There are in use in Wisconsin creameries, cheese factories, condenseries, and milk and cream buying stations approximately 10,000 scales, valued at more than $350,000. These 10,000 scales may for their consideration be divided into four general groups, as follows: About 4,200 used exclusively for weighing milk or cream purchased; about 3,410 used for weighing the butter and cheese before shipment or sale; about 1,415 used for cream and milk testing; about 975 used for the testing of moisture in butter and cheese, 675 being used for butter and 300 for cheese.

Upwards of four billion pounds of milk and cream, valued at ninety millions of dollars, are weighed annually over the 4,200 scales first mentioned, or an average of 952,380 pounds, having a value of $21,430, for each scale. If a discrepancy of 1 per cent, or 1 pound on 100, occur in any of these scales, it means a loss or gain of $214.26 to the operator of each scale so in error.

A general notion of the work of the 3,410 counter scales can be gained from the following statements: In 1923 Wisconsin produced approximately 300,000,000 pounds of cheese, valued at $60,000,000, to transport which 12,500 freight cars would be required, making 250 trains of 50 cars each, or 98 miles of trains. If all of this cheese were made into the type of cheese known as Long Horns and placed end to end, it would make 24 rows of cheese 180 miles long, or a belt 12 feet wide made of cheese 6 inches in diameter. This amount of cheese put into a solid mass would cover a space 300 feet square, or 90,000 square feet, to a height of 590 feet. The necessity for accuracy of scales required to do such a vast amount of this kind of work need scarcely be dwelt upon.

The correct percentage of the moisture content of 138,693,322 pounds or more of butter is determined annually by the careful weighings of 10-gram samples on the 675 moisture scales in use in the butter factories. An error of one-half of 1 per cent in these scales might cause a loss or a fine to the operator, as this error means a discrepancy of $285,000, or $422 for each scale. If an error sufficient to cause a reading of 1 per cent less than correct were in the 1.415 scales used for cream testing, the loss to sellers would be $1.990.249, or $1.406 for each scale. As the cream-test scales are the most important from a monetary standpoint, they are given fuller discussion than some of the other scales.

There was a time when an 18 cubic centimeter cream pipette was considered sufficiently accurate to use in making cream determinations, but when it became known that such a pipette would deliver 17.9 grams of a 10 per cent cream and only 15.8 grams of a 50 per cent cream, the cream pipette was replaced by various types of cream-test scales The wide range in the specific gravity of cream showed the unreliability of the use of a pipette. Every intelligent creamery man is now aware of this. But it is not so generally known that errors approximately as great as those obtained through the use of the cream pipette may be obtained by the use of inaccurate and insensitive cream-test scales.

The better class of books on the testing of cream give minute explanations to the operator concerning various ways in which mistakes or errors in the reading of the fat content of the cream are made, the proper temperature at which to take readings, the proper method of reading the meniscus, the strength of the acid to be used,

and the number of revolutions to be made by the centrifuge. These and other essential details are described, but little or nothing has ever been published with regard to the errors that arise through the use of inaccurate cream-test scales, and, consequently, of the means of correcting them.

Investigations show that many of the mistakes made in creameries in determining the fat content of cream are due, not simply to the causes enumerated in the paragraph above but to the use of scales of improper construction. Frequently creamerymen find themselves unable to duplicate tests in the determination of the per cent of butter fat in cream. Frequently farmers send their cream to the State dairy and food commission, to the university, or to the county training schools for analysis, and the results obtained differ from the readings given at the factory. In some instances, this difference has been found to be due to the use of cream-test scales that were not sufficiently sensitive.

For the purpose of determining what types of cream-test scales were the most accurate and the best adapted to weighing an 18-gram sample of cream, State inspectors of weights and measures were sent to various creameries of the State to inspect the scales in use and to check up the weights obtained upon such scales by the creamerymen. The buttermaker at the creamery was asked to weigh a given number of samples of cream on his scale, following the methods pursued by him in his daily work at the factory. In practically every instance, greater than usual care was taken in making the weighings. The bottles containing the samples of cream were then securely corked and brought to the office of the State department of weights and measures at Madison, where they were reweighed on a delicate Becker office balance sensitive to 0.1 milligram. The results were so surprising that a table was prepared and published in a bulletin issued in 1914. This table revealed the fact that the more sensitive the scale the smaller the error resulting in weighing the cream. In one instance the error or variation in duplicate tests amounted to 3.5 per cent. In another test the variation was only 0.31 per cent. The first scale had a sensitiveness of 9 grains whereas the latter was sensitive to one-third of a grain. In another set of tests 9-gram samples were weighed instead of 18-gram samples, and the variation was 9.64 per cent. It is clear from this that the smaller the charge the greater will be the percentage of error accruing through the use of a sluggish scale. If a 9-gram sample had been taken in the first tests mentioned, the variation in duplicate tests would undoubtedly have been about 7 per cent. Innumerable cases were found where scales were in daily use for weighing samples of cream that had a sensibility reciprocal of from 3 to 10 grains. Few scales were found with a sensibility reciprocal of 1 grain as provided for in our present tolerances and specifications.

Cream-test and moisture-test scales were found in use where the vibrations due to the movement of the machinery were excessive; in one instance the test scale was placed on top of the centrifuge by the operator and samples weighed while the centrifuge was in motion. In some cases the scales were left exposed in a damp room and were covered with rust; in other cases dirt and dust had accumulated on the bearings. Little regard had been given to the placing of the

scales upon a level surface, and while weighing was being done the scales were often exposed to currents of air.

The first systematic inspections that were made showed that 70 per cent of all the cream-test scales were extremely faulty, and of those that were fairly accurate only a few were used properly. The first field inspections showed that a very large percentage of the scales used for weighing the milk and cream purchased were faulty; rusty, worn bearings, broken pivots, home-made loops and weights were in evidence in a great many factories; scales were improperly placed and improperly used; and frequently scales were made to do service as trucks. Oftentimes, the scales were placed on a slant so that the milk or cream would drain out of the weigh can, and nails were commonly used for balancing. In a few cases salt had been placed in the bearings to keep them from freezing together during the cold weather. Counter scales were found in much the same condition as the intake scales. This is only a glimpse of the many causes of the defective conditions found, but having found_these causes, we were prepared to apply the remedy. In other words, accuracy must be secured before it can be maintained. Therefore, the first condition to be sought for the maintenance of accuracy of scales in creameries is to get good scales into the factories. You must catch the hare before you can cook it.

Not all of the manufacturers were making cream-test and moisture-test scales that would comply with the tolerances and specifications issued; consequently, changes had to be made by them. In. order that correct types of cream-test and moisture-test scales would reach the factories, manufacturers were requested to send all of these types of scales to the office at Madison for test. If they were found nonstandard, they were returned to the seller at once. This rather drastic measure soon had the effect desired and the cooperation of the manufacturers was secured.

This plan was not feasible with regard to the larger scales, however, and it did not afford opportunity for supervisional work in the places where the scales were used; and this supervisional work was absolutely necessary to maintain accuracy. A large percentage of the factories are located in the country away from the railroad, and it was impossible for the regular weights and measures men to visit these factories often enough to properly supervise the use of the scales; fortunately, Wisconsin had creamery and cheese factory inspectors making these establishments, and the experiment (which proved successful) of having these inspectors test and supervise the use of the scales, was put into effect. At the present time the creamery and cheese factory inspectors test all scales in country factories, and the regular weights and measures inspectors do the testing in railroad towns. With this system in effect the percentage of incorrect scales was reduced from 70 to less than 11 per cent in two years; at the present time it is only about 5 per cent. In other words, there has been a reduction of approximately 93 per cent in the percentage of inaccurate scales.

There are many factors necessary to maintain accuracy in scales in creameries and allied establishments, and I shall attempt to enumerate only the ones which, in my opinion, are the most essential.

As before stated, the first requisite is a good scale suited to the use for which it is intended. Next in importance is frequent inspection and supervision by competent inspectors; the supervision necessitates considerable knowledge of the dairy business by the inspector.

An effective method of dealing with owners of scales is to touch their pocketbooks, and inspectors can demonstrate to owners of scales in creameries the effect of rust upon such scales; they can easily show that the life of a scale will be at least doubled by proper care and preventing of rust. A $350,000 investment certainly warrants attention and care. Suggestions have already been made as to placing of scales on level surfaces and to the necessity of keeping them clean. In most factories steam is used, and with a minimum of expense a steam hose can be used thoroughly to steam the intake and counter scales after cleaning, so that they will quickly dry, thus preventing rust. The smaller scales if placed in a fairly dry room and the bearings wiped with an oil-saturated cloth will not rust.

Scales are condemned by the inspectors just as soon as the sensibility limit has been reached, and the owners are left a blank to be filled out, showing the disposition made of such condemned apparatus. Such blank is sent to the weights and measures office and the office in turn refers the matter to the inspector in the territory, who then makes a reinspection. The owners soon realize, by experience, that time spent in properly attending to their scales is most profitable. Beyond successful controversy, the one predominating factor in the maintenance of accuracy of scales in creameries is frequent, competent inspection and supervision.

Eternal vigilance is the price not only of liberty but of accuracy of scales in creameries as well as elsewhere.

DISCUSSION OF ABOVE PAPER

The CHAIRMAN. Mr. Emery has given us an interesting account of the increase in accuracy of creamery scales. Does any one wish to discuss Mr. Emery's paper or ask him any questions?

Mr. SIREN. I would like to ask Mr. Emery a question in regard to butter-whether it is short weight in Wisconsin as it is in Louisiana? As an average, I never have found it overweight; it is always underweight.

Mr. EMERY. If we find it short weight in Wisconsin we prosecute. Mr. SIREN. I have weighed considerable butter shipped into Louisiana and sold in pound prints, quartered, and I always find it short weight, sometimes as much as one-half ounce to the quarter, which would make it 2 ounces short to the pound. They tell me that butter in prints is never weighed, but that it is cut like cheese. Mr. EMERY. Some years ago in Wisconsin they had the practice of selling butter in "called pounds," but that has not been the practice since the weights and measures law has been in operation. In regard to the application of the law to the fact that the butter is shipped into Mr. Siren's State, I will say that so long as any transaction takes place in Wisconsin it is in my jurisdiction, and, as I have said, I prosecute wherever there is a violation of our laws. When it comes to Louisiana it is in the jurisdiction of Louisiana.

Mr. BULSON. We had the same situation in our county in New York, but a remedy was applied which is working out very nicely. Some years ago we found butter short weight, and when the dealers found it would not comply with the New York State law they sent it back to the manufacturers. We have several creameries in our county, and once a month we check up on each creamery, not only in my county but in adjoining counties, and in the past year I have never found any short butter to amount to anything; it is all within the tolerances. There have sometimes been cases where manufacturers got in trouble because of the manner in which the butter was produced, especially in relation to the salting operation. I am not an expert butter maker. However, I watched the manufacture of butter in two different creameries and noted the results. In one case the butter was taken from the churn and at once washed, salted, and printed. I personally took 48 prints of it, weighed them and put them in a locker and locked them up. After about 10 hours I took the butter out and reweighed it and it had lost 11⁄2 ounces to the brick. In another creamery this method was followed: The butter was churned in the morning about 9 o'clock and was salted and left in the churn until 3 o'clock in the afternoon, when it was taken out, printed, and prepared for the market. I weighed some prints of this product and then locked them up for a period of 24 hours. This butter did not shrink appreciably in 24 hours. I think that the salt unites with the water in the butter and some drains off in a brine, and that by allowing the butter to lay for a short time when worked this loss occurs before the printing. All butter makers who follow the latter practice get away from trouble due to shrinkage. However, there are some creameries who hire the man who can get the most butter out of the cream.

Mr. SIREN. The butter apparently is never weighed, but is cut. The cutters are all right if the butter is firm and if no airholes are in it. I have also found butter in tubs which weighed 2 or 3 pounds less than marked.

Mr. MCGRADY. Mr. Chairman, in Pennsylvania we do not care where the butter comes from, whether from Wisconsin or New York or anywhere else. If we find a man consistently selling short-weight butter, we tell him that the mayor desires to see him in the morning.

Mr. EGAN. Mr. Chairman, I believe the remedy indicated by Mr. Emery is the right remedy in this matter of short-weight butter. Some years ago after we had about 10 or 12 prosecutions around in different towns for short-weight butter, I had a conference with the storage man handling it and he returned 6,900 pounds of butter to Illinois. All of it was about 1 ounce a pound short, and we have not had any trouble since from short-weight butter from Illinois or any other State. I think prosecutions will put an end to that kind of thing. I think that could be done anywhere.

Mr. SIREN. I do not think you should prosecute; I think you ought to confiscate the goods. I believe it is wrong to convict the local man who sells it, since he is not primarily responsible.

Mr. Lock. I am in the same predicament as our friend from Louisiana. I have in mind some short-weight butter which came