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Show Weights and Measurements protect buyers and sellers A trip to the supermarket or the gas station can be a traumatic experience today. But what if you couldn't count on accurate ac-curate scales in the meat or deli department depart-ment or accurate pumps at the stations? sta-tions? At today's prices, even a small error could give your pocketbook a thump. The fact that you can count on honest weight and measurement is a tribute to a little known but vitually important government agency the State Weights and Measures Department. Edison J. Stephens, supervisor of the section, and his staff inspect thousands of commercial w eighing and measuring devices every year to insure that you get that for which you pay. At the same time, local officials and their colleagues all over the country are protecting the interest of merchants, food processors, and others who transact tran-sact business by weight or measurement. measure-ment. For this reason, the theme for the 1982 National Weights and Measures Week, is "Weights and Measures-Equity Measures-Equity for All." National Weights and Measures Week has been observed for the past 24 years during the week of March 1-7 to focus attention on the work of these important im-portant public servants. The dates were selected by Weights and Measures officials and the Scale Manufacturers Association to mark the signing by President John Adams on March 2, 1799, of the nation's first Weights and Measures Law. Local Weights and Measures officii try to inspect each installation at leas once a year on a random basis. "Ii element of surprise is important tsou work," Mr. Stephens observes. Icsc tors have no problems going about the work; however, merchants areata; willing to cooperate. Statistics compiled by the State i Utah Weights and Measures Section ii dicate that of the thousands of weighia reports analyzed, the greatest ii cidence of shortweight occurs in meal fluid dairy products, solid dairy pn ducts, produce, and flour pnxtucE Commodities with better records ai candies, canned and bottled goods. bal ed goods and frozen foods. In addition to super market and g stations, there are hundreds of other ii stallations to be checked -warehouse processing plants, truck scale: livestock operations, and on and on Each of the 50 states has its o Weight and Measures Section, which: responsible for testing and enforcema within its boundaries. Most are en powered to purse criminal action whe weight discrepancies occur, bi generally the authority to order offet ding articles from the shelf is sufficiei to correct the situation. Most shortweights are due I carelessness and lack of proper seal care and are not premeditated, otficA say. That is why it is important thi everyone cooperate, not only i' Weights and Measures Section, but i the merchant himself, by calling attet tion to possible w eighing errors. fl |