DAIRY MEETING. 113 



No technical violation,— merely a loophole, merely a study of 

 how gradually the visual perception of the people can be de- 

 stroyed. 



A single illustration will suffice. "Quaker Oats", the package 

 that had the big "2" on it, the one that we associate with the 

 picture of the sturdy Quaker and "Sold by all Grocers in 

 2-pound packages," advertised thus before 1906 in magazines, 

 proclaimed so from bill boards, contains now only i lb. 5 ounces. 

 How long will it take the public to realize that this nowr costs 

 them 100 per cent more than the bulk rolled oats? 



One more instance, quoted from a letter of a reputable 

 manufacturer of syrup: — "We must frankly and regretfully 

 say that in the molasses business there has been, and is still, 

 some of the worst sort of deception. For instance, it is a com- 

 mon practice to put into a quart can the contents of a No. 2 1-2 

 can. 



There is nothing on the label referring to the size, but the 

 customer is deceived by the appearance. We deplore this be- 

 cause w^e would like to see the whole molasses business con- 

 ducted on a clean, honest basis." 



There is no reasonable excuse for not marking the contents 

 in terms of weight, measure or numerical count on the outside 

 of every package or every can. A simple analysis of the argu- 

 ments of the opponents, — and, by the way, look at the composi- 

 tion of the ranks of the opponents, — shows the misleading 

 statements and shows the utter disregard of the rights of the 

 consumer. 



In North Dakota a law was passed requiring the contents to 

 be marked on containers, and Commissioner Ladd officially 

 reports that there resulted an increase of contents in canned 

 goods of from 17 to 21 per cent without an increase in cost. 



Time does not permit me to call your attention to the specific 

 instances of picture cord, 19 feet short in 25 yards; thread 

 and yam, 25 per cent short; braid, ribbon and tape, from 5 to 

 10 per cent short; toilet paper of less than 500 sheets when 

 sold as 1000 sheets; wall paper, from 5 to 10 per cent short; 

 writing pads, 10 per cent short; some flavoring extracts 25 per 

 cent short ; flour when you pay for the bag that cannot be made 

 mto bread, at the price of flour; butter prints from 5 to 25 



8 



