Evening Republican, Volume 15, Number 83, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 7 April 1911 — General Assembly Established Standard of Weights and Measures. [ARTICLE]

General Assembly Established Standard of Weights and Measures.

Although the new uniform weights and measures law, enacted by the recent general assembly, does not become effective until January l, 1912, H. E. Barnard, state food and drug commissioner and ex-ofllcio state sealer of weights and measures, will spend much of the intervening time preparing to launch a full force of Inspectors when the law becomes operative. One of the most- important parts of the work of preparation will be to induce the boards of county commissioners and city councils to agree to appoint county and city sealers and another important pare will be to see that ail county auditors are provided with standards of weights and ‘measures, as required bylaw'. In providing for the appointment of inspectors, >lr. Barnard expects to be helped by organizations of w-omen throughout the state. In preparation for this, a campaign of education for the housewives will be started to show the need of inspection of weighs and measures to insure the housewife that when she pays for a pound of foodstuff she will get a pound. Mr. Barnard expeets to raise a distinct issue between the dealer who opposes an ix epector and the housewife whenever a board of commissioners or a city council shows an inclination not to appoint inspectors. The law requiring that each county auditor have a set of standard weights and measures was approved in 1853. and has never been changed. It is estimated now that fewer than a dozen counties have such sets. This w ill be one cf the phases of the situation first considered by the state sealer. Where the county commissioners appoint a county sealer, thb board shall provide such a sealer with an additional set, and the same shall be done in the cities where sealers are appointed. The act of 1851 defines such set of standards as containing one twelve-inch measure, on thirtysix inch measure, one one-half bushel, one one-gallon measure and one set of avoirdupois weights. The standards of weights for produce, as adopted in 1885 by the general assembly and amended in 1897, has not been changed by the new law. The law provides as follows: Standard weight of a bushel.— Wheat, 60 pounds; buckwheat, 50 pounds; oats, 32 pounds; beans, 60 pounds; potatoes, 60 pounds; clover seed, 60 pounds; hemp seed, 44 pounds; blue grass seed, 14 pounds; castor beans, 46 pounds; dried peaches, S 3 pounds; dried apples, 25 pounds; onions, 48 pounds; salt, 50 pounds; coal, 80 pounds; timothy seed, 45 pounds; ry-e, 56 pounds; barley, 48 pounds; corn meal, 50 pounds; cranberries, 33 pounds; millet seed, 50 pounds; orchard grass, 14 pounds, malt rye, 35 pounds; middlings, fine, 40 pounds; middlings, coarse, 30 pounds; osage orange, 33 pounds; parsnips, 55 pounds; sweet potatoes, 55 pounds; turnips, 55 pounds; popcorn, 70 pounds; shelled corn, 56 pounds; corri in the ear from time of harvest to December 1, 70 pounds; thereafter, 68 pounds. Other standards.—Barrel of beef or pork, 200 pounds; barrel of flour, 190 pounds; sorghum molasses, 11 pounds to the gallon; ton of hay or straw, 2,000 pounds. These standards will be used in the enforcement of the new law.