SEVENTEENTH ANNUAL YEAR BOOK— PART V 333 



nearly fifty per cent. Many times during the year it has been 

 practically impossible for the department to take care of the re- 

 quests for inspections. A majority of scale owners of the state 

 appreciate the inspection service rendered by the department, 

 realizing that if the scale is not weighing accurately they may lose 

 their profit in a very short time or lose their business because 

 of short weights. 



The law provides that the department may charge for two in- 

 spections each year, but it has not been possible to inspect all of the 

 scales even once each year. "We hope, during the coming year, to 

 improve the service in this department. With two weight and 

 measure inspectors giving their entire time to the inspection of 

 heavy scales and using one of the food inspectors in this work a 

 few months, the department has inspected 2,268 "heavy" scales 

 during the fiscal year. Three hundred and ninety-seven scales 

 have been condemned for repairs or junked as unfit for use. Ap- 

 proximately 2,500 small scales have been inspected by the food in- 

 spectors, and it is the purpose of the department during the com- 

 ing year to give a great deal more time to this work. It is also 

 planned to go into the dry goods stores and ascertain the charac- 

 ter of measuring devices used in these establishments. The Weight 

 and Measure department covers a wide sphere, nearly every com- 

 modity bought and sold in the state being weighed or measured. 



In addition to the inspections of scales, it is the duty of the in- 

 spectors to check the weights being given. Hundreds of coal .de- 

 liveries have been re-weighed, and some prosecutions have been 

 necessary. A matter which has required a great deal of attention 

 during the past year is the question of weights on articles sold by 

 the produce and commission men, as, for example, potatoes, onions, 

 apples, and other fruits and vegetables. The law requires that all 

 dry commodities weighing ten ounces or more shall be sold by 

 standard weight or numerical count. Sales of these commodities 

 by the basket, box or hamper are in violation of the statute. The 

 department is attempting to promote intelligent buying, and if 

 this result is accomplished, consumers must insist upon buying by 

 weight. 



Shipments of gasoline and oils have been found in some cases to 

 be short. The department is equipped to promptly determine the 

 weights per gallon of liquids. If samples of liquids are sent to 



