Chapter I Chapter I

Preliminary

Short title, extent and commencement.--(1) This Act may be called the Madras Weights and Measures (Enforcement) Act, 1958.

1. (2) It extends to the whole of the State of Madras.
2. (3) It shall come into force on such date as the Government may, by notification, appoint ; and different dates may be appointed for different provisions of this Act or for different areas or for different classes of undertakings or for different classes of goods.

Definitions.--In this Act, unless the context otherwise requires,-

1. (a) "commercial weight or measure" means a weight or measure purporting to be a standard weight or measure used in any transaction for trade, business or commerce ;
2. (b) "Controller" means the Controller of Weights and Measures appointed under section 15 ;
3. (c) "Government" means the Chief Commissioner, Pondicherry ;
4. (d) "Inspector" means an Inspector of Weights and Measures appointed under section 15 ;
5. (e) "measuring instrument" means any measuring instrument other than a weighing instrument and includes any instrument for measuring length, area, volume or capacity ;
6. (f) "Mint" means the mint of the Central Government either in Bombay or in Calcutta ;
7. (g) "reference standards" means the sets of standard weights and measures supplied to the Government by the Central Government in pursuance of sub-section

1. (2) of section 15 of the Standards of Weights and Measures Act, 1956 (Central Act 89 of 1956) ;
   • (h) "stamping" means marking in such manner as to be so far as practicable, indelible and includes casting, engraving, etching and branding ;
     • (i) "sealed package or container" means a closed packet, bottle, casket, tin barrel, case, receptacle, bag, sack, wrapper or other things in which any article is placed or packed and which is intended to be sold with its contents, without any weighment or measurement of such contents at the time of sale ;
   • (j) "standard weight or measure" means any unit of mass or measure referred to in sub-section
2. (1) of section 13 of the Standards of Weights and Measures Act, 1956 (Central Act 89 of 1956), and includes any other weight or measure permitted to be used by the Central Government in pursuance of sub-section
3. (1) of section 14 of the said Act ;
   • (k) "verification" with its grammatical variations used with reference to a weight or measure or weighing or measuring instrument, includes the process of comparing, checking or testing such weight or measure or weighing or measuring instrument and also includes re-verification ;
   • (l) "weighing instrument" means any instrument for weighing and includes scales with the weights belonging thereto, scale-beams, balances, spring balances, steel yards and other weighing machines;
   • (m) "use in transaction for trade or commerce" means use for the purpose of determining or declaring the quantity of anything in terms of measurement of length, area, volume, capacity or weight in or in connection with-
     • (i) any contract, whether by way of sale, purchase, exchange or otherwise ; or
     • (ii) any assessment of royalty, toll, duty or other dues ; or
     • (iii) the assessment of any work done or services rendered, otherwise than in relation to research or scientific studies or individual households for household purposes.