Collection LCC/PC/WM - PUBLIC CONTROL DEPARTMENT: WEIGHTS AND MEASURES AND GAS TESTING

Identity area

Reference code

LCC/PC/WM

Title

PUBLIC CONTROL DEPARTMENT: WEIGHTS AND MEASURES AND GAS TESTING

Date(s)

  • 1888-1972 (Creation)

Level of description

Collection

Extent and medium

1.66 linear metres

Context area

Name of creator

Biographical history

The term 'public control', as used in the Council's organisation, embraced various services of a regulative character, mostly exercised by some form of licensing control. Largely unobtrusive in their operation, and producing no spectacular effects, they were all carried out in the public interest and, in some respects, for the protection of the public or certain sections of it.

Their administration was conditioned by trends in the legislative provisions under which they were operated, by shifts and changes in social usages, and by the development of the Council's policies towards the matters to which they related.

The Council was the weights and measures authority for the County of London (excluding the City) and employed twenty-three duly qualified inspectors and five authorised coal officers. Four area offices were maintained at which a large quantity of very accurate equipment was kept, including standard measures, fine balances, public weighbridges, a weighbridge testing vehicle, and machines for testing and stamping glass measures.

Increases in the sale of prepacked goods had an effect on legislation. Statutory regulations in 1957 made it an offence to sell any prepackaged food, with certain exceptions, unless the wrapper was legibly marked with a true statement of the contents. During the year 1962-1963 the Council's inspectors examined 537,000 articles of food at 14,000 premises.

Archival history

LCC/PC/WM 1888-1972 Collection 1.66 linear metres LCC , London County Council x London County Council

The term 'public control', as used in the Council's organisation, embraced various services of a regulative character, mostly exercised by some form of licensing control. Largely unobtrusive in their operation, and producing no spectacular effects, they were all carried out in the public interest and, in some respects, for the protection of the public or certain sections of it.

Their administration was conditioned by trends in the legislative provisions under which they were operated, by shifts and changes in social usages, and by the development of the Council's policies towards the matters to which they related.

The Council was the weights and measures authority for the County of London (excluding the City) and employed twenty-three duly qualified inspectors and five authorised coal officers. Four area offices were maintained at which a large quantity of very accurate equipment was kept, including standard measures, fine balances, public weighbridges, a weighbridge testing vehicle, and machines for testing and stamping glass measures.

Increases in the sale of prepacked goods had an effect on legislation. Statutory regulations in 1957 made it an offence to sell any prepackaged food, with certain exceptions, unless the wrapper was legibly marked with a true statement of the contents. During the year 1962-1963 the Council's inspectors examined 537,000 articles of food at 14,000 premises.

Acquired with the records of its parent body, the London County Council.

Records of the London County Council Public Control Department relating to weights and measures and gas testing, 1888-1972, including records of Daily Gas Testing; Gas Testing Weekly Returns; reports and conferences relating to gas supply; quarterly reports of the Chief gas examiner; quarterly reports by the LCC chemist and reports regarding the Weights and Measures Acts.

Samples of records including journal of weights, measures, weighing and measuring instruments submitted for verification and fees received by the inspector of weights and measures; journal of fines; certificates of measures verified; certificates of weighing on a public weighbridge; certificates for weighing mechanically propelled vehicles; receipts of glassware for testing; glass-testing book; public notice concerning Publicans' Glass Measures; public notice concerning Sale of Bread; standards and testing of gasholders testing sand-blast machines; papers relating to the re-verification of local standards, scale-beams, and so on with the Board of Trade.

LCC/PC/WM/01: Registers; LCC/PC/WM/02: Reports; LCC/PC/WM/03: Samples of certificates and notices; LCC/PC/WM/04: Standards.

Available for general access.

Copyright: City of London
English

Fit

Please see online catalogues at: http://search.lma.gov.uk/opac_lma/index.htm

For further information on the history of the LCC please see Achievement: A Short History of the London County Council by W Eric Jackson (1965), LMA Library reference 18.0 1965, The London County Council 1938, LMA Library reference 18.7 SER 4, and The Youngest County: A description of London as a county and its public services, 1951, LMA Library reference 18.0 1951.

Compiled in compliance with General International Standard Archival Description, ISAD(G), second edition, 2000; National Council on Archives Rules for the Construction of Personal, Place and Corporate Names, 1997. April to June 2009 Information sciences Communications media Publications Serials Standards Management Business management Business practice and regulation Regulation Law Legislation Power industry Gas industry Gas utilities Equipment Scientific equipment Measuring instruments Fuels Gas fuels Industry Manufacturing industry Glass industry Metrology Measurement Scientific methods LCC , London County Council x London County Council Public Control Department , London County Council Board of Trade x Department of Trade London England UK Western Europe Europe

Immediate source of acquisition or transfer

Acquired with the records of its parent body, the London County Council.

Content and structure area

Scope and content

Records of the London County Council Public Control Department relating to weights and measures and gas testing, 1888-1972, including records of Daily Gas Testing; Gas Testing Weekly Returns; reports and conferences relating to gas supply; quarterly reports of the Chief gas examiner; quarterly reports by the LCC chemist and reports regarding the Weights and Measures Acts.

Samples of records including journal of weights, measures, weighing and measuring instruments submitted for verification and fees received by the inspector of weights and measures; journal of fines; certificates of measures verified; certificates of weighing on a public weighbridge; certificates for weighing mechanically propelled vehicles; receipts of glassware for testing; glass-testing book; public notice concerning Publicans' Glass Measures; public notice concerning Sale of Bread; standards and testing of gasholders testing sand-blast machines; papers relating to the re-verification of local standards, scale-beams, and so on with the Board of Trade.

Appraisal, destruction and scheduling

Accruals

System of arrangement

LCC/PC/WM/01: Registers; LCC/PC/WM/02: Reports; LCC/PC/WM/03: Samples of certificates and notices; LCC/PC/WM/04: Standards.

Conditions of access and use area

Conditions governing access

Available for general access.

Conditions governing reproduction

Copyright: City of London

Language of material

  • English

Script of material

  • Latin

Language and script notes

English

Physical characteristics and technical requirements

Finding aids

Please see online catalogues at: http://search.lma.gov.uk/opac_lma/index.htm

Allied materials area

Existence and location of originals

Existence and location of copies

Related units of description

Related descriptions

Publication note

Notes area

Note

Alternative identifier(s)

Access points

Place access points

Name access points

Genre access points

Description control area

Description identifier

Institution identifier

London Metropolitan Archives

Rules and/or conventions used

Compiled in compliance with General International Standard Archival Description, ISAD(G), second edition, 2000; National Council on Archives Rules for the Construction of Personal, Place and Corporate Names, 1997.

Status

Level of detail

Dates of creation revision deletion

Language(s)

  • English

Script(s)

    Sources

    Accession area