Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1935-06-04

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philosopher and friend. the Depart
ment of Weights. Measures and
Markets of the District Of Columbia.
the car of which is gentleman
named George M. Roberts, whose
time and efforts are devoted to the
cause of seeing that the purchaser
gets square deal,
The department was created by an
act of Congress in 1921. TO enforce all
provisions of the weights and meas
ureS law. which is intended to see
that uniform standards of weights
and measures are used in commercial
transac tions throughout the District
Of Columbia, to protect consumers and
buyers against fraud in the purchase
Of commodities, and 10 maintain fair
competition between merchants and
others engaged in business.
IN ORDER that uniform standards
! may be maintained. the law pro-
vides that official standards kept in
the Offices Of the superintendent shall
he The only standards of weights and
measures in the District. All weigh
ing or measuring equipment used in
the District is tested and examined
by a representative Of the Depart
ment before being admitted to COM
mercial use Instruments also must
thereafter be tested and examined
semi-annually.
The department also regulates mer-
camille transactions, and the manner
in which the necessities Of life shall
be sold-for example, their bakery
inspectors are present in the wee
small hours of the morning to check
on the weight of the loaves coming
cut of the ovens in the big bakeries.
In the making of all commodities Of
this type. inspectors are so far as
possible always on hand to test and
check.
The Department of Weights. Meas
tires and Markets governs the weight
Of coal and provides that ice shall
be weighed at the time of delivery to
the buyer The law fixes standards
for milk bottle sizes. and demands
that all packaged foods shall be prop
erly labeled. 1t attends to the stand
ard sizes Of containers used in the
sales OIL ITllLS anu NtR6JdDlcS-l 4dCIJ
its interests and duties are legion.
Women, naturally. are more con-
cerned with the functions Of the de-
partment most closely affecting their
own field They want to know just
how the department takes care Of
their particular interests. In general,
this consists of seeing that provision
is made against marketers' being
given short weight-in other words
that they really get their moneys
worth.
THE old trick of the butchers hand
being thrown into the balance
when meat was being weighed has
long since disappeared into the limbo
Of forgotten racketS. Instead. comes
the high-speed weighing. where the
Indicator is not given time to settle
at the true center of balance For
instance, suppose you saw a piece of
meat in show case. ticketed at so
much per pound. You said you
would like to have it. the butcher
removed it, practically waved it at
the scales. rushed it into a piece of
paper. and said That was four and
b half pounds. So many dollars and
tents. please" You paid the money,
and took the meat home. decided it
didn't look all OF four and half
pounds, got out the kitchen scales and
weighed it. Your scales showed
little less than four pounds Con-
kternation
The next step in such a situation
would be to wrao up your meat and
trop down with it to the office Of
the superintendent Of the Depart