WEIGHTS AND MEASURES.

Lyttelton Times, Volume III, Issue 127, 11 June 1853, Page 8

WEIGHTS AND MEASURES.

To the Editor of the Lyttelton Times. Sib, —Some months since I read a letter in your paper, headed as above, and from what was stated in it, I anticipated that a Standard would have been adopted for the regulation of Contracts in this Settlement, which is a matter of serious importance, particularly as the transactions are becoming of valuable consideration. The want of a Standard in these important items is the cause of much disputation and unpleasantness ; an instance of which has just.occurred to myself; and as the party, with whom it has arisen, is unwilling to yield in opinion, I avail myself of your Journal to gain information upon the point at issue; and shall feel obliged by either yourself, or some of your readers, affording the necessary information. In the month of January last I agreed with a neighbour to assist in carrying his grain ; I had to find a horse and cart, with aj man, for which he was to pay at the rate of £1 per day; but! instead of money, the payment was to be taken in Oats, at 6s. Bd. per measure, English meastjbe. The Oats were delivered, and an account rendered, but the account being computed at 40 lbs. to the measure, I objected to it, as I considered it was not in accordance with the. contract which particularized English Measure. I stated that by English measure, it was understood to be the measure which was the legal standard, by which the Government of the country collected their duties termed the Imperial; my neighbour maintains that weight has nothing to do with the contents of the measure, and which ever way the Government think proper to collect their duties, it has not anything to do with a contract between buyer and seller, and that if the oats of this colony were measured, not weighed by what is called the Imperial measure, they would not average 40 lbs. to the measure. He takes 40 lbs. as his standard, though he maintains that weight has nothing whatever to do in the transaction, as I stated English Measure without specifying the weight. Prior to leaving England, I had numerous transactions iv the various Grain Markets in the counties of Lancashire, Cheshire, Shropshire, Denbighshire, Flintshire, and Mont- | gomrry, and scarcely in any two of those j markets was there a uniformity as to the number of pounds which constituted the weight of their measure ; but it is there the custom of the trade, if a contract is made in any one of the markets without any specific measure bcir.v stipulated for, that the standard weight measure of that market is considered binding between seller and buyer, but if the buyer in making his contract insists upon the Imperial measure, the seller cannot refuse, but must regulate his price in accordance with the difference in weight between the Local, and Imperial measure. My neighbour will not assent to this, maintaining, that such is not the custom of this place ; it is true that we are now on the

other side of the world, to that to which I refer, and weights and measures may have participated swith many other important matters in this Colony in being turned upside down ; for in the most extensive "grain, market in England from whose tables I quote, which is headed, " The subjoined weights and measures are agreeable to the Imperial Standard," which gives the weight of a measure of oats, 451bs. ; wheat, 701bs ; and in that market if a purchase is made of 10,000 measures, either of one article or the other, it is always delivered by weight of 45 and 701b5., though only in the contract the number of measures is stated. My neighbour wanted to leave the point at issue for the decision of the Christchurch Market Committee, or lay it before the Bench of Magistrates ; but, as he is a member of each, I was not disposed to comply, and as the amount of difference between us was too trifling to admit of wasting a day over, I paid it ; but having done so does not settle the question, my contract was particularised English Meastjbe. What is the meaning of English measure ? is it the measure sanctioned by the Government of England, thereby constituting the legal standard ? if it is, what is the weight of that Legal Standard ? for I maintain every Legal measure, whether solid or fluid, is computed by lbs., ozs,, and scruples, or feet and inches, whatever opinion my neighbour may entertain to the contrary. Waiting your reply, I remain, your's respectfully, John Shand. Avon Lodge, June 6, 1853.

To the Editor of the Lyttelton Times. Sib, —In your paper of last week, when remarking on the Government Auditor's Report of his examination into the accounts of the Canterbury Association, you allude to the impolicy of the Association's having kept silence and withheld information on their affairs. It is but just that it should be made generally known that their Agents here have placed unreservedly in the hands of several gentlemen now engaged on the " Committee on Church matters," the whole series of Despatches which have passed between the offices in the Colony and in London. The object being to enable those gentlemen to select and lay before the whole Committee such of the Despatches as appear likely to afford information on Ecclesiastical and Educational subjects, whether in the matter of Finance or of plans already adopted or proposed for adoption. I am, Sir, Your's obediently, One op the Committee on Chtjbch mattebs. June 1, 1853.