348 TEE POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY 



attention of the officials and of the people, which frequently resulted in 

 the establishing of inspection departments or of improving the one 

 already existing. In consequence of this activity the Bureau of Stand- 

 ards received many requests from city officials and others for assistance 

 in bettering conditions. To assist in meeting these demands the bureau 

 prepared a model city ordinance on weights and measures, and gave 

 advice regarding suitable standards and apparatus, and on other impor- 

 tant matters. 



Altogether, 184 cities or towns were inspected, ranging in size from 

 New York with four or five millions of inhabitants, to Carson City, 

 Nevada, with about 2,200; and it will perhaps be interesting at this 

 point to give some of the results found, which includes to July 12, 1912, 

 when the work was practically completed. 



Summary of Apparatus Examined by Inspectors of Weights and Measures, 



Bureau of Standards 



Percentage 

 Total number of scales tested 10,034 



Correct 5,535 55.2 



Incorrect 4,499 44.8 



Total number of weights tested 12,211 (partly estimated) 



Correct 9,792 80 



Incorrect 2,419 20 



Total number of dry measures tested 5,656 



Correct 2,935 51.89 



Incorrect 2,721 48.11 



Total number of liquid measures tested 2,407 



Correct 1,761 73.16 



Incorrect 646 26.84 



Total number of stores visited 3,220 



Total apparatus of all kinds inspected 30,500 



This shows that nearly 45 per cent, of all the scales tested were 

 three or more per cent, in error, and when the rapidity with which a 

 tradesman sells his wares is considered, even three per cent, is an im- 

 portant consideration ; and when it reaches twelve, as it did in a number 

 of cases, the loss to the purchaser is a serious one. It is not only the 

 purchaser who suffers from the use of such apparatus, but the honest 

 dealer is placed at a great disadvantage by reason of the fact that the 

 possessor of such a scale can apparently undersell him and yet actually 

 charge more for his goods. To show how apparently small errors run 

 into money, we shall take the case of print butter. It will suffice for 

 our purpose if we select states from different sections of the country, 

 and base our conclusions upon what is found there. Let us take the 

 states of Alabama, California, Massachusetts, Montana, Nebraska, New 

 York, Texas, Utah, and the District of Columbia. The number of prints 

 of butter of various sizes weighed in these states was 3,972, aggregating 

 some 4,434 pounds of the commodity. The average shortage of all this 



