Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1857-01-01
The Decimal Principle.

To the Editor of the Belmont Chronicle:
The decimal principle has long been ap-
piled to purposes of currency, and its utility
and beauty, are at once apparent and per-
cetibls, and its superiority is universally
acknowledged.
We all must admit the great superiority
of our saJstem of Federal money, over the
different currencies, that are based on
scale, on which the Ratios of the diasrsps
denominations are not decimalized.
This superiority evidently consists in is
great simplicity, and arrangement, % thar
there need be no halves, quarters, thirds
etc. Never, il there be a asuperioriiy in this
principle. which there assuredly 10. Why
not have il submitted to our Legislseufes,
and have our present system (or rather wsst
OF SYSTEM changed.
In the year 1911, the French Natioz<.
adopted a decimal division Of money
time, and the Chinese, have for ages III
all their b-divisions of weights and meas.
ures, adjusted on a decimal ratio. Our Rov-
ernment once took the matter into consid-
Grafton, for in the year 1918, Congress re-
ferred the matter to Jno. Quincy Adams,
who Was then Secretary of State, and il
the course of three years he reported adj
versely to the project and it was abandoned
al that time.
Set the long list of tables, that occur in
Compound or Dsnominste numbers Be ex-
amined, and though we 6nC the sans words
occur in the different tables, yer they have
almost without an exception, different rig
MITIGATION in enc table from that in sns1hef.
and are only analogions enough q perpj6f<
and confound the pupil in his studies.
Then why make use Of such sgsseei
when it is made up with sucn incoagrsit11
and irregularities, when more PhiIosophIo
and abridged mode, is in reach. 1: is aiso
exceedingly unreasonable TO suppose that
principle SO strikingly beautiful, as tbS e..
cimal principle would be limited to such al
extent as to be used only to purposes q
Currency. Principles should be Of uaivssz
sal application, if Of nature a the Ue-
cimal principle.
Instead of IL or II different tables o.
weights and measures, which we now have
we might form one that would answer a.,
purposes, that would do for weighing the
coarsest articles, and the mos. precious
germs, just as we'll and better than OH pre-
sent ways.
Now suppose table formed in wSie -
would indicate a unit of weight wbet.
coal or tartar-a unit of leagth whether Of
timber or tape-a unit of capacity. whstt =
OF ale or apples-and this table .1uld e1-
tend down to l0ths. lOOths. l00vths, md
even lower if desirable and upward to lcsr
zoos lVOos. and 20 on a9 iibitum, making
10 OF one denomination equal to l Of ths,
next higher, or of the higher equal to 10
vi tine next lower.
i Now let some one existing denominats
o: wsIght-the pound for exsmple--be 4
tanned as the unit OF weight; the yard
the unit OF lenghth or linear unit
gallon as the unit OF sapaei,y; the
the Unit OF surface; and the footN
Of cubic measure, then we willfi".
that will answer all purposesf. -
is analogous to one .ubmis,Ss. D.
man OF the Ohio JOur,
which think would -. 49,
membered snd compI efSa Of nl.,ii<sa..
applicable alike to = .assI.: : M - S.s. y
NorKNBKx 22d, 80. ss:ss 2.