488 IOWA DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 



scales amounted to $9,838.15. The average charge for the inspection of 

 wagon scales is $3.00. The revenue received by the State for scale 

 licenses is $5,283.00. Of the number of scales inspected 323 have been 

 condemned for repairs; more than 289 were adjusted or their operators 

 were instructed to make changes that would render them accurate. 



Since the Law became operative, hundreds of scales and measures of 

 various types have been confiscated and condemned. The use of the auto 

 truck has been the cause of many new wagon scales being installed as 

 the capacity and construction of a great many scales is such that they 

 are too light for the loads which are now being hauled. The department 

 records show that there has been 4,300 platform scales, 4,800 counter 

 scales, 4,000 creamery scales inspected. These items do not include the 

 number of weights and measures submitted by cities, firms and individuals 

 for verification as to their accuracy. 



IMPORTANCE OF WORK. 



The Weights and Measures Departments throughout the United States, 

 during the period of the world war, put forth every effort to do their bit, 

 by checking more closely than ever before the weights and measures of 

 the thousands of commodities so sold. The prices of commodities since 

 the close of the war have soared even higher and hence it is necessary to 

 increase our activities. Few people realize the importance and wide scope 

 of the Weight and Measure Inspector's field. Iowa's billion dollar crop 

 must be weighed. Her thousands of cattle, hogs, and sheep must all be 

 driven over the scales before being sent into the market. The Dairy and 

 poultry products, garden truck, orchard crops, wool and the numerous 

 other such products of Iowa are sold by the pound. Seven million tons or 

 more of coal, hundreds 6f thousands of tons of sugar beets and sweet 

 corn, and thousands of tons of gypsum rock mined in Iowa are weighed 

 over scales whose accuracy is determined by the State Weight and 

 Measure Inspectors, and still we have not mentioned the many millions 

 of dollars worth of groceries and dry goods purchased by Iowa citizens 

 annually, nearly all of which are sold by weight or measure. 



BREAD. 



The big discrepancy between the weight of a loaf of bread and the 

 weight stated on the wrapper which developed in the last two years, led 

 the department to take the matter up directly with the bakers, with the 

 result that a conference was called of all the bakers in the State at which 

 meetings the bakers were advised that this practice must cease. The fol- 

 lowing ruling of the department was made May 13, 1920: 



Ruling. 



TO ALL BAKERS AND THOSE INTERESTED IN THE INDUSTRY: 

 Gentlemen : 



This is to advise you that on and after July 1, all bread wrappers must 

 have plainly and conspicuously printed on the body of the wrapper the net 



