Tricks of Short Weights
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H1LE Omaha, like other metropoiuan
cities, is concerning itself with the regu
lation of weighta and measure., the
United States government ia also taking
a hand In this very Important game. At
this time there 13 pending before a committee of the
congress a bill to regulate the size of a berry basket.
1 "And it is in the small matters, perhaps, more
than in the big ones that strict Inspection can help
very materially to cut the cost of living," says John
Grant Pegg, the inspector of weights and measures,
who looka after the enforcing of the Omaha law.
' With the same thought In mind, Francis If. Leupp,
formerly commissioner of Indian affairs, writes In a
recent number of Scribner's:
"On poor Richard's theory that the penny saved
is the penny earned, the conservation of human
energy by minimising its wanton expenditure Is as
important in a way as the protection of a mineral bed
or a spring-fed lake; and when we learn that every
strawberry aent from Florida to Massachusetts must
be repacked before It Is offered for sale we can un
derstand why congress takes cognizance of so appar
ently petty" a business." '
In this connection Mr. Leupp explains that, while
Florida berry raisers use any size measure they like
to ship their fruit in, the law of the Bay state pre
scribes the size of box or basket in which the fruit
may be sold. What is true of Massachusetts is also
true of Nebraska and other states.
National Supervising Bureau.
The national bureau of standards comprises, among
other departments, the office of weights and measures,
which in a large way has In its charge the preserva
tion of the recognized standards of length, cubic con
tents and weight, most of which, by the way, were
brought bodily from England. Up to a comparatively
few years ago each state, and each city of a state al
most, had its own system and few agreed. At the
present time the pound, yard, gallon and bushel are,
Mr. Leupp says, uniform for tfce most part. Still, he
contends, and most officials engaged in inspection
agree with him, that the exceptions are quite serious.
Nebraska, for instance, Is among the states in which
the gallon is denned in pounds. In this state twelve
pounds of honey constitute a legal gallon. In Kan
sas six and a half pounds of kerosene make a gallon;
in Ohio, seven and a half pounds of linseed oil; In
Indiana, eleven pounds of sorghum molasses. The
gallon as fixed by congress is 231 cubic inches. The'
ancient ale gallon of 2S2 cubic inches prevails still
In some states, and in a few others the old ale or
milk gallon is the legal dry gallon, although it is 5
per tent larger than the corresponding unit derived
from the Winchester bushel.
-A bushel of coal ranges in the various states from
2,419 4 cubic inches to 2.748. a difference of more
than one-etgbth. Similar variations are found in
bushel measures of lime and coke.
The liquid barrel measure today fluctuates be
tween twenty-nine gallons in Newjfork and forty
two gallons In Texas.
These facts and others of similar Import have
brought about a movement, originating In Massachu
setts, to standardize the weights and measures
throughout the country. Many cities have joined in
en 'organization to bring thla about. While Omaha
Is not as yet formally affiliated, much good work
has been done to protect buyers in their dally dealings
with eeJlers.
Housewive Vitally Concerned.
"Housewives are mainly concerned," insists In
spector Pegg. "because they are the ones who do what
may be called the hand-to-mouth buying for the great
majority of families. Not only do they do most of
the purchasing In stores, but they buy from peddlers
of all aorta of commodities. And in this field the In
spection departments are put to It the hardest to keep
things measurably straight. That's not a pun, but a
atatement of fact."
Dwelling on his hobby, "the cost of living. ' In
spector Pegg insists that all families could reduce It
quite appreciably if they would call on bis department
for official verification when they suspect they are
getting the orbt of it from any merchant or peddler.
"Everything is so high uow," savg Mr. Pegg, "that
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the men or women who pay the bills are entitled to
every ounce they are charged for. Some people do
not even know there Is a law to compel dealers in all
commodities to give full weight and honest measure.
The Omaha law is conceded to be among the very best,
in the land; but there is urgent need of a uniform
system of laws, so that shlpped-ln products shall be
measured alike in all states. In the matter of berry
boxes there is a wide variation, and this varies again
with the seasons. Early In the season we get very
few berries in a box; later on we get fuller measure.
So the government is considering a law that shall be
nation-wide In Its provisions.
"In making my rounds I frequently find grocers
using a wine measure to bell dry stuff from. The
excuse is made, usually'; that they don't know the dif
ference; but the buyer ought to know it and Insist
on the proper measure. I have noticed the grocers
never make a mistake the other way and use a dry
measure to sell liquids from. Whenever a buyer sees
a bright tin measure used to sell cranberries, for in
atance. he ran make up his mind he is getting short
measure.
Bread and Butter Honest.
"Formerly this office used to have a good many
complaints as to butter In pound ravages, which
really only contained fifteen ounces. The Omaha
creameries and butter dealers now have a scale girl,
who makes sure that each pound contains sixteen
ouncea before the wrapping paper is put on It. But.
while package butter is right now, purchasers can be
cheated on bulk butter if the dealer is inclined to be
dlshonebt, unless they make sure of the weight. Large
loaves of bread should also elgh sixteen ouncea, aud
the weight of bread I find to be honest. The bakers
change their stock every twenty-four hours, so there
is little chance for shrinkage."
Touching basket goods. Omaha has an ordinance
which makes It unlawful for any person, firm or cor
poration to even "offer for sale" any basket or mea-
ura purporting, appearing or representing to be a,
quart. a two-quart, rour-quart, peck, one-half bushel
or bushel measure which Is not up to the standard of
such measures, and fines may be levied from $5 up
to $50 for violation.
In spite of this the inspector of weights and
measures finds soma grocers and coal dealers and
many peddlers using bogus baskets. "The practice s
not as frequent, by any maaci. at it used to be," says
Mr. Pegg, "and In the case of small coal dealers uutt
are now mad by the basket, not by the bushel, in
which case I am powerless. The same la true of
beer, for when we got after the bottles that did not
contain quarts and pints of liquid the terms used were
changed to 'large' and 'small,' and people must buy
with that understanding.
Bushel Baskets Should Be Heaped.
"As will be noted from the illustrations, there are
ways to cheat, though, that require continual watch
fulness. Take the basket of potatoes, for instance.
OMAHA SUNDAY BEE: NOVEMBER 27.
and Dishonest Measures Exposed
NO. 6 -Ay ttOKEST MEASURE
Stroke measure, making the contents of a basket or
box even with the top, Is all right for grain', but it is
all wrong for bulky vegetables, which should be
heaped up. If the dealer or peddler Is allowed to
measure potatoes, apples, turnips, carrots or things
of that kind even with the top of the basket or meas
ure, on a ten-bushel order the buyer loses a bushel
and a half or more. In the illustration the short
basket lacks about ten pounds of the proper quantity.
It might just as easily be eleven or twelve pounds.
On the amount of potatoes and similar heavy vege
tables sold In Omahn, in one day let us say, the ehea'
ing against the housewives or other purchasers would
be something worth having."
An illustration is also given of the honest and
dishonest basket -a bottom view. The full measure
basket haa a wide almost flat bottom, while the
cheat basket tapers suddenly from base to shoulder
and, of course, will not hold nearly the right quantity
when full, or even when heaped.
"At every turn, almost, you win or you lose, ju?t
as you are watchful and informed, or careless and
wilfully ignorant," says Inspector Pegg. "Take the
caseof the metal hilf-bushel measures shown. The
one stands squarely, flat on the ground, bottom even
with the lower rim. The other has a bottom rabid
considerably above the rim at the bottom, perhaps
two Inches in rome instances, and this method cf
cheating will mean a big margin of profit to the man
using the measure, unless we etch him at it; but if
he sells enough of hie goods in a day the dishonest
man can still pocket a neat profit, after paying a fine.
Look out for strangers and peldlers who give jou the
rush act on sales; protect yourself, as you cau when
you know the tricks.
Trick in Looje Bottoms.
"Another shady plan of some professional ped jlers
is to have a basket or a metal measure with a lcoe
bottom. Then, by pressing it up with the wight of
the contents resting on the hand the measure look
fun, but it-isn't. Bew are, too, of badly dented meas-
ures, for a moment's thought lll convince you that
such a utensil will not hold as many apples, pots' oe.
or other truck as an honest measure ought to. Eter
nal vigilance, It will be noted, is a requisite of getting
the amount of goods you pay for. Much of the weight
la wasted, we know, in peeling; but keep your eye
peeled, first of all."
The legal peck is fifteen pounds, and who can af
ford to lose ha:f a peck, perhaps, on each bushel? If
the dishonest dealer or peddler ran filch a pound or
two, or fiv pounds, on every peck sold, he csn find
an object to do so. 'Inspector Prgg does not asert
that a majority cf dealers or peddlers are dishonest,
but he does insist that a large enough percentage of
the whole number is warred in conscience to make 1:
worth while for buyers in small quantities to be vig
ilant. Eighty pounds is the legal bushei. but through
the infereuce conveyed by an apparently full meas
ure many a bushel is sold haUug only about suty
1910.
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COLLECTION" OF C0WJSCA1ED
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pounds of contents. And the Omaha inspector haa on
exhibition in the collection of good and bad measures
In h!s office some scales, or steelyards, that have two
indicators. One particularly bad example was used
to sell ice. The front indicator was bent to indicate
twenty pounds more than a chunk of ice really
weighed, while the indicator on the back showed the
real weight. Lrokinp at the weight from the front,
the ice buer felt sure he was getting 100 pounds,
but the ice Filler knew he was really only putting
seventy-five to eighty pounds in the box.
Pretty Measures Deceitful.
In the collection there are also several samples of
long, slim tin measures. They show superficially tho
proper cubic content, but iu the case of bulky goods
the actual amount would fall considerably short. "An
honest measure is like the perfect female form, as tho
old artists depict it," said Mr. Tegg, tolemnly. "It
ia broad and generous in dimensions, even if not bo
pretty to look at, and stands squarely on the ground,
like a Holland frau."
Elucidating further, the Omaha inspector says:
"Many of these slender, pit tty measures used to be
told heie in Omaha, but they are not now. As soon
as I notified the houses having thein for sale the
measures were unlawful they discontinued the
handling of them, in using these measures it was
the custom to stick them down into a sack, fill thrvn
and then jrk them out. Every purchaser was beiDS
cheated on every such purchase. The wooden basket
with a lining hr.lf way down on the inside Is much on
the same order, because, wiille the basket is full sl:e
on the ouiMd", the ImiuK tak off quite materially
from i.a holding capacity."
in the office collection of Iu 'peCor F'egg are to
charts taken trom a srale that was very popular lt
Omaha and other cities until the lus. e: tors after
then. They vwre toll on thtj guarant. e. U.ar pe-r
odd advautag'j or fractions vouH lne jtably a cru ;
the luak-r. A ( u"ri Injunction kipped Interfere!,- e
wl'h t'.itse . ai a, 1'i.t 1 opular prejulh e m aro !. 1
to sm h a d-gree they have now been alm s. entire ly
eliminated
Ihi' lnspi-cor talk.s wiih intre.-t aLd si'ir' abvit
a 600J many tricks that ve.-e b-.ng worked all m'.-.i
the lme before the usms were mid.- to rear.:- ti it
their contlii ;ed use was noi pro;itat, ai.d he
talks wl'U a tinge of ti;teir.. 'jOl
A the u.r?
upy
of get'ing cheated people to pro.tcute ' "?o:..e tuuni
w ho have ia tifct dea.ers an 1 p.-dd'.ets ehti;i h ve
absolutely r fcd to go to cot.rt." said tlie Hi.-e-,.r
"The.yVBeem to forel tr.e, are d"!ni; wi:. t. it.e r
hu.-Vardj r other provi.Uis r.o.- tood m-iu-y ta -ing
wa.itcd. It is. as a t.lc. t'e f.Ik fc buy ti
small quar.tt'U and v. tth If a ew pei.t.y jnt
that suffer n.ost in t&e ir.att. r of short v . if!.' ! 1
dishonest measures, but a icf-.l i rof. ..'i. . t:. lu
stun cases are few . By i'i hts.g and vart-ing we e- t
results; in fact, almost cattr-!y by that method."
Afraid of Newspaper Notoriety.
Newspaper co.riety a'.ij rt;e.a tsaty frv.n jrc--cutirg.
accori::.g to Ir.acior l'a- "No! or;'.y tfc
dealers, but the aufferen frvia distor.rst .'.!. l;r
.the publicity cf go:
I (.;.! tLa'. t h-j J.
I to lOurt Aul in it'. prr!i :le
! t:t ; I -t t ia rJ Vr-y t. st
help I can get. To Lave bri.-clf pu'.l.ib. 1 n c.!.os
t is almcst bu;ii--i-4 lira h tv an t-tMishd tit Air.-.
lot en It. pr. 1 ilci Lr a holxonie r.-'rrt for
Lew s.ap. r erit!. i."i .r He ft r at of i1 . , e . n tto ia
We do not of!, ti K't if.V t pi;ts w.t'i t(i.. a- t
tl. re U always the ; cf it, and it lulUeu-
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INSURES
-BOGUS BUSHEL SASffll "on lt
thus sileiUly exercised by the daily press is realized
by nobody more keenly than by myself."
Manufacturers of many kinds of goods ship in
short weight packages, according to Mr. Pegg, who
remarks dry ly : "They never err the wrong way to cheat
themeslves, and when their attention is forcibly called
to the bogus packages they blame the fault on the
carelessness of their employes. It has seemed to mo
that if the statement were true the tame employes
would once in a while put in too much instead of al
ways putting In too little."
While the poor suffer most, the Inspector also
finds reason to opine, "Where the rich are c.he-ated
they losv larger chunks." He can reel off numerous
instances that have enme under his observation, and
tells with glee of meeting a rich friend who was super
intending tho storing In his bins of tho winter's eol.
"Asking to see the slip brought by the driver, I found
it called for 3, suit pound of coal on that load. A
city caje was close by and I took the load over and
bud it weighed. It went onlv 2, SOD pounds net. In
his anger the purchaser bniled over, but when It rimo
to prosecuting his kind heart failed and the coal com
pany got off scot free."
Small Containers Craftily Built.
It i.s not only In large measures and heavy weights
that people suffer, according to the experience of the
inspector. In hot 'lea of 11. ilk the consuming publio
used to be billed to the extent of a gill or mori
through a neck that tluped too mn h, and in liquor
and ried'i ine botties and other im;ll containers there
ia too oft'-n a trick of making that -'in-na their hold
ing ea; 11 tv "It will h.' only a anr.ll n'r on any
one pa--k3K." si: 3 P :;. t '. 'i we ronalder
that thousand are pi. ou th n.atre' m.t Inually, tt:
cheating of the public U K'rlr.Iy a, i irer? Irene,
1 ennteni if at every person no b . to buy snvhfnf
(p t t frirf-t a -M inrr. n r oi,rln
:l-e n. own tit for i.i.iforriii v f ui.'i and mea
ur 111 er a'ite of ir.c u' n.n t rii 1 s-'fate n.
t..ra and rej r?. r.ia'lve, sb ) il l t- 4 liw ly trrt
iu this hm lou. a' '1 i' km M I - l.nt'i'y ifcxt orl
It o'ir $.' iK'...'--ri if ' . ! ! , n r pj
erful o:.iU.-rauji to :ali.Uh. rinfEt
fror.g M'e tw along .tn l:n "
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