Page:Popular Science Monthly Volume 84.djvu/359

Rh much debate and some amendments, it was finally enacted into law. One of the principal objects of the bill was to make it mandatory on the counties to appoint sealers of weights and measures, the original law merely being permissive in its terms. The bill, as originally introduced, required all counties with over 20,000 population and all cities of the first and second classes to appoint such officials. As finally passed, however, the only counties required to appoint sealers are those of 40,000 or more population which do not contain a city of the first, second, third, or fourth classes already having such an official. As a result of thus increasing the population requirement the number of new sealers required to be appointed was very materially reduced. There are other features of the law which are both important and excellent ones; for instance, that putting the city sealers under the municipal civil service regulations, and that requiring all commodities to be sold by weight, measure or numerical count rather than in the indefinite manner so common heretofore.

Iowa passed a general law which contains some of the provisions recommended by the National Conference on Weights and Measures. The state dairy and food commissioner is charged with the duty of carrying into effect the provisions of the law and is required to appoint a chief inspector of weights and measures with the approval of the executive counsel, and the appointment of other inspectors is provided for. The dairy and food commissioner is also required to appoint an employee of the dairy and food commission to be state sealer of weights and measures, who is charged with the care and custody of the state standards, general supervision over the weights and measures and weighing and measuring devices of the state, and the testing and calibrating all apparatus used as standards in the state. The law fixes the weight per bushel of a large number of commodities and specifies that they shall be sold by weight unless there is a special agreement in writing to the contrary; but in the case of berries in packages of one peck or less they may be sold by the quart, pint or half pint dry measure, and all berry boxes must be of the interior capacity of one quart, one pint or half pint, dry measure. Confiscation of berry boxes not conforming to these standards is provided for. All dry commodities, weighing ten ounces or more, with few exceptions must be bought and sold by standard weight or numerical count, lineal measure, or surface measure, except where parties otherwise agree in writing.

Kansas was more or less active in passing weights and measures legislation, but its progress was very largely in a backward direction, if you will pardon the anomaly. The laws we criticize are two in number: the first specifies that flour and cornmeal when sold in sacks in amounts less than one barrel shall be sold by gross weight. The second law is no less inimical to sound legislation and good practise. This law establishes the liquid measure for the sale of berries and small fruits in