REPORT OF THE COMMISSIONER. 15 



price not to exceed $2,000, and a suitable set of standards has been 

 ordered. On the receipt of same the work of comparing the 

 weights and measures of the cities and towns will be taken up. 

 It is hoped that we can improve the conditions so that the pur- 

 chaser may know that he is getting just weights and measures. 

 This will be of great assistance to the producer and the consum- 

 er, as it is generally known that our weights and measures are in 

 very bad shape all over the State. 



A very interesting exhibit of weights and measures was made 

 at the State Dairy Conference held in Portland in December, 

 and the following address by Mr. J. C. Connors of Troy, N. Y., 

 will give an idea of the conditions which exist and the need of 

 improvement. 



ADDRESS AT STATE DAIRY CONFERENCE, PORT- 

 LAND, DEC. 28, 1911. 



By J. C. Connors, Troy, N. Y. 



Ladies and Gentlemen: — 



I would like to give you a little talk today on the subject of 

 Short Measures and Light Weights. In this connection, I am 

 reminded of a little occurrence that happened while I was 

 sealer of Cambridge, Mass. I went into a store and a man had 

 a butcher scale and an electric light hanging on the hook. I 

 asked why he had the electric light, which weighed 1-4 pound, 

 hanging there. He said the scale was in a dark place. I told 

 him he had a little more light than was necessary, as in every 

 transaction he was cheating the customer 1-4 of a pound. He 

 was fined $25 and concluded to have a little less light on his 

 scales. 



The subject of weights and measures and the proper regula- 

 tions in relation to weighing and measuring instruments is being 

 largely agitated, and legislation on this subject is being enacted 

 all over the country at the present time. Thirty-four states in 

 the Union have legislation at the present time and departments 

 of weights and measures, also sealers in each city and county, 

 and they are doing excellent work. They are doing excellent 



