490 IOWA DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 



The department has done a great work in checking gasoline pumps and 

 measuring devices with the result that during the past year we have made 

 a thorough survey of these pumps. Our investigations show that a very 

 considerable number of these pumps are inaccurate and we feel that the 

 public have received a large financial benefit from these investigations. 

 To assist us in the work the department has purchased a number of 

 practical standard measures which have assisted -us materially in our 

 work. 



We have had many complaints against coal dealers delivering less coal 

 than was purchased and paid for and a special effort has been made to 

 have the inspectors reweigh loads of coal being delivered to consumers. 

 In several cases dealers have been detected in this dishonest practice and 

 have been prosecuted in the courts. Some of the shortages which have 

 been detected are as follows: 



590 lbs. short on 4,000 lbs. 

 675 lbs. short on 4,000 lbs. 



The above two were both from the same dealer. 

 375 lbs. short on 6,000 lbs. 

 380 lbs. short on 4,000 lbs. 



PEDDLERS WATCHED. 



The itinerant vendor, or peddler, has been the cause of more trouble to 

 weights and measures men than any other type of merchant. This class 

 of trade is made up of individuals of miscellaneous morals and disposi- 

 tions, many of them honest and willing to do what is right, but, we are 

 sorry to say, a great number with tendencies to increase their profits by 

 trickery if given the chance. So it is that they are kept under the most 

 constant surveillance at all times. Many of them persist in using incor- 

 rect equipment; others take chances and give short weight and short 

 measure; hovrever, where cases have been found to warrant, they have 

 been severely dealt with and there is an increasing tendency towards bet- 

 terment among dealers of this class. To give an example of the extent 

 of fraud some times practiced by peddlers, it might be stated here, as a 

 matter of interest, that during the past month the most glaring and larg- 

 est discrepancy discovered originated with a vegetable peddler, who on a 

 sale of ten (10) bushel lots of potatoes short-measured his customers two 

 bushels on one and one and one-half bushels on the other. In each case 

 they were prosecuted and paid a fine of $20 and costs. Examples such as 

 this strengthens our opinion and advice to the public in general that 

 after all, the merchant with a permanent place of business is the best 

 to trade with, for while his prices may appear higher than those of the 

 peddler, who offers inducements in the way of low prices for his wares, 

 depending on some dishonest method to make up the difference, full 

 quantity is more likely to be received at stores in the majority of in- 

 stances. 



