Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-04-03
Commissioners Order Sweep
ing Inquiry by Roberts Into
Proposal of Dealers.
LONG TON ESTABLISHED
BY ACT OF CONGRESS
Superintendent of Weights Gets
Authority for Investigation
After Outlining Law.

The Commissioners today ordered 8
sweeping investigation into the propos-
ed change in the unit of measure Of
coal for sale in Washington. whereby
the Washington coal merchants intend
to depart from the long ton OF 2,24C
pounds in favor of the short ton Of
1000 pounds, designated '2000-pouno
unit supt of Weights, Measures and
Markets George M. Roberts was in
structed to make the investigation.
Mr.. Roberts, in an official communi-
cation, directed the Commissioners at
tention to advertisements in which the
proposed new unit is to be estab-
lished. He pointed out that the adver-
tisements did not bear the names Of any
individual dealers and that the pro-
posed change in units is directly con-
trary to the act OF March 3, 1921 de-
fining the duties of his office and max
ing provisions for weights and measures
by which goods are to be sold in the
District.
Law Sets Unit.
Section eight of the act reads: Coal
shall be sold by the long ton, consisting
of 2,24O pounds avoirdupois." And
further in section %, the same act pro-
vides that The superintendent
shall make such investigations regard
ing the sale. distribution of prices OF
commodities in the District of Columbia
as the Commissioners may direct. and
kAn lrn a.
lions in connection Herewith"
In accordance with their powers under
this section, the Commissioners today
officially directed Mr.. Roberts TO make
The investigation.
Mr.. Roberts memorandum to the
Commissioners reads in part:
Notwithstanding the advertisement
states that throughout April prices will
be the lowest until next Spring, it will
be observed that it contains no state
ment to the effect that the price OF the
so-called '2,0o0-pound unit will be cor
respondingly lower than would be the
price for legal ton OF 2,240 pounds by
which coal has heretofore been uni
formly sold in the District.
Long Hearings Held.
when the bill which became the
present weights and measures act was
before Congress, the provisions relating
to the sale of coal were the subject OF
extensive hearings before the committee
at which officials of the coal dealers
association urged that the weight of a
ton be reduced from 2240 pounds to
1000 pounds, but the committee unani-
mously refused to insert an amendment
to that effect Since the passage of
the law. coal dealers have on several
occasions requested successive Boards
of Commissioners to recommend to
Congress that the law be amended so
as to provide a 2,000-pound ton for
coal. but such requests have been re-
fused. At one time when it became
public that the coal dealers desired the
law amended so as to reduce the weight
of ton, it was made manifest through
resolutions passed by numerous citizens
associations that public sentiment was
very strongly opposed to the change
Since the aforementioned adver-
tisements have appeared in the news
papers, this department has received a
considerable number of inquiries or
complaints, usually by telephone, re-
lating to the subject, tending to indi-
cate that the belief prevails that the
organized coal dealers of the District
have undertaken TO set up and put into
operation an artiflce with which they
hope to circumvent the law. and ad-
vance the actual cost Of coal to con-
sumers.
1T will be observed that no names
are appended to the advertisement, and
that there is nothing to show whether
all the dealers or what dealers are re-
sponsible for its publication The sit
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