The Ashburton Guardian. Magna est Veritas et Prævalebit. MONDAY, JUNE 6, 1887. INSPECTOR OF WEIGHTS AND MEASURES.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume V, Issue 1577, 6 June 1887, Page 2

The Ashburton Guardian. Magna est Veritas et Prævalebit. MONDAY, JUNE 6, 1887. INSPECTOR OF WEIGHTS AND MEASURES.

Actfng on (he petition of a number of tradespeople the Borough and County Councils' have resolved to urge upon Government the necessity that exists for the appointment of an Inspector of Weights and Measures for this district, and the latter body has decided to ask the local representatives m the House to use their influence m the matter. This request is very reasonable, and such an officer ought to have been appointed for the Borough and County long ago. At present, tradespeople and others having occas sion to make use of scales, are placed in* a very unfair position ; they are liable to all the penalties which the law provides shall be inflicted m cases of ownership of incorrect scales, but if they wish to have their scales tested, they have to get an Inspector from Timaru and that officer will not come unless his expenses, which amount to a pretty considerable sum, are first paid. The best of scales are liable at times to go wrong, but the owner has no means of finding this out without, at considerable expense) getting an official from Timaru or. elsewhere to periodically test them. If the scales are wrong, and the Inspector should happen to make a flying visit, the consequences will be disastrous to the unlucky owner. He will, m all probability, be fined and the law distinctly sets forth that the scales shall be broken up. If these are valuable*— and many of our merchants and others have ones which were very expensive— it will be at once seen that the matter of having a local Inspector is one of considerable importance. As the County and Borough Councils have now taken the question up the authorities will most probably listen to their representations and take steps to place the merchants and storekeepers of this district m a fairer position than they have been m the past.