SHORT-WEIGHT FRAUDS

Hokitika Guardian, 13 April 1926, Page 3

SHORT-WEIGHT FRAUDS

BRITISH LEGISLATION. ft i.s anti, ipaled that a Bill to Mop the short-weight .scandals disclosed by the British Food Council will he introduced by the Board of Trade .soon alter Easter. 4 he I’rinip .Minister and the President- of the Board ol Trade into 1 . to lose no time in lodeeming their pledge that il nccesrtiry. strong legislative action will he taken to make the council’s work in disclosing abuses cllective. A special report by the Eood Council, recommends that the giving of short weight, or measure in the sale ot foodstuffs ami oral misrepresentation of weight or measure ,-houhl lie made statutory olfences, Eood which they suggest .should be retailed exclusively by net weight, exaepl, when sold in quantities less than two ounces, is: : Bacon, and haul, butcher's meat, butler, lard, anil niarguine. cheese, Hour, cornllovver, oatmeal, rolled oats, riic, sago, tapioca, sugar, entice, cocoa, coma powder, and chocolate powder, dried heuiis and peas, dried currants, raisins and sultanas. jam. marmalade stud potatoes. MEAT DELIVERY. Butcher’s meat, when delivered at the door, the report adds, should he accom|onied by a. legible- statement ot the net weight, and power should I given to inspectors to weigh the contents of packages on the premises ol wholesalers, packers, and importers, as well as of retailers. Other recommendations are: Fresh milk, except when sold in single pennyworths or less, to he retailed only by imperial measure, ami in quantities ol hnll-a-pint or niiiltiples of hall'-a-pint. ,\ll price and weight figures to he clear and conspicuous, and not- calculated to deceive. Counter 'appliances to he in such a position that the purchaser can read all indications of weight or measurement. An instance is mentioned by the council where 73 per cent, of a firm’s milk bottles were found too sman

hold a pint. On a ih,leiilation based on the firm's own returns, and on the assumption that only 50 per cent, were deficient, that firm would make an extra profit by short measure alone; o £I4OO n vo.ir.

•‘The local authorities of the country,” adds the report, -‘who have had this subject, under observation for years past, are emphatically of the opinion that protective legislation urgently called for, and, is indeed long overdue," The council was not impressed by the evidence of the Federation of Grocers’ Associations of the United Kingdom, whose memorandum giving the considered views of the Federation, “contained statements which they could not justify and which, on examination. they found it ncce.wry to modify or withdraw.

The Federation’s witnesses seemed to l-ely-oil proposal!* for further inquiry and delay, ami to lip quite unnecessarily apprehensive to the effect on their trade of proposals which experience fitis already shown to be pio(luotivc of nothing hut good results. Similarly, the council was ‘ not at all impressed by the evidence of the English Grocers’ Federation" that the customer who goes into a shop to buy jam does not believe bo is obtaining a. lib. or 211>. pot. but selects “a shilling ytr" or a “two-shilling jai. The practice of giving short measure in milk the council considers “astonishingly prevalent." and it suggests that special legislation to prevent this form of fraud is urgently needed.”