New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1866-08-07

partially accommodated TO thc new system. II Is
thus fairly before tie country.
To Mr. Summer exerions in the Senate the passage
Of the bill this session is due, and bis clear exposition
of the system may be quoted The unit of length We
have given IS the foundation Of the system, and from
II all measures OF weight and capacity arc derived.
These are stated thus by Mr. Summers
Tie INIT ofmolsUes Of ics land measure. l. The ara
from The Latin and Is the square Of meters IN
other words square OF which each side Is ten meters IN
Tho unit of sod IS tie se, from the Greek and
tie cube Of meter IN other words solid mass one meter
long one meter broad and one meter high.
tie cube Of the tenth part Of the meter which The dHa
m6ni each side and the bottom are spare d'etn,,r,
Tic un " weight the sr ao derived from he Greek
and thousandh part Of the weight Of cubic liter
distilled wator-ihs being Just shove tho freezing point
Such the main elements OF the metric system Bat each
OF these has s multiple and s subdivisions 10 Is multiplied
docmaly upward and divided decmally downward Tie
multi pies derived from the Greek. Thus ded ten h
bundled; E thousands and yrio ten thousand prefix ii 20
meier signify meters hundred meters one thon'asd
rived from the Latin Thus deeL cs' NUT pIohtsa 10
meter signify tenth ono hundredts and one osandh o
! o. AL this will appear IN the following tabiei
Metric d'S v,I1.. 'ad h'''''' IN a,e
KI,m@ter 0S1 meters Gel5 mile or 2sO feet sud
10 inches.
H.ctoucier. 100 meters. y. feet and inch.
Decsme 10 meters. Obj inches.
Decimeter 10 Of meter 3gJ7 inches
Centimotcr. LOO of meter. ..t,35 inch
Milmeter 1000 Of meter 1891 inch :,
These snmc pref1es b. spilled in ascending and de-
seendng scales to the the liter and the gram Iha, Tor
example have in the ascending scale dscgram hogIAn
kogram. aud mgragram and in the descending scale af'
in his brief space yoa behold tie Whole metric Of
weights and What contrast to tho anterior con
afternoon. Months not years required 20 store 4" ~
the pcrpex' ncongntcs and Inconsistencies OF the eR
fail in reproducing then Tho mystery Of compound aThne
tc IS essential IN the eaeul3tos which tLey require a. lh
rGlcs Of arithmetic are ample iot the pupil
The present system has but one adyantage-t i3
established. 10 the metric system there is but one
obcciion--it is not in use. But il is not an expert
meut In France it IS popular, and in The markets
and stores meat and cloth sold By the meter and
kilogrem. Once understood, it will be everywhere
used; and It's adoption 10y Austria, Spain, Portugal,
Belgium, and many other countries, is another rea.
son for its adoption in the United States. We
cannot cling 10 the old confusion while other nations
abandon il. orr commercial relations with Eng
land would alone require t.at this country should az
once join with her in the reform. Mr. Sumner well
says " Ii wc look closely at the metric system, we
must confess is simplicity aud symmetry. Like every
creation of science, il j. according to rule. Master
Tie rule ahd you master The system On this account,
it may be acquired by the young with comparative ia
eity end when once acquired it may be used with dis
patch. Thus II become laborsaying and timcsaring.'
The standard meter, copied from the bar q
platinum preserved in The French archives as the per-
pcual standard, viii soon be deposited with every
state We urge upon thc Directors Of tho Public
< .hoos the mportaucc Of having the metric system
explained to Tie children. Let it hcnceiorth be a
past OF common school education Il use j.
nv l4rv iuf
IT, usc VIII Dee compulsory from The fact
that very fv poope viii understand The pre-
sent arrangement ol barloycoms and pcnnywcsht-.
\ universal sy,tcm Of weights aud measure is, at
last. pc ,ibc; and wc have reason 20 look to the
French Exposition for % common system Of money
Thu, one by one The bars Of commerce. the obstacles
tociyillltiou, are removed aud the confusion Of Babel
D.. bau-hcd by tho intelligent cooperation OF nations.