The Polynesian. [volume] (Honolulu (Oahu), Hawaii) 1840-1841, 1841-12-11
SATURDAY, DECEMBER "A. 1sA1

that is, reduced to the same notation
and the best notation for the purpose is
OF course, that which is the common base
!of arithmetic nearly all over the world
namely, the DECIMAL scale which. n,
1t ascends from units to tens, hundreds
and thousands, so also descends to tenth
hundredth, thousandth parts, &c. Sucf
a system, both as regards their weight.
and measures, and their coins, has beer
successfully carried into practice in France
and Netherlands, and as far as the coins
are concerned, in the United States
With such general notation, the keep.
ing of commercial accounts would re.
quire nothing but the expeditions process
OF common addition, subtraction, multipli.
cation, and division. Suppose, for exam.
pie, that the pound in weight, and the
pound, or dollar, in money, were both
subdivided into tenths, hundredths, and
thousandth parts, (call them if you please
dimes, cents, and mills, ny then five pounds
SIX dimes, three cents, and four mills, In
weight, would be expressed by 1854 lbs.
and the value in money at two pounds
SIX dimes, eight cents, four mills, O,
E2.694 per Id. avoirdupois would be ar.
rived at by merely multiplying the two
expressions together, producing El5.l22
This example is an extreme one, and is
only given for illustration. Indeed, those
who are familiar with the facilities of de.
cimal arithmetic, we trust will not accuse
us of exaggeration in saying, that if the
weights, measures, and moneys of the
two countries, were brought under that
notation, any one moderately expert in
simple multiplication and division, might
acquire proficiency in making up &C
counts, invoices, &c. in a few hours
Under the present system, years are spent
in the earlier part Of life in learning rules
"by heart" which are seldom long re-
membered and acquiring knowledge
of formula which are still more seldom
understood, almost every one being COM
PEELED, in after years, to supply himself
with what his tutor failed to impress upon
his memory, by sort Of mental ari,hme-
tic of his own. BY substituting the de-
cimal system, this would be entirely done
away with. Instead of the tutor wanting
an " assistant" the pupil, as far as the
arithmetic of the shop and counting room
is concerned, would have but little need
Of assistance; and, as the ground work
of commercial knowledge would thus re-
quire less time and talent, those intend
ed for commercial occupations would be
able to devote more ability and greater
opportunities to the attainment Of high
err order of knowledge that would be use
full to them in their pursuits, than under
the old regime can be expected from
them, until they have acquired it by a
long course Of actual experience.
Having thus described the advantages
of a purely decimal system, we would
name three great principles by which, it
is hoped, the Commission has been
guided. First, that the old integral bases
should be preserved in every case where
there are not very strong reasons to the
contrary; secondly, that whenever the
integral base is altered, it should be main
ly with a view of facility in converting
values and quantities from the old scales
into the new and thirdly, that the num-
Der of scales used should be reduced, as
much as possible, without producing a
o.ooter deoree of Inconvenience than their