False Weights and Measures

IT is the duty of all Municipal Councils to authorise some body to inspect bazaars and examine the weights and balances used by tradesmen. At the present time when prices rule high and every kind of device is adopted to sell goods at a slightly lower price, tradesman are tempted to use false weights and balances which 99 out 100 buyers cannot detect themselves. In this way systematic fraud is practised, and the bulk of the people suffer doubly. We doubt if the Lahore Municipality has made a periodical inspection of the weights and balances used, for in one of the largest mundies the salesman use bricks and stones regularly, and nobody knows whether they represent any standard weights. Many firewood sellers are seen use stones and lumps of iron waste supposed to represent definite weights and they do not bear any stamp of inspection.