The Emporia news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1859-1881, 1877-07-06
and Measuresp-supt. Robert Milnken,

oeautifuIly prepared chart ON the board.
which illustrated the several units Of the
system IN very clear and foreibie man
ner. Mr.. MilIiken said: COLLECTIONS to |
the system had been made, that the Greek |
prefxes were hard TO understand and |
difficult OF remembrance The same pre- |
likes occur in number OF other words in |
common use. their meanin.. is readily I'M
derStood. and the objections are without |
foundation The new system presents |
nothing like the old syste-.I of weights |
and measures, in the number and variety |
Of terms employed. Intthe metric sys-
TEN the names are few, all mulIipies or
divfsors Of the common unit, ten. The
old system presents wonderful variety
OF bushels, peeks, quarts, pints, gallons,
punches, pipes. sierces, butts. tons, yards,
feet, inches. barley eorns, furlongs, de-
grees, minutes. and so on, almost without
end. What blessing would it be to the
rising generation II, in place OF that end
less array Of names, q few of uniform in-
crease and decrease, ready OF calculation.
and suitable for operations in all the aYo-
cations OF life, could be substituted. It
would save at least two years of wearying
school life; it would be an international
system, and would save from our custom
houses an army OF clerks. Madison anu
Jefferson desired it in their day. and since
that time it has been adopted IN most of
the countries of the old world; its great
simplicity in pharmacy. and the making
Of optic glasses. has long been admired.
Amherst college has adopted il through
out, and the contrast at the Centennial, be-
tween 1t, as used by other nations and our
own system, was very marked indeed.
The same objections were urged against
the adoption of the Arabic numerals in
place Of the Roman. The German meth
Cd Of teaching the system always made
objective exhibition accompany verbal
explanation. Models are brought before
With suitable apparatus, the metric sys-
team may be taught in an hour. Measures
should be placed all around the school
room, and children continually encour-
aged to use them. Sumner predicted its
certain adoption. and believe 1t VIII
eventually be universal.
Discussion.
ing . kind OF missionary Metric System
Society,"" its headquarters at Boston, hay
ing been invited to address the Associa-
tian, responded: "There is 3 general COM
plant about the great length Of time
taken to impart an elementary education
in the common schools OF the State. There
may be some ground for it, and to shorten
the years of instruction, the metric sys-
tenn should be adopted. cannot forbear
admiring the consumms.e wisdom of the
soIons, at Topeka, last winter, In passing
law practically contravening the law of
Congress passed in 1865. This law has
reference to the act requiring all measures
to be sealed, and which, in the aggregate,
will cost the State thousands of dollars.
The federal money system was adopted
years ago, tbs author thinking its beauty
would cause the decimal system to work
its way into all other measurements. Mr..
Adams took three years to prepare deci-
NAL system of weights and measures, but
the tsmoral inertia'' of that time forbid
its introduction. Columbia college, D. c.,
petitioned Congress to legalIze the new
system, which was accordingly done in
railroad stations in the United states,
their weights and measures at the very
minimum of prices. Massachusetts, has
passed law making the use OF the metric
system imperative, and Connecticut Is
about to follow. At no distant period we
predict its adoption from pole to pole"
Mr.. Giles touched upon many points
,,fannol h1 SuDk Hsfll;Io,, o,,I
close of his remarks was rendered vote
of thanks by the Association.
A motion to recommend teachers to
present it 30 their schools, was referred to
the committee on resolutions.
Mr.. e. Phil rock, Blue Rapids, thought
had it not been adopted sooner? 1t evi.
IDENTIFY wants the life to urge it forward.
The terms are too large and difficult of
comprehension. The study of the many
terms of the old system affords much
mental discipline. and this recommends
the old system(D
Prof. Thomas. Topeka. 1 ascribe the
use of the old system to what is styled
s'moraI inertia" The new has gained
ground in Europe and the strangeness of
the names is no ground for opposition.
It's use has long been appreciated by sci
entists, especially in cheml stry, and i'll
teachers do their duty,its universal adop-
ton will be sure before the close OF the
present decade.
Prof Hay, Holton. l am strongly in
favor of the metric system and the objec.
items to its adoption all seem groundless.
Hon. Giles. The metric system in now
adopted by half the nations, and about |
450, 900 600 people use it.
superintendent Lennon. I unhesita- |
tingiy favor iC, but the great trouble is |
the wide change that mHst take place. |
The business men are ready for the |
change If the people can be made to IN |
derstaud it. The teachers must introduce
it, then the people will adopt 1t.
Recess.
A paper-The Factor and the Product |
Prof. r. 8. Les, Hiawatha. Many ideas |
are current in regard to Normal schools |
as q factor in the educational product |
The Normal school is the mandatory, so |
to speak, Of teachers, while the Normal
Institutes serve TO keep them ready pol |
ished for their work. The Normal school |
is g factor. the Institute q preserver Of
the product. The Institute can not be |
made Q means Of general education, as
the time is too short. The papers urge
many objections to the Institute system,
but the objections to the Normal system |
appear in the fact that the teachers are |
not scattered widely enough, and their |
influence is not at all felt in some regions |
remote from the school. This objection |
can not be urged against the Institute |
system. People must not expect too per. |
feet work OF either, when those who at |
tend them remain but very short time. |
Normal workers should not be discour- |
aged. The earnest work OF even a few |
must be effective. Reforms always origi- |
nate with few. We would recomend q
uniform system OF graded schools from /
the country district up TO the University. |
A compulsory education law should be
passed and strictly enforced. Normal
schools should be encouraged. Institutes