New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1874-08-20
SCIENCE IN CONVENTION.

ADJOURNMENT OF THE AMERICAN ASSOCIA-
TON.
ALL THE suBsECTIONs HARD AT wORK-UNUsUAL
NUMBER OF SHORT PAPERS AND BRIEF DEBATES
In ONE DAY-COMPARIsON OF THE WORK DONE
At THIS MEETING WITH THAT OF PREVIOUS YEARS
EVIDENT PROGRESS OF THE ASSOCIATION
PAPERs AND DISCUSSIONS OF THE LAST DAY.
tr,o, THE sprcIAt CORRESPONDENT THE TRIBUNE
HARTFORD. Aug. 19.-An day long yesterday
in the subsections there unusual EFFORT to expe
dte business with view to adjournment last hgn''
The longer papers had for the most part oeen reau ~
the earlier sessions; but there was large humoer oi
the shorter essays yet to BIO read and In the morning
the prospect OF finishing by night seemed exceedingly
doubtful But by limiting debate, by reading abstracts
tnstead NJ ful papers and especially by sticking
c,osev tn their work. the subsectons except biology
and Geology closed their doors before nghtia' anu
those departments had so little business lett over a
suppertime that 1t was easily disposed OF at an evening
session.
have been commented upon. The unusual presence vi
lonu absent members the high character OF the assem-
baee the disposal OF the vexed question OF the cons
tuition the accession Of the chemical fraternity the
liberal entertainment Of the good people OF Harord IN
the way OF excursions. will make this memorable
occasion But respect to the character OF the papers
read the discussions them, 1t may be doubted
whether this meeting has eGuaed-it is certain 1t has
not surpassed-some OF its predecessors. There was
brilancy and vigor about the debates at Portland
which was wanting at Hartford Most OF the subjects
discussed did not appeal to the popular interest," and
especially the constitution business unentertainnR
to outsiders The subdivision into suhsectons though
admirable az means OF dispaching business, had the
serious drawback of splitting apart audiences that col
ect,vely would created enthusiasm La short the
Hartford meeting little tedious. aud this nnayod'
able circumstance was it's only fault.
THE METRIC SYSTEM.
The principal feature OF yesterday mornings session
was brief address from Prof Barnard OF Columbia
College, on the metric System" As Chairman Of the
Committee on Weights and Measures, he said that on
the previous day he was too unwell to make
q report. The long delay partly due to
the fact that he had overlooked the circum'
stance that he Chairman Of the Committee. That
Committee is now of ageit is 81 years old. great deal
Of work been done in the way of accommodating data
but the Committee not exactly In position TO publish
their results The different members have done great
deal OF individual service toward the unhcaton OF
weights and measures throughout the world The
metric system will become the sole system IN use
throughout civilized nations before the year 1900
In France Holland, Belgium Spain. Portugal,
Italy, Switzerland the German Enpire-in fact,
all Europe except scandinavian countries and England:
in all America except the United States. the metric
system has been adopted. The only competitor with
the metric system is the British. But even In the In
adopted and that system has been egazed though not
yet adopted in Great Britain and here The weakness
OF the Gladstone government only postponed but will
not prevent the adoption of the metric system in Great
Britain. In country the system has been legal
lied and lis authorized for the Post-Oice but the
law is not Jet carried out In the Post-Onice
Department 1t would make our postage fraction
cheaper. The authorization Of the Pos-Oico Is as yet
not mandatory and balances are to be distributed
Tha q n n
weight and measurement. At the great Congress at
Vienna every delegate, though representing nearly
every country the civilized GLOBE voted for the me-
trio system. One Of the members of the Association,
Prof. Gould, finding the metric system only partially
enforced in the Argentine Republic. urged that the laws
should carried out, and there the custom OF
the Custom house as well as the law OF the land When
John Quincy Adams was President he missed the
great opportunity. Of putting this nation on the
right track. Had he recommended the adoption OF
the metric system at that time instead Of present
method we should now have been 80 years advance
OF our present status in this regard Our comnercal
the principal OF not feeling so much as Euro
pean nations. the disadvantage OF having system OF
Prof Barnard spoke OF the proprety OF urging sympa
thy with the efforts of the Neurological Society To ad
any other system is to obsruct the wheels OF
progress proposition to associate architects 10 this
nent architects in NewYork and nearly every architect
In Boston In an expression OF Willingness TO adopt the
Prof Gould said that the Committee on Weights and
Measures organized under the leadership OF Prof
was in favor of metric system,
a little tmorous about enforcing Its adoption. Toe
outside inside the organization. Their work mas in
uenced legislation IN this and other countries The late
Baron GerOit stated In Washington not less than six
years ago that the United states would bring Its coin
age into metric uniformity which conld,6 done Win
to do duty, and Germany consequently took retro
Prof Gould alluded to the reform that had been eff
fected in the Argentine Republic In Chill aud Peru and
metric system were thoroughly enforced in those
countries Prof. Barnard said that the Neurological
"a change of only threetenths OF one cent upon the
dollar-upOn our Government That Society Will also
urge a metrical international coinage; not for immedi
ate use within territory but for convenience in
commercial exchanges and to facilitate travellers in all
eventually take the place Of our usual currency might
be safely left TO the future
RESOLUTIONS AND NOMINATIONS.
Resolutions we're passed to take for repre-
senng to Congress the importance and desrabity, In
the opinion Of the Association Of having new
taken in 1875 with reference to the Centennial Ceebra
traion and to take for urging upon the Leg
isature Massachusetts, the need OF geological
Elected for the coming year President. Prof j. T. Hi
gard OF WashngOn; VicePresdent for Section A. Prof
B. Prof j. W. Dawson OF Montreal; General Secretary,
Prof g. H. scudder OF Boston: Permanent Secretary for
W. 8. Vaux of Philadelphia; Secretary Of Section A.
Prof 9. p Langley of Pittsburgh; Secretary Of Section
b. Prof. N. 8. shaler Of Newport. Ky.
A resolution passed accepting the invitation to
make Detroit the next place Of annual meeting. and az
ing the time the second Wednesday of August The
receipt OF $5O paid by member to the fund for
ing scientific researches, was announced The meeting
then divided itself into sections, and these sepa-
rated into sub sections.
This mornings meeting was for the specific purpose
OF adjournment, and this done despite the
despalring cry Of Section B. which had failed to
finish the reading Of papers. an exceedingly i'm
portant one the alleged tendency Of thorough
bred animals to retrograde to original and In
feror breeds by Prof Wm ii. Brewer, being among
number. This is the first of series Of inquiries which
has been making by circular and otherwise this
specific point and is OF great interest to farmers and
- her Tic liza