The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1877-11-01
The METRIC system.


Ceives the endorsement Of those persons
and those institutions that thoroughly
understand it, 1t is therefore proper
that an explanation should be made in
the columns of newspaper, and this OPP
plrtunitY is taken to give such light on
the subject as Is aJ our command.
The system is of French origin, its
elaboration having been commenced in
the year $780, Like the movers of all
improvements in science, and all pro-
jeCts for the benefit of mankind, the pro
jectors of the system were compelled 10
fight for many years against the prtju-
dice of the people, who liked to cling to
the old system; and 1t was not for many
years that it obtained u footing which
insured its future safety. In 1910, how
ever, the system had, under the enthusi-
asm of its propellers, grown into such
position of strength that it became Oblig
tory in France. Since that time the sys.
tenn has manifested marvellous growth,
having been adopted by Germany, Italy,
Spain, Portugal, Holland, Belgium, Aus
tria, Mexico, Sweden, Brazil, Turkey,
Roumania, Moldavia, Walachia. the
French, Dutch and Spanish Colonies and
by the majority of the South American
countries. 1t has been partly adopted
by several other nations our own Con-
gress legalizing it in 1865.
The metric system can be best likened
to the system of dollars and cents. No
more labor is required in computing
weights and measurement by this sys-
tenn, than in adding up a column of fig.
ures or in computing any matter of dol
lars and cents. The system, like all
splendid systems, is very simple, and
people who understand it wonder that
the system at present used in the United
States has been kept in existence, when
such a system could be used, system
which has been known for nearly ninety
years. They also wonder that it did not
enter the mind of some astute mathema-
tician years before its invention and in.
PRODUCTION to the world. 1t is, however,
one of those inventions which, though
easily unprecedented VIXEN made, could
only be conceived in an extraordinary
mind. The following, from a report of
Superintendent PhilbriCk, of the Boston
schools, is concise explanation of the
metric system.
The system in substance is this:
a. The uuit of length, the meter, is the
ten milllontE part OF qnauTant of tn
meridian of Paris, computed from trig-
onOmetriCal measurement of the arc of
nine degrees and upwards between Dun
kirk aud Barcelona, being 1887 inches
nearly. (2,) The unit of SuperfcieS, the
air, is the square of len meters, or hun.
dred square meters. (3 The unit of ca
pacity, the liter, s cube whose edge is
zenith of meter. "A. The unit ofaVeigM
the dram, is the weight of cube Of rain
water al its extreme contraction, whose
edge is a hundredth of a meter. These
four are the primary units of the system,
and from these four all others are deriv.
ed, according to the decimal scale.
The system, as will be seen, il founded
upon the principles, "lhat the unit of
linear measure applied to matter i'll its
three forms of extension, should be the
standard of all measures of rength, sur
face and solidity;" and "That the cubic
contents of the linear measures in dis
titled water at the temperature of the
greatest contraction, should furnish at
once the standard weight and measure of
capacity"
The nomenclature is also simple, but
eleven words being required to express
every denomination. Each multiple of
the primary units is denoted by Greek
prefix, which by its meaning indicates
the denomination. The sub divisions or
decimals are indicated by Latin prefxes
ON similar principle. Only four pre-
fixes being required for the multiples
and three for the deCimals; the same pre-
fixes being used in the different kinds of
measures and weights, the entire vocab-
ulary consists of seven prehxes and four
base units, or eleven words
1t may be of interest to the parents to
know what kind of apparatus should be
used in studying the system; for, of
course, As stated by Supt, Findley before
the Board, having been used to the com-
mon method from their earliest reCollec-
tions, the pupils could form no adequate
comprehension of the subject, unless the
actual measure was shown. Supt. Phil
brick, in the same report from which we
have quoted, gives the following, as the
best set of apparatus to be used, the same
also being recommended by q committee
of German teachers to whom the matter
was referred by the educational autheri
ties of that country. A school meter,
thatis a square rod one meter long, three
Centimeters wide and three Centimeters
thick, each of the four sides having it's
appropriate divisions; a chart giving
full size square meter with its various
sub. divisions; a chart representing the
various measures and weights, deCi
meter cube, which can be taken apart,
showing its subdivisions; a CubiCal box of
a size to contain the above cube, to illus
trate both the unit of measure and OF Ca
paCity. and the kilogram or the larger
unit Of weight. 1t is claimed that with
this set of apparatus the whole system
can be taughtin one hour.
The sentiment favoring the adoption
of this system in the United States is
very strong, and the sentiment favoring
such action as was taken by the Board of
Education at its last meeting is equally
strong. Under the circumstances sur
rounding it, its adoption by the old
world, its recommendation, even when
almost in its infancy, by such men as
John Quincy Adams, and its continued
and hearty endorsement by the best ed
uCators of the land can not fail of it's le-
gitimate result-the adoption of the sys-
tenn at no distant day. There are also
societies formed for the express purpose
of bringing the question of its adoption
before the proper persons, and to do all
in their power to encourage its growth.
Such societies are the American Metric
Revieu and the American Neurological
Society. These societies are calling the
attention of teachers to it, and favor its
obligatory teaching. The teachers them
selves are, as class, doing their best to
effect this result. At the last meeting of
the Ohio Teachers Association, held at
PUTIN Bay, resolutions were adopted ia.
vori1g the introduction of the metrical
system as a study in the public schools,
asking citizens to actually use the sys-
tenn, thanking the press for it's efforts,
and petitioning the General Assembly