The morning times., 1896-03-16
yAGARIEs IN MEASU RES.
Aruments in Favor of the MetrI
system.

An interesting report has been made by
Mr.. Charles V. Stone. Of Pennsylvania, in
favor Of a bill for the adoption Of the metric
system Of weights and measures, which has
been for some weeks before the House
Committee on Coinage, Weights and Meas
ures.
The Troy pound OF the mint Is resorted to
as the only source from which TO derive the
dvOirdIpOiS pound Tor common use and YET
this Troy pound. while answering the pUr-
poses OF comparison in the mint, is OF IN
certain accuracy.
The primary standard Of length, the three
barley corns, round. plump and dry which
make an inch, proved bat an indefinite
guide.
The size OF Our quart. gallon. busheI, and
barrel Is elastic OF adjust3 bic, and depends
Oh the commodity to be measured, the place
where il is measured, and, formerly in enn-
Sylvania, at least, the purpose and persons
for whom measured
On the statute books OF shat State may
be found an Old law providing that inn
keepers shall sell beer and ale by wine
measures 20 all persons as drink it in
thti- houses. and by beer measure 70 all
persons as carry the same out or their
houses"
Vermont. however, seems 20 have reach
ed the climax OF absurdity, when she pro-
videS by comparatively recent legislation
still IN force, that in measuring certain SpeCI-
fled commodities lone busheI and three
quarters Ola peek shah be deemed a bushrl.'
The barrel OF oil or cider in Pennsylvania
and Ohio, according to legal provisions, Cou-
tains 81 IL gallons, but in actual fact IL
contains 40 or - gallons The gallon Of
milk in New Y ork contains 231 cubic inches,
and in AinnesOta it Is fixed by law at 2S2-
The standard busheI used by the United
States in the custom houses and furnished
as standard 20 the various States is
per cent smaller than the standard busheI
OF Great Britain. The buShel OF oats varies
from 20 pounds IN Maryland TO 50 pounds
in Oregon and Washington.
The bushei of barley weighs 80 pounds
in Louisiana and so in California. The
laws of New York and Oregon make AZ
pounds of buckwheat . bushel while those
OF Minnesota and Nebraska call for 50
pounds. and Kentucky 90 pounds. The
busheI Ofrye weighs 80 pounds in Louisiana
but grows to % pounds in Ohio Potatoes
weigh 30 pounds to the bushel in Washing
ton, SO in PENNSYLVANIA and so IL Ohio
In Maine IA pounds make a buShel OF
apples, while % are required in Wisconsin.
A bushel OF salt weighs but 80 pounds in
Virginia and several Of the States, but
reaches 20 in Massachusetts. and brings
down the scales at so in Colorado
Strong arguments are then advanced in
the repor, for the adoption OF the uniform
metric system.
The simplicity OF the system is one OF its
great merits. 1t has but one system for
every kind of weight and measure. and the
method of written expression is the Ons
ofOrdinaFy numerical notation.
The fundamental unit is the meter, and
from that are derived by the simplest
process not only measurements OF exten-
sion. but or weights and capacity IS well
Referring 70 the Objection that the
words and terms OF the metric system
are foreign, aud too long for convenient
use. the reply IS made that the terms
are not simply for American use; they
are for all nations. The ease with which
other nations except France, where
vacillating legislation and revolutionary
disorders impcded the work, have made
the change OF systems, has been SUI
prising.
The conclusion reached 10y the committee
is that the metric system OF weights and
measures should be adopted by the various
departments OF the government, although
not deeming it wise to change the methods
Of surveying public lands. They recon-
mend. therefore, that its adoption by
the departments be fixed for July 1898.
and by the nation at large COincidenF
with the dawn OF the twentieth century
T9nuary IGOf