Buchanan County bulletin and guardian., 1867-01-22
THE METRIC SYSTEM.

As the adoption Of the French metric sys
TEN has been resolved upon by numerous
Boards Of Trade and other commercial In
corporations, We place before our readers al
article, clipped from the New York Ship
ping List, which will be found Of much in
terest to business men:
During the last session Of Congress bill
authorizing the introduction of the Frencl
metric system Of weights and measures int
this country passed both houses and becam'
law. The object is 20 avoid the inconven
ience that results from the present trbitrarl
and cumbersome system used in this coun
try. Thoughtful people engaged in active
commercial pursuits, as well as those who's,
business it is to educate youth, have lonl
recognized the necessity Of the adoption o
q less complex and more comprehensive sys
tenn and notation Of weights and measures
but inasmuch as it is not compulsory, it vii
necessarily be Of slow growth. Although
the metric system was founded during the
latter part Of the last century, it was only
adopted as legal system, in France, in 10
40. The act Of Congress merely authorizes
its use not making it obligatory. The Sec
retary Of the Treasury is authorized % fur
nish the various States with authentic stand
ards OF these measures. A similar submis
sive law was enacted in Great Britain, in
1864, and the nomenclature and principles
Of the system are already taught there in the
commercial schools Most of the countries
in Continental Europe have begun to teach
their rising generation TO do business by the
new system. Besides France, Austria, Ba
varia, Saxony, Spain and Portugal, with
Switzerland, Tuscany, the Two Sicilies, and
several Of the small German States had made
it their basis Of trade at the time Of the Sta
tis.ical Congress Of 1868.
Aside from its recognized merits, strong
accommodation Of the new system is its
simplicity. Mr.. Summer, in speech in tie
Senate commenting it, said tia. % twelve
words are all that are required BY this sys-
tenn. In learning these, you learn all. The
following brief description we take from the
same speech The unit Of measures q
surface, or land measures, is the are, from
the Latin area, and is the square Of ten me
tiers, or, in other words, a square Of which
each side is ter meters in length.
The unit Of sold measure is the ste'e, from
the Greek, and is the cube Of meter, or, IL
other words, a solid mass one meter loag,
one meter broad, and one meter high.
The unit Of liquid measure is tie liter,
from the Greek, and is the cube OF the tenth
part Of the meter, which is dscinieter, or,
in other words, il is a vessel, where, by inte>
rior measurement, each side and the bottom
are square dccimetes.
The unit of weight is the gram, also deri-
we'd from the Greek, and the one-thousandth
part of the weight of a cubic liter Of distilled
water-this being just above the freezing
point.
Such are the main clements of the metric
system. But each OF these has It's multiple
and its subdivisions. 1t is multiplied de-
cimally upward, and divided decimaily down
ward. Thus: deca ten; hecto, hundred; kilo
thousand and myria, ten thousand prefix.
ed 70 meter signify ten meters, one hundred
meters, one thousand meters, and ten thou
sand meters. The subdivisions are derived
from the Latin. Thus: deci, cent?, mill
prefixed to meter, signify each oDe>tenth,
one hundredth, aud one -thousandth OF lie.
ter. All this will appear in the following
table: