New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1857-08-12
yNDUS7RIAL AND SCIENTIFIC INYELLI
GENCE.

Fam OF TIE AMERICAN IHsTTUIE.-The next
annual fair will as usual be held in the Crystal Pal
ace. New-York, from the 10Th Of September to the
18th of October. Heavy goods ale now received but
scht thinge will be admitted only from the 'th to the
18th of September. 1t is standing feature Of almost
all fairs that during the first week. the exhibition is
not in order: this renders the visitors dissatisfied, aud
entails loss on the managers. 1t Is desirable that
more than week should be allowed for the reception
and arrangement of goods that encouragement should
he given to exhibitors Of useful machines or products,
and all gmcrscks, intended only as shopkeepers ad
vertisemepts, carefully excluded. The reproach has
Aeen often addressed to the managers Of the American
Institute that the best and largest place was occupied
by toys and articles of dress making the show most
interesting for children aud lgh.-brained women but
quite unat,ractive TO the best portion of the commu-
atty The twenty eight preceding fair Of the American
Institute have shown a slow progress in the right d.
recton. We conclude that the progress is sure and
crust that the next viii be better than all the others
in every respect.
WEIGHTS AND MEAsURrs.-A few articles, under
tAis caption, rot long age published in The TRIsrSf,
have elected several letters on the same subject,
which have also been inserted in columns. cor
respondent stated that the introduction in France ola
smform system OF measures had been q complete fail
out TINS IA an error. n Va o'N
snaticians-LsgIange, Amp5re, Mango and others
appointed to devise ssystem by the Convention OK
1892 The FIRST though. OF these ssvants Ia make
The divisions Of the units Of measure correspond with
the numera system; hence the question, Whist is the
aest numeral system After mich experimenting
with figures, they concluded that the System with
eleven numerals and ono zero, the duodecimal
che most convenient. In tAei, philosophical desire Of
fe,fection, the members debated long lime whether
hey should substitute the dsodecima for tie decins
ystem, but plain good sense finally prevailed They
Effected that all races OF men counted by tens, and
hey said that the inconvenience OF having system
different from that of the rest Of the world would out
weigh the advantages ofhsviDg better one The fact
ahat the nations OF both continents and the pee
pie Of the Pacific Ocean. which had not lad
any intercourse together were al found us-ng the
decimal system, was OF kel vel Calculated TO shake
Their opinion. But the main Argument was That the
world was not ps for such change, aud thai the al
sempt would end in failure. They next devised the
,neffical system of weights and measures, dividing
each uiit into tens, hundreds, de- 10 make it corre
spond with the mineral system. The generations CT
that time had had very little schooling aud millions
absolutely could not use tho new system They were
accustomed TO the foo. called kass foot. andt, MuA.bs
fin EpelI inches Of which there were twelve to a
foot; 10 pints, to pounds evoIdupoi.; in short
10 the present EDgfsh system of measures,
which. indeed, was forced upon England by the Nor.
snsns. IL beicx found impossible 20 introduce the
mesyesl system at once, arrangements were nsis to
isiJcdrce u progfssivey. hwa@ remarked Aat one