REPORT DEPUTY STATE SEALER OF WEIGHTS & MEASURES. 12<) 



law in existence, and from the records found in this office, I 

 am satisfied that it was only by the most persistent and strenu- 

 ous work by those formerly holding this position that the work 

 of establishing standards in our several towns was accom- 

 plished. 



Many complaints have come to this office of short weights 

 in produce, all of which have been adjusted in a manner satis- 

 factory to all interested 



Some town officials, as well as some of our merchants, claimi 

 that the law is unnecessary. When such a condition exists the 

 work of the local sealer is anything but pleasant. Many com- 

 plaints of that condition have come to this bureau and we have 

 been obliged to make personal inspection in those cases. Many 

 of the appointing powers fail to realize the importance of this 

 work, and appoint men who are totally unfit for the position 

 and in those cases the work has been very unsatisfactory. In 

 other instances where competent men are appointed the pay 

 received by them for the services rendered is fixed at such a 

 basis that the sealer soon realizes that he cannot do the worV 

 for the amount received and do it as it should be done, and 

 only works at it as a side line. 



Under the present fee system, one of the most difficult prob- 

 lems is to get competent men to act as sealers. One of the best 

 reasons why the fee system should be abandoned and the work 

 by the local sealers done on a salary basis is that the many 

 forms of trickery and fraud practiced today renders it neces- 

 sary that the sealer of weights and measures should be on guard 

 at all times to detect the latest schemes. One doing the work 

 of the local sealer should also be an inspector, which work can- 

 not be done under the fee system. He should make at least 

 one visit through his territory as an inspector during the year 

 after his regular trip of testing and sealing. 



In the month of April a convention of local sealers was held 

 at the State House at whicli there were present fifty local 

 sealers, coming from different towns in the state. This meeting 

 had been called by my predecessor and I was not informed of 

 the meeting until a few days before it was to convene. I found 

 that the speakers connected with the Bureau of Standards at 

 Washington, New York and Massachusetts, who had been 

 invited to attend and had expressed their willingness to attend, 



9 



