362 THE POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY 



these numbers, and not any fractions thereof. This legislation was 

 taken into the courts and we are nnder the impression that it has 

 recently been declared constitutional. A law requiring bread to be 

 put up in standard size loaves or labeled with their weight was also put 

 upon the statute books. A section of the code conferring certain powers 

 upon cities was amended so as to permit the establishment of city scales 

 and certain other powers, which now appear to be exercised by the state, 

 were withdrawn from the cities. 



Ohio, in 1910, placed the inspection of weights and measures under 

 the direction of the state dairy and food commissioner, and the law gives 

 him the authority to use the services of any persons employed under his 

 department in the enforcement of the laws relating to weights and meas- 

 ures. The county auditors were made county sealers of weights and 

 measures and are required to compare all weights and measures brought 

 to them for the purpose with copies of standards in his possession, to see 

 that the state laws relating to weights and measures are strictly enforced, 

 and to assist generally in the prosecution of all violations of such laws. 

 Mayors of cities and villages may appoint sealers of weights and meas- 

 ures. Several other laws relating to weights and measures were passed 

 or amended at the 1910 session of the legislature. In 1911 several 

 changes were made in the laws. The most important was the section 

 making it necessary to sell a large number of dry commodities specified 

 by avoirdupois weight or numerical count, unless all parties concerned 

 agreed upon some other method of sale. This legislation is most import- 

 ant since it is the first statute passed by any distinctively eastern state 

 attempting to eliminate the always-faulty dry measure from commercial 

 use. 



At the 1913 session Ohio strengthened the law requiring fruits and 

 vegetables to be sold exclusively by numerical count or weight and has 

 thereby made it possible to enforce its provisions competently. In the 

 former law these commodities might be sold only as mentioned above, 

 " unless by the agreement of all contracting parties." This phrase made 

 it extremely difficult to obtain convictions even in cases of willful viola- 

 tion of the intent of the law. The amendment referred to requires these 

 special agreements to be in writing and hereafter it would seem to be an 

 easy matter to bring all offenders against the spirit of the law to justice. 

 The section requiring berries and other small fruits to be sold by a bushel 

 or fractional part thereof has been amended to require the subdivision of 

 the bushel to be an aliquot part thereof. Dry measures have been stand- 

 ardized as to the diameter and depth to be required. The state sealer has 

 been given the power " to make, publish and enforce such rules and regu- 

 lations as may be necessary to the prompt and effective enforcement of 

 the weights and measures laws of this state." A special section requiring 

 the testing of the computing part of computing scales has been added; 

 and finally, the word " knowingly " has been stricken out of the penalty 



