Page:Popular Science Monthly Volume 84.djvu/368

364 the jurisdiction of the Railroad Commission, the Commission being required to test and inspect such scales from time to time, the cost of which is chargeable to the owner of the scale.

Pennsylvania passed a law in 1911 establishing a state bureau of standards, under control of an officer to be known as "Chief of the Bureau of Standards," with very limited powers. The counties and cities were authorized, but not required, to appoint inspectors of weights and measures and the powers and duties of these officers were specified. This law did not require any compulsory inspection service, either state or local, and was inadequate on this account. At the 1913 session the above-mentioned law was amended in several particulars which has greatly strengthened it, and it now becomes possible to secure far greater results than formerly. The permissive character of the act relating to appointment of weights and measures officials is now made mandatory, and requires that mayors of cities of the second and third classes and the board of county commissioners of the several counties shall appoint one or more competent persons as inspectors of weights and measures. In cities of the first class, the inspectors are to be appointed by the board of county commissioners of the county in which such city is located rather than by the mayor of the city. It is provided in the law as amended that the county and city inspectors shall hold office during good behavior, and shall not be removed, discharged, or reduced in pay or position, except for inefficiency, incapacity, conduct unbecoming employees, or other just cause, and until said officials shall have been furnished with a written statement of the charges against them, and shall have been given reasonable time to make written answer thereto. This provision practically means civil service, and puts the inspectors beyond removal for political reasons, and permits them to become proficient in their work and to remain in office, thus rendering to the community better and more efficient service than would be had with constant change of inspectors at intervals of one or two years. Another act was passed relating to the sale of commodities, which specifies the manner of sale of certain kinds of products, and attempts to prevent misrepresentations and the use of fraudulent apparatus. This act also fixes the number of pounds per bushel for a large number of commodities in section 6, and in the following section, requires the net weight, measure, or numerical count to be marked on packages; but it is not mentioned in this section what commodities or classes of products in package form are required to be so marked. It might be inferred from the context that reference was made to the commodities mentioned in the preceding section, but such a construction does not appear to be a reasonable one.

South Carolina passed legislation fixing a standard weight per bushel for a very large number of dry commodities and also providing for standard barrels for various purposes. It is made unlawful to sell any of the products mentioned "except in strict accordance with the standard