The Standards of Weight Act, 1939 (Act No. IX of 1939)

Updated: Monday August 31, 2015/AlEthnien Thoul Ki'dah 17, 1436/Somavara Bhadra 09, 1937, at 08:51:48 PM

The Standards of Weight Act, 1939

¹ACT No. IX OF 1939

[28th March, 1939]

An Act to establish standards of weight throughout ²[Pakistan]

WHEREAS it is expedient to establish standards of weight throughout ²[Pakistan];

It is hereby enacted as follows:---

1. Short title, extent and commencement.^__(1) This Act may be called the Standards of Weight Act, 1939.

³[(2) It extends to the whole of Pakistan.]

(3) It shall come into force on such date⁴ as the ⁵[Federal Government] may, by notification in the official Gazette, appoint.

2. Unit for weight.^__(1) The unit for weight shall be the standard grain, that is to say, that weight which when multiplied by 1799.84585 is the weight in vacuo of the iridio‑platinum cylinder in the custody of the ⁶[Mint Master, Lahore], certified by the Standards Department of the British Board of Trade as having a weight of 1799.84585 grains in vacuo.

(2) The standard grain shall be the only unit from which all other standard weights shall be ascertained.

3. Standard weights.^__ (1) There shall be the following standard weights, namely:‑--

(a) the standard tola, being a weight of 180 standard grains;

¹For Statement of Objects and Reasons, see Gazette of India, 1939, Pt. V, page 18.

This Act has been applied to Baluchistan, see Gazette of India, 1939, Pt. I, page 1450.

The Act and Rules framed there under were applied to Tribal Areas beyond the Western and Northern boundaries of the N. W.F.P. subject to any amendments which the Acts and Rules made thereunder are for the time being subject in the N.W.F.P., see Gazette of India, 1942, Pt. I, p. 1159.

The Act has been extended to the Leased Areas of Baluchistan, see the Leased Areas (Laws) Order, 1950 (G. G. O. 3 of 1950); and also applied in the Federated Areas of Baluchistan, see Gazette of India, 1937, Pt. I, p. 1499.

²Subs. by the Central Laws (Statute Reform) Ordinance, 1960 (21 of 1960), s. 3 and 2nd Sch. (with effect from the 14th October, 1955), for "the Provinces and the Capital of the Federation" which had been subs. by A. O., 1949, for "British India".

³Subs. by Ordinance 21 of 1960, s. 3 and 2nd Sch (with effect from the 14th October, 1955), for the original sub‑section (2), as amended by A. O., 1949.

⁴The Ist July, 1942, see Notification No. 33‑C(b)/37‑A., dated the 13th June, 1942, Gazette of India, 1942, Pt. I, p. 1012.

⁵Subs. by F. A. O., 1975, Art. 2 and Table, for “Central Government”.

⁶Subs. by A. O., 1949, for "Mint Master, Bombay”.

(b) the standard seer, being a weight of 80 standard tolas or 14,400 standard grains;

(d) the standard pound, being a weight of 7,000 standard grains;

(e) the standard ounce, being one‑sixteenth part of the weight of a standard pound;

(f) the standard hundredweight, being a weight of 112 standard pounds;

(g) the standard ton, being a weight of 2,240 standard pounds.

(2) No weight other than the weights set forth in sub-section (1) and integral multiples or sub‑multiples of any such weight shall be used as a standard weight.

4. Sets of standard weights.^__(1) The ¹[Federal Government] shall cause to be prepared one set of such of the standard weights specified in sub‑section (1) of section 3 or multiples or sub‑multiples thereof as the ¹[Federal Government] may consider expedient, and shall cause each weight of such set to be authenticated as having been ascertained from the standard grain, and shall deposit the set in such custody as the ¹[Federal Government] may think fit.

(2) The ¹[Federal Government] shall cause similar sets of weights, similarly authenticated, to be prepared, and shall supply one set to each Provincial Government.

(3) The ¹[Federal Government] shall cause similar sets of weights, similarly authenticated, to be prepared and shall supply one set to the Government of any ²[Acceding State or non Acceding State] ³* * * which applies for it and pays the price fixed by the ¹[Federal Government].

5. Rules.^__ (1) The ¹[Federal Government] may, by notification in the official Gazette, make rules for carrying into effect the provisions of this Act.

(2) Without prejudice to the generality of the foregoing power, rules made under this section may regulate,---

(a) the preparation of the sets of standard weights referred to in section 4 ;

(b) the custody of the set of such weights which is to be maintained by the ¹[Federal Government] and the periodical verification and adjustment thereof ;

(c) the periodical verification and adjustment of the sets of standard weights supplied to Provincial and other Governments.

6. [Repeal.] Rep. by the Repealing and Amending Act, 1942 (XXV of 1942), s. 2 and 1st Sch.

¹Subs. by F. A. O., 1975, Art. 2 and Table, for “Central Government”.

²Subs. by A.O., 1949, for “Indian State”.

³The words “or foreign settlement situated in India” omitted by the Federal Laws (Revision and Declaration) Act, 1951 (26 of 1951), s. 3 and 2nd Sch.