Popular Science Monthly 



389 



These two measures have the 

 same capacity, but the tall 

 measure, which has no bottom, 

 has so small a diameter that a 

 proper heap cannot be obtained. 

 Note the overflow 



and yet actually receive 

 more for his goods. As 

 an example, it was esti- 

 mated that the consumers 

 of the country lost annu- 

 ally more than eight mill- 

 ions on short-weight de- 

 liveries of one staple ar- 

 ticle of food. 



The methods of cheat- 

 ing and the types of false 

 apparatus exhibit great 

 variety. Among the dif- 

 ferent types of false ca- 

 pacity measures may be 

 mentioned those having 

 movable or false bottoms ; 

 measures having a por- 

 tion of the height cut 

 away from either the top or bottom : 

 measures with staves removed arid the 

 hoops and bottom adjusted accordingly ; 

 "bottomless" measures which have rela- 

 tively small diameters and high sides, 

 and which — although they may contain 

 the proper number of cubic inches — give 

 incorrect quantities, as they do not per- 

 mit a proper heap ; measures with false 

 interiors, such as have been found in 

 milk cans and measures for selling gaso- 

 line ; and liquid measures used for dry 

 commodities. This last expedient is 

 in use to some extent in practically all 

 parts of the country and results in a 

 shortage of about fourteen per cent. It 



The purchaser of gasoline 

 sees only the five-gallon 

 measure, but the three-gallon 

 measure inside is the one 

 really filled 



This straight-face 

 spring scale has a 

 fraudulent sliding face. 

 The left one is used in 

 buying. The seller 

 slides the face down- 

 ward, as on the right, 

 thus greatly decreasing 

 the indicated weight 

 and defrauding the 

 unsuspecting buyer 



is one of those practices 

 which has come into use 

 largely through "trade 

 custom." 



The use of correct 

 measuring scales of high quality is not 

 always in itself a guarantee that cor- 

 rect amounts will be given, for it is pos- 

 sible for the user of correct scales to 

 manipulate them to his advantage. A 

 type of scale, which was formerly com- 

 mon among certain classes of dealers, is 

 the straight-face scale, designed to be 

 held in the hand, with the graduated face 

 made movable, so that the dealer might 

 lower or raise it so as to make the point- 

 er indicate an amount less or greater 

 than the true weight, according to 

 whether he was buying or selling. Many 

 other forms of false scales have been 

 used for years. 



