New-York tribune., 1871-07-27
THE NET-YORK STATE TEACHERS ASSO-
CLIFTON
TWENIY-sIXTH ANNIN LRSARY-FIRSr DAY
WELCOMING ADDREsS-THE METRIC SYS

| TWENTY-SIXTH ANNIN LRSARY-FIRSr DAY
WELCOMING ADDREss-THE METRIC sYs-
| TEN.
| LOCKPORT, July 2j.-The annual meeting OF
the NewYork State Teachers Association opened to-day
with large attendance particularly Of female teachers
audience of 1900 being present at the first session.
Among the eminent educators present Prot Charles
Davies President S. S. Green OF University DR..
j. H. French Secretary Of the Vermont Board Of Educa-
tlon Prof Morehouse Of Albion Academy superintend
| ent Farnham of Binghampton, and others.
President Steele called the meeting to order and after
the opening exercises Mayor storrs introduced the Rev
DR.. W. c. Wisner, who delivered the address OF welcome
DR.. Wisner began by showing the relation between
popular education and national strength and prosperity
and illustrated by the case Of Prussia, whose king
william Ill., when his mobiles warned him that popular
education would overthrow his throne answered no1ly
that his throne could not Withstand the education OF
his people It might fa and who had been raised by me
very fundamentally much dreaded, 10 an emperOTs
dignity and his country made the foremost and strongest
IN the world. The speaker then set forth the proper
qualities Of an American system OF education, and the
immense capabilities and Importance OF education as
American schools should Americanize their pupils
using the English language, teaching with special care
Revolutionary history and the rudmens Of the Con-
stitutiOn. lie claimed that Christianity is part OF the
law OF the land that our schools should be dstlnctvey
Christian and Protestant and that the authorized version
OF the Scriptures should be used in them and he closed
by formally welcoming the teachers OF the state to Look
Mr.. J. Dorman Steele President Of the Association de-
| livered the inaugural address. He began with com
teachers and description Of their respective defects
and merits; then gave statement Of the real object OF
the teachers work. showing II TO be practical mastery
by the pupils Of the things studied and not mere ab
strac notions or memorzlng Of rules He closed with
| The address received with applause
The report OF the Standing Committee the Condition
Of Education being ready, Prof Davies delivered his
address the Metric System, which % have been
| part of to-morrows exercises The question: said the
speaker the most important practical question now
under discussion by civilized nations, for 1t
| Is, whether they shall have one common
| weights OF Congress
already permits the OF the French metric system
system already permitted, shall be made obligatory
the exclusion OF our present system Our ordinary ee-
mentary units OF length except the bareycorn are de
rived from parts of the human bOdythe inch from the
lent Joint Of the middle die 1gsr S tine @ fSS m the length
the mouth andan extended fngerp the tathom from the
extended the pace, IRON an average long step After
giving brief summary OF our common measures,and
history Of the origin and introduction Of the French
metric system Prof. Davies explained this system in
detail applied to lengths, surfaces, solid contents and
the disadvantages Of the French method. The metre,
for instance is too large as unit OF measure; would
this measure, for instance than with foot the usual
present unit and so Of the measures OF surface etc
| measures, as deCameter declmeter kilOpamme myra-
gramme ana SO on VII oe i9lnd vey uiIGnt 70 teacn:
must abolish all other systems. Now Napoleon IT, in
sed or number Sf year r. was restored % in
1887 and still prevails but recent information from
aaeey welcome return to the old system fRua
pears so far experiment has shown, that the metric
system is not pleasant one 10 me- The task OF intro
ducing any system is exceedingly difficult one;
for now, after own centurys use Of the legal
dollar, accounts are sti Kept In many parts OF tine
United States in pounds shlings and pence To con
fine school pupils to the use Of but one unit las the
meter instead Of our present system OF several
units dnch foot, &c), and TO have this
gn large as rs end 4; GGTSl'Tg TSs will g4t be-
minaton OF the present body OF knowledge ABOUT
weights and measures in our peoples minds and the re-
placing Of by the corresponding metrical items would
be vast and practically impossible task Even Tie SIN
gle item of thus transferring the recorded ssurvey,
Gned e S emo TS' nuneef HSS Of
TRANSACTIONS Into merieal descriptions were given by
Prof Davies offered the following res0uton for refer
enss St.t 70 taS T4 S4Ties ,.S Sa 8s'SiatSa 81. I,
w,sh and Ee.sn vii be an aee.Paee su.oe for that nov %
Accepted and referred accordingly.
An invitation TO visit the works OF the Holly Manufac
turing Company was accepted
SECOND DAY.
LoCKPoRT, n. Y. July 26.-All the trains to-
day brought large accessOns to the NewYork state
Teachers Convention, in session in this city. The
Convention reassembed in Arcade Hall at IN, to-day.
President Steele announced the following commttees
ssea A. b Evans LOeEpOt W. A. wsleh. onondaso Valleys H.
f,sana cmnii.~Ds Adams. BroOtyni W. A. BrOrnsn syr,.
on Pa Me,H9 is1-M Mcvieor Pott.i,m Jas Ferguson,
On R,,uOn,s D. Bar Penn Ysn - NJ cassidy FrsdOns Mis-,
hisaH9nd BrostPor M', Bri, Psmys D. D. hees o'Nsso;
Papers read by c. 6. Halsey, A. NJ of Canandai
qua, and Prof d. II. CTittendeH, A. NJ, OF NewYOrk.
Amer dsposng OF miscellaneous business the fol.
lowing resolutions were adopted:
Reioc That Committee be appointed eoerpqd With the Su
Ihttd.u and other school authorities teyt cu. aud With
hoo and confer yh tue state Superintendent AID
Secretary The Board Of aud the annual
ts,fn i-T securing and Uniform school statistics
Resosd That thfeshe appointed deliberate
rIo at The p. annual meeting scheme In dea for the e'Abih
neat o al educational the onbl Of this Assoc
Adjourned until D. IN.
Az the afternoon session papers were read by Walter
A BTownel Principal OF the Fairfield Seminary, Oliver
MoehOuse Principal OF Albion Academy Dr. 5. 5. Green
of Brown University of Rhode Island, VI. NJ Baldwin,
Principal Of GrOtOn Academy ". NJ Jelf OF Brooklyn,
anu DT. Ciaik OF tanandagua. large audience was