Salt Lake Herald | 1909-03-07 | Page 11 | A Foolish Proposition

A ft FOOLISH N NOne NOne NOne One of tho the L i 1 leg legislation before the session slon Is a bill bi to compel manufacturers to label all al food products in packages with their correct weight under penalty At first ft blush the proposal looks reasonable rea because correct weight accords with the gen general generl oral eral erl agitation for honest commercial dealing But as a matter mater of fact fact such sucha a law would only work confusion and result resul In Injury to the most honest of manufacturers The statutes already alred provide penalties for Cor short weights although the law is seldom selom enforced This bill bi if It I became a a law would ask ak weight labels on breakfast foods preserves pickles crackers and all al the innumerable pro products products products ducts which people are ar accustomed to buy bU not by b weight but by packages of known size size Where here food Is bought bight b by weight as in the case of butter buter a false faUe label can cn be penalized by existing law but the makers of the best known leown pack package package age ae foods and products product could better af afford afford afford ford to quit business In Utah than to at attempt attempt attempt tempt to weigh every package to the t e ounce and guarantee gartee its is weight for an indefinite time no matter mater how it I might be affected in storage by b climatic con conditions conditions or otherwise Conformity with ih the federal f derl law on this phase of or the question queston is desirable and ample and nd the federal law requires labels only on goods sold saM by weight weight Nebraska which has tried the weight label on all al package products has found It i almost impossible of at enforcement and injurious to business without profit to the consumer Let Lt the legislature make punishment for misbranded goods for adulteration or other imposture as a strong as possible but let It also avoid the common mistake of attempting to prescribe restrictions In such detail deti that no good result resul can cn be accomplished The Tb housewife knows whether she likes a certain breakfast food toad at a certain certin price pric or not she knows very well weI whether wh ther she Is being robbed robbe when she pays pys the price prie for a Jar of pickles under an es established brand and she need nee any legislator to protect her from fron im imposition Imposition position at the hands of ota a cracker baker who sells sels her a fancy brand of crackers jn in a standard package package Utah is making food products prod products in packages such as a breakfast cereals and it wants want to ex export export export port them to other states It I needs no lengthy argument to show that the manufacturer who wants to stay in business when competition c is so fierce has to maintain not only the quality but the quantity of product pro t In a pack package pak package age age If I this state adopts the federal law lawas lawas lawas as Us its model as most other oter states have haveit ha haIt it will wi be b In a position poston to invite Invie reciprocal cal cl trade and avoid the damage that comes from lack of uniform state laws lawsin in this particular class of ot legislation