The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1896-04-14
THE METRIC SYSTEM
1T ORIGINATED IN FRANCE, AND HAS
SPREAD THROUGHOIT EUROPE.
Nearly Ten Years Of Preparation
Was Promulgated I'm 100.
Dry Goods Economist.


much of the credit for the origin of the
then Bishop of Autun. proposed to the Con-
stituent Assembly of France the formulation
of a uniform system of weights and meas
ures. His proposal cited two previously sug-
gested bases for such system, that Of
Huyghens, the length OF the swing of a
pendulum, and that of Picard. proportion
of the earth's circumference, of which Tai
leyrand preferred the former. His proposal
called for the assistance of scientists of
Great Britain in the work Of determining
the standard base, and left with the French
Academy of Sciences the preparation OF the
tables of proportion. This proposal. some
what amended. was passed in the form of a
decree by the Assembly and signed by Louis
XVI, Aug. q, $780, A
British scientists neglected or refused to
join in the project. Representatives from
Spain, Italy, the Netherlands, Denmark and
Switzerland, however. convened with the
Academy of Sciences. and to five of the most
eminent mathematician of Europe-Borda,
Lagrange, Laplace, Monge and Condorcet-
was given the task Of determining the base
of measurement
The committee reported on March 10, 1884,
IL bdoSS-t-iC
swing of the pendulum, proportion Of the
earths equator and proportion OF the
earth's meridian-and that it had decided
upon the ten-millonth part Of the quadrant
of the meridian (from the equator to either
poe), as proper standard measurement, the
weight of distilled water at the freezing
point proportional to the cubical volume in
which ii is contained to be a standard for
weights and for vessels of capacity.
GIVEN TO THE WORLD IN 1879.
An arc Of the trigonometrical meridian
from Dunkirk to Barcelona was ordered
measured, the work Of which took seven
years. The government. however. did not
wait for the final measurements, but pro-
visionally established the new system August
], 1898. giving it its present nomenclature
April Z. 1885,
In 1893 an International commission. ito
settle the length of the dehnitive metre" was
convened at Paris. 1t comprised representa-
tives of France, Holland, Denmark. Switzer-
and avoy sna Inc
closed with the depositing OF the standard
platinum metrebar in the Palace OF Archives.
Use Of the system spread rapidly through
out Europe under the Napoleonic regime
The collapse of Napoleon served temporarily
Nevertheless, it had gained such Roadway be-
fore the restoration OF the Bourbons that de-
spite the prevalent anti-French feeling there
after 1t soon began again to be generally
used. The Netherlands restored it in 1917
the North German 1ollverein. which was
formed about 1888, adopted in on Jan. !.
Italy, 1861, extending it to Sicily in 1863: Aus
tria partially adopted 1t by treaty with Prus-
STA in 1S4S; Sweden began to use it in 1856
Switzerland adopted 1t in 1851, to take effect
in 1855; Norway. 1866; Spain and her GO, col
ones: loos; Fortugai; 1914; h3umania. 1000
Jan. 1. 1872. A bill for it's adoption in En-
gland passed its second reading in the House
of Commons in 1868. whereupon it was with
drawn by its friends as premature. 1t has
lately been adopted in Turkey and Japan; 1t
is used in both Russia and the United States
| in pharmaceutical and medical works, and
Is to be used in the new edition of the British
Pharmacopoeia.
Its adoption on this continent begins with
lowed s d' by that Of Ecuador and Mexico 1856
Uruguay. 1852: Argentina and Peru, 1863,
and Brazil, 1873.
IN THE UNITED STATES.
At two widely different times there has
been strong movement in favor of its
adoption by this country. The first Of these
was during the presidency of James Monroe,
when John Quincy Adams, Secretary of
State, was called upon by the House of
Representatives to furnish it with state
ment Of its origin, progress and feasibility
to American usage. 1t is from his reply,
dated Feb. 20, 1921, that much of the his
torical part Of this article is obtained.
| Again, following the civil war, another
considerable agitation arose. John A. Kas-
son, a distinguished Representative from
| Iowa, was made chairman of a special COM
mittee in the Thirty-ninth Congress for in
quiring into the advisability Of adopting a
| He reported bill to the House legaiizing
| the use of the metric system in this coun-
| try. which was passed on July "a, 1866 He
| looked forward to its exclusive legalizaticn
| by this country, and in the capacity of a
| Dropagandist addressed the convocation of
| the University of the State of New York,
| Aug. s, 1868. At mis- suggestion a committee
Of three of the faculty was appointed to In
| quire into the question. This committee de-
| reported orally and adversely to a violent
| change in methods Of computation. Another
committee of three was appointed, two of
whom in 1870 made similar report.
| The faculty of Columbia College, who
were well-nigh unanimous for the metric
| system, thereupon demanded and obtained
| a hearing before the university's next con-
| vocation through President Barnard, who
| delivered a masterful. scholarly and ex-
| haustive address, taking up one by one the
objections made against uniform systems,
| and proving its scientific exactness and the
necessity for its immediate and universal
| adoption.
Since then the growth of conviction in
| favor Of the system in this country has
been a steady and gradual one.
|
COL. JOHN A. COCkERILL.