circular will attempt to show some of the advantages of their use. Measuring instruments for household use which are automatic, or which may easily be operated without special training are becoming more and more available.

5. Household Measuring Appliances

A large variety of measuring appliances are used in connection with the household work. (See Fig. 1.) A description of the kinds of appliances will be found in more or less detail in the several sections of this circular; they include the following groups:

1. A test set of weights and measures for checking purchases and other purposes.

2. Meters for measuring the delivery for household use of gas, water, and electricity.

3. Special measuring instruments, such as thermometers, hygrometers, barometers, hydrometers, and time pieces, for measuring temperature, moisture, pressure, density, and time.

4. Special measures used in cooking.

The efficient management of the modern household is greatly promoted by the careful use of well-selected measuring appliances, and one of the purposes of this circular is to guide the housewife in the selection and use of such appliances.

6. Educational Value of Household Measurements

Apart from the direct use of the results of measurements in the household, they are, when properly made, of educational value. Hazy ideas of process and dimension become clear and definiteness of thought is gained. Opportunities for measurement are a means of education for children which should not be ignored. The habit of thinking in terms of units and definite quantities can not fail to increase the efficiency of the individual and the household. The practical measurement of purchases may be made a means of education in appreciating and estimating quantities. Boys may easily construct rough measuring instruments and devise methods of measurement of such things as air pressure, wind velocity, temperature, etc. The measurement of areas and volumes of rooms; the heights and weights of individuals; of the growth of children, etc. are all matters which lend themselves to educational uses. Some of the information given in the chapters of this

circular, for example, on light, on gas meters, on the use of clocks, on humidity, etc., may lead to observations and experiments of considerable educational value. In general, it may be said that the educational and other uses of household measurements are almost unlimited and but little realized.

7. Units and Tables

In the appendix will be found tables of units and special data regarding measurements. Many of the units used are somewhat vague and in some cases the terms are ambiguous. For example, the ounce used in the drug store is not the same as the ounce used in the grocery store, even when the same commodity is purchased, and the fluid ounce is different from either, and is not a weight at all. It will thus be seen that for more careful work in connection with measurements the exact value of the units used should be clearly known. The growing use of the metric system throughout the world is rapidly introducing simplicity and definiteness in place of existing confusion, since in that system there is but one name for each unit and the unit has but one value throughout the world. Since the American Pharmacopoeia now uses the metric system as the only system of measurement in the formulas for drugs and medicines, a knowledge of the metric system is increasingly desirable, especially in connection with the prescription and use of medicine and other compounds. In domestic science and related sciences the knowledge of the metric system is indispensable to the best work, since everywhere the more technical aspects of these subjects usually involve the use of the metric system. A pamphlet descriptive of the metric system may be obtained upon application to this Bureau.

8. Revision Notice

A revised edition of this circular is in preparation and the cooperation of all interested is invited to make it as useful as possible. Suggestions will be gladly welcomed and correspondence on the subject is invited. The Bureau will be pleased to answer specific questions on the subject of the circular.

II. COMMODITIES

1. Measurement as a Factor in Purchasing

Many careful housewives scrutinize the apparent prices charged for the various commodities and the quality of goods delivered. But unless the quantity actually delivered is determined, the actual cost price of the commodities is not ascertained. Dishonest merchants may attract trade by quoting prices lower than the prevailing market price and then, by delivering amounts short in weight or measure, actually receive either the full market price or even an enhanced price for the commodity. Not only do such merchants make illegal profits on their goods in this way, but they also attract trade to the detriment of merchants who quote a higher price but deliver full amounts and whose goods may therefore be even cheaper to the buyer than those of the dishonest competitor.

2. The Elimination of False Measure

When fraudulent short weight or measure is discovered the purchaser should take steps to have the offender punished, even if the loss on the individual purchase is small, since other losses from this cause may be important in the aggregate. To fail to do this neglects the rights of other purchasers at that store who may not have detected short weight or measure delivered to them, and also the right of the honest merchant to protection, since his trade may be taken away on account of prices in his competitor's store, which are apparently, but not actually lower ones. When any purchaser finds that short weight or measure is being delivered by any tradesman, a complaint should be made to the local sealer or inspector of weights and measures, and details of the imposition given. It is then the duty of the latter to prevent further fraud by this tradesman. Only by concerted action of purchasers can dishonest practices of this kind be completely checked.

This course might be more often followed were it not for the fact that the average woman objects, and rightly objects, to appearing in municipal court as complainant or witness in the ac

tion. But this is not necessary. The official receiving such a complaint need not take action upon the facts of the particular case or cases presented. Its only effect may be the pointing out of a merchant whose business methods are questionable, and he may then proceed to obtain information and evidence on his own account. If upon investigation he is unable to gather evidence of fraud, it indicates that the shortages discovered may have been accidental and not the general rule; but if he does obtain such evidence he may safely proceed on the assumption that the frauds are deliberate ones, and his duty to proceed against the merchant and to remedy conditions by legal action will be clear. 3. National Net-Content-of-Container Law

Congress recently enacted a law which is a very great aid in the buying of foodstuffs in package form. This law is an amendment to the pure-food act, and is popularly known as the "net-weight amendment." In brief, it requires that foodstuffs in package form must bear a statement showing the net amount of commodity actually contained in the package. Up to this time, in purchasing food commodities in the original package, the housewife has usually been limited to comparisons of quality and apparent price, which is of course the price per package. In comparing two brands of a food in packages of equal size these comparisons were trustworthy. When there was a difference in the size of package, however, economy in buying could not be obtained from a knowledge of these two factors alone. (See Fig. 8.) There might be a large difference in price per unit of quantity which would outweigh an apparent difference in price per package, or slight difference in the quality; but with the quantity labeled upon each package the purchaser has all essential facts at hand to compare unit prices.

Thus, we may compare two brands of package goods. Two packages of raisins sell for 10 cents and 12 cents per package, respectively. The purchaser might consider that the 12-cent brand was worth 2 cents (or 20 per cent) more than the 10-cent brand, but upon examination of the labels, however, if it appeared that the former contained 16 ounces and the latter only 12 ounces, he might conclude that the difference in price outweighed the advantages conceded for the higher priced package.