The Grange advance. [volume] (Red Wing, Minn.) 1873-1877, 1875-08-18
tally since it's legalization by Congress in

tally since it's legalization by Congress in
1855, no schooling is really necessary to
teach principles and nomenclature with
which We are already familiar. As for
the value Of the several units, they may
be learned in a few hours by glancing at
full-sizcd models Of them exhibited, and
was done in Germany at the time Of its
introduction in that country in 1872, in
all the shop windows. No one could
walk twenty steps in the business rart of
a city without seeing before him, at every
turn, full-size charts and models Of the
metric weights and measures. With
these constantly in view, the most ignor.
ant classes found no difficulty in under
standing the decimal system: whereas
the so.called English system now in
use here, is mystery even to such as
schooling therein.
Speaking Of the metric tables, Charles
Sumner said, "ln this brief space you be-
hold the whole metric system Of weights
and measures. What q contrast to the
anterior confusion! A boy at school can
master the metric system in an after
noon. Months, if not years, are required
to store away the perplexities, incongru-
tiles and Inconsistencies Of the existing
weights and measures, and then the men,
Dry must often fail in reproducing them,
the mystery Of compound arithmetic is
essential in the calculations which they
require. All this is done away by the
decimal progression, 50 that the first
rules of arithm :tic are ample Tor the pu-
pills."
The following circular, containing an
agreement binding the signers to use the
metric system after July 4, 1875, has
Oecn sent to all the cities and towns in
the United States containing upwards Of
5000 inhabitants. Every city or town
so far canvassed has returned overwhelm.
ing majorities. Majorities had previous
ly been secured from New York, Chicago,
BrodD 1yn, Boston, St. Louis, Baltimore,
Portland. New Brunswick, Newport, ETC.,
and from over thirty other cities and
towns cooperation has been promised.
The metric system of weights and
measures has now received the sanction
of law among more than half of the in
habitants Of the civilized and Christian
world: 1t has, up to this date, been
adopted by the French, Germans, Span.
iards. Italians, Portuguese, Dutch, Bel.
gians, Mexicans, Swiss, Austrians, Danes,
Grecians, British in India, Brazillans, and
a majority Of the civilized inhabitants Of
South America-in all about four hun
drcd and twenty millions Of souls.
In 1864 the system was legalized in
Great Britain; in Germany in 1868. A.
ter four years Of preparation, on the LIST
of January, 1872, it was made compulsory
in that empire, and no other system was
any longer legal.
In 1855 it was legalized in the United
States. 1t is now 1875, and we have had
nine years for preparation, twice as long
as was allowed to the people Of Germany.
Its general adoption among US should no
longer be delayed.
mo cause" says an eminent writer on
the subject, "since the earliest organiza.
ton of civilized society, has contributed
! more largely to embarass business trans
| actions among men, especially by inter-
fering with the business facilities Of COM
merc,al exchanges between different coun.
tries, or between different provinces,
cities, of even individual citizens Of the
same country, than the endless diversity
of Observation-Disclosures employed for the
purpose of determining the quantities Of
exchangeable commodities. For the in
! convenience and confusion resulting from
this cause but one edectual remedy can
! possibly be suggested, and that is the
general adoption throughout the world of
common system of weights and meas
| ures."
Such a common system is offered US in
the metric--a system, according to which
the weight and dimensions of every ma
terial thing, whether solid, liquid, or gas.
eous, whether on land or water, whether
in the earth or in the heavens, and
whether determined by the scale, plum
met, balance, barometer, or thermometer,
are ascertained by method absolutely
uniform, entirely simple and equally suit.
able to the use Of all mankind, resting
upon a single invariable standard of lin.
ear measure, with multiples and sub
multiples, like those of our monetary sys.
TEN, exclusively decimal, with alpropri.
ate names, similar in all languages and
secure against the possibility If change or
loss through carelessness, or accident, OF
design, by being constructed on scientific
principles and copied for distribution
among the different nations Of the world
| 1t is clear that England, owing to he,
position in Europe, must very soon com
p'ete the process she has already begun
of adopting this system.
| The United States should not wait 70,
England. The German. French, ant
other foreigd element here already exert'