Show Correct Weights and Measures System to Cut Cat Cost of Living HE TELEGRAM believes that one of the gravest faults and andone andone T THE J- J Jone one of the greatest things that contribute toward the tile high cost ost of living Jiving in Salt Lake Lak is the lack of a proper guard over the scales of the city and th f giving of short weight eight and measure It believes that thai a a. thorough system of weights and measures properly conducted would tend considerably to lowering the present high prices of foodstuffs To that end The Telegram has arranged I for a series of special articles from E. E A. A Cooke an expert in weights and measures The first article will be found below Others will follow day by day By Ernest A. A Cooke Formerly Manager of the Fairbanks Fairbank British Scale Factory Hon Member of British Association of Weights and Measures Inspectors Considering the great public Interest In the present high prices of all necessary commodities It Is astonishing that so little public attention Is paid to the fact that high as prices are aro thc they arc are further further fur fur- ther timer Increaser Increased by short wel weight ht This Is not an attack upon the weights and measures In Inspector If It he has not the power to prevent fraud In weight I hl and measure he will no doubt with r reasons answer anser me mc but I am a plain blunt man and simply tell you OU that which you yourselves do know leno or you ought to know know and and will know if you will follow these articles Without hesitation I assert that the ad administration administration administration ad- ad ministration of or weights and measure measures meas meas- tires ures law In Salt SnIt Lake City Is little better than a farce It Is true there have o ben been a few tc prosecution prosecutions prosecutions tion since 1915 but a former In Inspector inspector in- in met with a sad fate fate he he prosecuted l the wrong ron man and man and I lost his Job Such being the possibility pos poe no doubt Inspectors make very sure of ot their ground or their man before causing trouble But the inspector I Is a public servant In Ju a responsible position and has haq or should have the power to save the tIme community perhaps a million dollars a year ear as aM I propose to demonstrate PROTECTIVE AUTHORITY t Th The difficulty Is that the authorities ties lies cannot be made to realize realize- that this officer has It ity or should be given I-en I it ft it to guarantee guarantee guar guar- antee that the public gets what hat It pays for While there are many mam honest merchants in the tIme city th there re are arc certainly man many who are dishonest die dis honest honeRt and take ever every a advantage atthe of at the fact that not one ont person In a II hundred keeps a scale with which to test purchases and If It th they did the tIme dealer would say such scales were Incorrect as thc they probably are not nol not third one-third of ot the tho scales In Inthis Inthis this state are correct according to the tho tests prescribed by the bureau of ot standards Washington D. D C C. C I Iam Iam Iam am aware that through lack of ot a n. schedule o of for tor error inspectors are nrc handicapped hl but such fuch a I. I schedule Is 19 at tIme the service of ot the city commissioners if it the they care to authorize Its use So human nature being what it Is 18 we cannot blame the the- dishonest merchant since it Is the duty dulY of r th the inspector to prevent hl his dishonesty dishonest but It ItIs ItIs itis Is also the dut duty of at the city fathers to see that the tIre Inspector does his duty duty and ut and protect him In doing it The object obe of ot these Is to expose fraud raud and suggest sUlest remedies J rather than to criticise anybody COMPARING PRICES It is Impossible to compare prices accurately h with those obtaining In other states and Ind abroad b because causa the standards of ot weight and measure measure measure meas meas- ure are not always the same but butIn butIn butin In every ery case the the- balance Is against the purchaser by bp retail in Utah Utah- For example prior to March 1515 C G butter was wa told sold 1 in fourteen or fit fit- o teen ounce nce packages es as ns a pound When the time new weights an and measures measures meas meas- ures urea Ill law became operative the tate state superintendent insisted on packages es conforming to the la law It Is gratifying to know that packages packages pack pack- ages ell almost invariably contain the tho l legal al sixteen ounces Yet Yel the price of ot bu butter was not raised Bread Is he even P more a necessity of ot life Ufe but bakers ma may give ElvA Just what whal weight the they like providing thc they mark tho the weight on the time package package and and this thiR is 18 how the public pub pub- lie lic pays pas A loaf loa weighing wels el eighteen ounces ounce Is sold for 10 cents or fa say sa 0 cents per pound In London the tIme I price of ot a tou pound four pound loaf loat is about I 8 pence or 16 cents cents or or 4 I cents per pound pound less less than half the price in Salt Lake yet England l Is at war and practically nil all wheat hal and much flour Is importer Imported d. d In Ih the state of Massachusetts bread must be sold by weight in two one or half half- pound loaves and in Boston u. u two- two pound loaf is sold old for tor 10 cents cents cents- yet et wages have risen considerably there Bakeries should be compelled compelled compelled com com- to sell their bread of or standard standard stand stan ard quality lour flour and b by the pound the public would gain both hoth in weight and food value alue Let the bakers sell their light un unsatisfying products as rolls less than four ounces In weight if ir the people want them but let us have haO a a. I standard weight and quality atI of at I bread I GIVE INSPECTOR POWER The elt city Inspector should at once be given power to enforce such uch 13 law Jaw if ho he has not that power and not walt wait u until let us hope tho the war will be over It can cnn be done by the city commission All that thatIs Is 11 required Is to give tho the Inspector I the time same lame power as ns In California to enforce United States standards As s an Instance of the urgent nt necessity necea- necea sit sity of or such uch action in the official report of ot the inspector of ot weights and measures for tor Joplin Mo a elt city of or about 3 population b by tho the enforcement of or the thc la law In potatoes and nd nd butter alone just these two articles a f Vin saving to that city of a a year ar was effected Can anybody In this city sl say what should be the net weight of ot ofa ofa ota a bushel bush l of fruit vegetables etc usually so sold d b by b the bushel Thc They Thc I cannot simply because Utah ha hanot has not legally legall adopted the tho Un United I t d States standard bushel but hut it has s I adopted d the tho standard pound Can anything be more absurd A dealer denIer can put nn any quantity he likes into a n. box and call It a abu bu bushel of apples The TIme law of Utah specifies that berries and small fruits must be sold In baskets or other op open n containers of ono one quart having a A. capacity of 67 cubic inches and containing not less than twenty one ounces and for a pint cubic inches and not less I than ten and one half ounces net w yet t a a. bushel of ot apples s. s I which should contain fort forty eight I II pounds ma may contain twenty eight el ht for or nil all th the law protects the buyer buver I Ped Peddlers make malce a practice of filling i smaller boxes relying on the thc fact tact that few tew persons have scales on which to check the weight or if It I th they did check it the peddler is protected inasmuch as aR the they purchaser purchaser pur pur- chaser asked fOI for a bushel Tho law actually facilitates the perpetration per per- of or fraud tr BUSH BUSHEL EL CAPACITIES ES Most rn states have ha adopted adopt adopt- ed pct a bu bushel hel of following capacities Net weight of contents Wheat contents Wheat CO CO pounds corn or rye ro 56 66 G pounds meal other than oatmeal CO GO pounds pound potatoes GO 60 pounds ap ap- ap- ap ples pIes 48 pounds onions 5 52 pounds beans 60 pounds pound pears pearl 68 S pounds peaches 48 pounds tomatoes riG 55 I pounds and so on Every common commodity Is specified d but where an article is IR not scheduled tho In Inspector Inspector inspector In- In shall decI decide e what the time weight should be All boxes etc In which fruit Cruit or e vegetables arc are sold should bo be r regarded as aR bushels or half halt bushels and be marked viz Iz Apples one bushel not les less lesa than forty eight pounds hounds and so soon soon soon on according to contents An Any person parson found In possession of or boxes boxel or other containers filled or empty t I of ot less than a specified cubic capacity should bo be liable to prosecution prosecution prosecution pros pros- and the boxes or other othe containers b be he destroyed I |