirements along this line.
Passenger in Taxi.
whether or not the passenger in
a tsxicab pays a greater fare than he
should when the taximeter is con-
nected to the transmission of the cab
instead of to the front wheel, as was
the old custom, will also come up for
consideration. In a number Of cities
these transmission-driven taximeters
have been in operation during the