WEIGHTS AND MEASURES 355 



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 coun- 

 ties to appoint sealers of weights and measures, the original law merely 

 being permissive in its terms. The bill, as originally introduced, re- 

 quired 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 in- 

 creasing 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 regula- 

 tions, and that requiring all commodities to be sold by weight, meas- 

 ure or numerical count rather than in the indefinite manner so com- 

 mon 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 carry- 

 ing 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 meas- 

 ures, 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 ap- 

 paratus 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 con- 

 trary; 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 stand- 

 ards 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 estab- 

 lishes the liquid measure for the sale of berries and small fruits in 



