Document: Ordinance|Director General and Council concerning weights and measures

Seeing, that former orders concerning measures and weights are not observed by some, whereby the good inhabitants are greatly defrauded, the Director General and Council inform all wholesale and retail merchants, also bakers and others, who sell by the ell,* measure or weight, not to use in delivering or receiving any other ell, weight or measure, than that of Amsterdam and that everything may be done decently, the Director General and Council advise all inhabitants and traders to procure between now and the first of August next coming genuine Amsterdam ells, measures and weights. In the meantime those, who at present have some weights, must bring them to the Company's Warehouse in Fort Amsterdam, to be weighed and measured there, so that in the future nobody of our people may suffer any loss: and that everything may be taken to heart and observed by everybody with so much greater zeal, we charge and authorize herewith the Fiscal Hendrick van Dyck to inspect after the 1st of August next coming all ells, weights and measures as often, as he thinks fit and whoever then shall be found, not to use a just ell, weight or measure, shall pay such a fine, as is imposed in such cases in the Fatherland.  Resolved at the meeting in N. Amsterdam in N.N. July 17 and published July 19, 1649.

*Two feet.