Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1879-06-27
Preparation for the Metric Reform.

Suppose everybody to know upon evidence
commanding the utmost confidence, that this
change is certainly going to be made on or
before some particular date, for instance,
December 3lst, 1889. The largest part of
the scale beams, poeket-rules, taps, dies and
machine-tools of which such bugbear is
made, will b4 worn out before that time and
in making r,newals previously any man of
forethought can manage to avoid much extra
expense. The clothier can buy new meas
uring wand one meter long, with yard
marked on the back for temporary use.
Having this continually before his eyes he
will gradually become accustomed TO it and
will learn to think in meters as well as in
yards without any great effort. The grocer
may get double scale-beam, such as Fair
banks 4 Co. have been selling for many years
to their South American customers, with pounds
marked on one branch and kilos on the other.
BY thus bridging over the chasm between old
and new, he can change his language almost
as easily as his coat. New machine tools can
be built upon the metric basis and used Oh
any work which is to last long after 1890,
! while the old machinery continues in service
| for several years in the completion or repair
of former work, and for every thing of tenn
porary character, which will not outlive 1890.
| In this way the change was made about ten
| years ago at the watch factory at Waltham,
MASS. EADEfltutGu uluCulllhlh Say ludt lutN
| could do likewise with but little trouble. If
! everybody must have new tools, the shops
that make the tools would appear to be special
gamers by the reform. If, however, there
should be extraordinary expenditure required
| of them, their customers would have to repay
| it in increased prices. Some individuals suf-
| fer peculiar hardship from any improvement
| the introduction of labor-saving machinery
throws handicraftsmen out Of employment
! by the adoption of new weights and measures
| to save mental labor some few persons, OF
necessity, will be injured professional agita-
| tors. if nobody else) but the progress of civ
| ilization is not on that account to be stopped.
| The proposed interval prior to 1890 would af
ford time for all necessary state legislation.
! The general government has already supplied
accurate metric standards to the several states
| they ought to distribute copies, if they have
| not yet done So TO their local officers, and tc
make the usual provisions for verifying the
actual weights and measures of trade accord
ing to the metric system. Time would be al
lowed also for the preparation OF all the tech
nical and other books required for the new
system, the apothecaries' pharmacopnia and
tables of data reference manuals and litera
ture of whatever kind adapted to the wants
of any profession some of this work is al
ready done. If every man were looking for
ward to the change as inevitable, and study
ing how to make it as light burden as posi-
BILE to his own business, various ways would
be contrived to introduce the new terms grad
ually into every department. measurement
standard sizes, price-lists and advertiser emit
would all conform to the new regime; and thu
difficulties, which on a general view appea
almost insuperable, would be surmounted ii
detail by moderate expenditure of money
patience and sustained effort. Soribner .to
| ,JlliU