SALE OF GOODS

Evening Post, Volume CXII, Issue 125, 23 November 1926, Page 11

SALE OF GOODS

WEIGHTS AND MEASURES

UNIFORMITY AIMED AT

PROTECTION FOR THE PUBLIC,

The Weights and Measures Act, 1925, designed to make better provision for the sale of goods by weight and measurement, is to come into force on Ist January, and the Labour Department has drafted regulations which have been submitted to traders and others concerned for consideration so that suggestions for possible improvement of tho proposals may be made in good time. In the replies received by the Department, general approval is expressed of the idea of standardisation of weights and measures with a view to Dominion uniformity. The Act hitherto in force has required merely that weighing and measuring appliances used for trade purposes shall be correct, and when found correct by the inspectors shall be stamped by them. It has not been made an offence to sell short weight or measure, nor has the Act purported to control in any other way the manner in which goods may be weighed or measured. The Sale of Foods and Drugs Act, 1908, and the regulations issued thereunder, however, make provision to ensure the sale of correct weight and measure of certain foods and drugs, and these provisions are still in force. Tho regulations under tho new Weights and Measures Act are based upon those in operation in England, South Africa, and in New South Wales, while a large number of the clauses in the present New Zealand law aro also embodied. For tho most part, the New South AVales regulations have been used. NO SHORT WEIGHT. The new Act requires, in addition to correct weighing "and measuring appliances, that no goods shall be sold short of the weight or measure demanded or represented; that goods sold by retail by -weight or measure shall, except those specially exempted by regulation, be sold only by net weight or measure: that where goods coming under the latter category 'are delivered, the seller shall, except in the case of exempted goods, or goods weighed or measured at the purchaser's premises, furnish an invoice or delivery note showing the netweight or measure; and that wherf goods are sold or exhibited for sale by retail already made up in a package at the seller's shop, the net weight or mea sure must be legibly shown thereon. In the case of goods whose weight may vary on account of climatic conditions the words "Net weight when packed must be shown on the package. Retail ers are required to have approved weighing or measuring machines so plae ed in their shops as to be easily seen by customers. The proposed regulations' permit, as in Great Britain and other countries, of a certain maximum margin or error in weighing and measuring appliances. The regulations consist of seven parts. The second deals with the stamping of weighing and measuring instruments by the inspectors, and part 3 with the verification of apparatus, the standardisation of weights, and the kinds of instrui ments and measures of length, capacity, etc., that may be used for various purposes. Special instruments are required for certain goods, such as petrol, leather, etc. Part 4 is a table of weights and measures that may be used, errors permissible on verification, etc.; in the fifth part certain goods are listed which are exempted from sale by net weight, and the standardisation of packages of certain goods is the object of part 6. Part 7 deals with the sale of firewood, coke, and coal. In response to advertisements and circulars a number of representations have been made to the Department suggesting modifications of the proposed regulations, but no great alteration of the proposals is involved in any of the requests. The representations are to be submitted to the Minister of Labour for consideration before the regulations are put into final shape for publication in the "Gazette." CLEARANCE OF OLD STOCKS.

Some retailers arc naturally concerned about the clearance of stocks of goods which do not comply with certain requirements of tho regulations. For instance, section 39 of tho Act empowers the making of regulations under which all goods specified therein shall be sold in the prescribed net weights or measures, and not otherwise; for example, lib, Jib, Jib. Under this provision a full pound weight must be given instead of 14 or 15 ounces. It ia pointed out, however, that a period of six months is allowed to traders after the gazetting of the regulations before this particular clause shall come into operation. Certain dealers have asked for a longer period to enable them to dispose of existing stocks, and these requests probably will be reasonably met. Eegarding the question of selling coal in standard weights or quantities, it is found that practice varies in different parts of the Dominion. For example, in the flat parts of the country the bags usually contain 186 2-31b (twelve bags to the ton), while in Wellington the hundredweight bag is used (twenty bags to the ton). It is probable that local requirements will be met by slight alterations in the regulations, providing for local districts to. continue to sell coal according to the custom which has grown up in local districts. There appears to bo fairly general recognition that the new regulations are designed in the interests of legitimate traders, giving them protection against the competition of those who are less scrupulous in the conduct of their business, as well as of the general public. The present system in some cases of selling certain articles according to the gross weight—contents plus container —gives opportunity for abuses or anomalies which the regulations seek to abolish. For instance, while ono trader may find it necessary to raise tho price of a pound of an article such as tea, treacle, or some other commodity commonly put up in packet or tin form, his competitor may reduce the weight of tho pound to fifteen ounces and sell at the same price as before, thereby undercutting in price. Then, perhaps, when the majority have fallen into line in order to compete on tho same ground, the fifteen ounce package may be further reduced in weight to fourteen ounces, and so on. Bona fide traders are anxious to see a uniform standard fixed so that tho public may know that a pound is a full pound, and not loss. Another interesting example is afforded in the case of cartons for cream. Many of these containers hold about one-fifth less than the full measurement. This shortago is no doubt mado for the purpose of paying for the cost of the carton, but it will be realised that that cost is more than compensated for in the case of the larger cartons.

DIFFICULTIES TO BE MET. The Act will not apply immediately to all classes of goods, and various classes will be affected as inquiries are made by the Department. Commodities which will come under the control of the regulations straight away aro chiefly those of most common household use. Obviously, in the case of many classes of goodii considerable difficulty will be met with before the standardisation system can be perfected. One difficulty will be in regard to articles , manufactured overseas, put up in a

form which may contravene the regulations. In some cases the manufacturers might have to scrap machinery in order to comply with Dominion requirements, and it might not be possible for exporters from other countries to alter their plan to meet the requirements of a small country such as New Zealand.