Inspection Fees . 
155 
CHAPTER I. 
MODERN INSPECTION FEES. 
A. INSPECTION FOR PROTECTION TO THE CONSUMER. 
It is, perhaps, obvious that under the designation “Modern 
Inspection Fees ” are meant only those fees which are collected 
in accordance with inspection laws passed in modern times. 
An examination of the laws of any state, will reveal the exist¬ 
ence on the statute books of a large number of laws which were 
enacted comparatively early in the history of the country. It 
is also self-evident that these do not as a rule represent the 
tendencies of the present; on the contrary, they are often “ dead 
letters,” which have not been repealed because no laws have 
been needed to displace them. Taken as a whole, the post 
helium inspection legislation may, with a few exceptions, be 
said to represent an entirely new movement, or tendency. The 
articles which the earlier laws required to be inspected, were 
largely agricultural products in a more or less crude state; 
while the articles for which the modern laws provide inspection, 
are generally manufactured products. Of these, however, only 
those which are most easily adulterated, and whose adultera¬ 
tions are most likely to result in injury to public health or 
safety, are placed under any restriction whatever. 
1. Oil Inspection: First and foremost in importance is the 
inspection of oil or petroleum, if we may judge by the number 
of states which have deemed it necessary to enact compulsory 
oil-inspection laws. The oil-inspection legislation probably or¬ 
iginated in the frequent explosions and consequent fires due to 
the inferior quality of the oil at first put upon the market. 
The modern oil-inspection laws may roughly be said to begin 
about 1880. A few instances 1 may be found earlier, but the 
subject did not become of much importance until the great 
1 Inspection law , Ind., 1863, 3 Stat. 370, p. 27. Rev. StaL, Mo., 1879, 
par. 5848. 
