Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1896-03-19
vAeAKIEs II MEASURES,

.-..,,,,t. I'M Favor OF the Metric system.
Er interesting report has been made
v- Charles w. stone, Of Pennsyl-
s in favor OF bin for the adoption
he metric system OF weights and
~.sr-ss which has been for some
.sts before the House Committee on
coinage Weights and Measures
The Troy pound Of the mint is resort
t-, AS the only source from which to
s-.,s +ss avoirdupois pound for com
mon rse and yet this Troy pound, while
answering the purposes Of comparison
,,-ss mint. is Of uncertain accuracy
The primary standard Of length. the
..--ss harley corns. round, plump ana
f-r which make an inch. proved ou1
an indefinite guide. ,,
The size o, our quart, gallon, Ousuel
and barrel is elastic or adjustable, ana
5s,sn8s on the commodity 20 bee meas
r-si the place where it is measured,
and formerly in Pennsylvania, at least
fbs purpose and persons for whom
measured.
0r he statute books Of that state
may be found an old law providing that
f-n keepers shall sell beer and ale by
vine measure 20 all persons as drink II
i'm rbeir houses. and by beer measure TO
all persons as carry the same out OF
their houses
Vermont however. seems 10 have
reached the climax of absuIdity. when
She provides by comparatively recent
legislation still in force that IN meas
uring certain specified commodities
one bushel and three-quarters OF a
peck shall be deemed a busheL
The barrel OF oil or cider in Pennsyl-
vania and Ohio. according TO legal pro-
visions. contains 3t1a gallons. but In
actual fact 20 contains 40 or ~ gallons.
The gallon OF milk In New lorN con-
t1us 23t cubic inches, and In Mime
sofa &C. is fixed by Law at 2S2.
The standard bushel used by the
United States In the custom houses and
furnished as standard 20 the various
States. is g per cent smaller than the
standard bushel of Great Britain The
bushel Of oats varies from 26 pounds in
MARYLAND 10 36 pounds 10 Oregon and
Washington.
The bushel Of barley weighs 30 pounds
in Louisiana and 90 in California. The
laws OF New York and Oregon make
a. pounds Of buckwheat bushel while
those of Minnesota and Nebraska call
for So pounds. and Kentucky 55pOunds.
The bushel Of rye weighs 30 pounds in
Louisiana. but grows TO 56 pounds in
Ohio. Potatoes weigh so pounds 70 the
bushel in Washington, SO in Pennsyl-
vania and 90 in Ohio.
In Maine A pounds make a bushel
OF apples. while 81 are required in
Wisconsin. A busbel Of salt weighs but
SD pounds In Virginia and several OF
the States. but reaches 20 i'm Massachu-
sets. and brings down the scales at
SD in Colorado.
Strong arguments are then advanced
iu the report for the adoption of the
Uniform metric system.
The simplicity OF the system is one of
IT'S great merits. It has but one sys-
tenn for every kind of weight and meas
ure and the method of written express
SION is the one Of ordinary numerical
notation.
The fundamental unit is the meter,
and from that are derived by the simp-
lest process not only. measurements of
extension. but of weights and capacity
ass we'll
Referring 20 the objection that the
words and terms OF the metric system
are foreign. and too long for cOnven-
Tent use the reply is made that the
terms are not simply for American use,
t1ey are for all nations. The ease with
which other nations, except France,
where vacillating legislation and revo-
iul0uary disorders impeded the work,
have made the change Of systems, has
been surprising.
The conclusion reached by the COM
.-ee is that the metric system of
"f.ghts and measures should be adopt
et oy The various departments of the
government, although not deeming it
Wise 20 change the methods of survey
Ing public lands They recommend.
therefore, that It's adoption by the de-
pdrtments be fixed for July I. 1898. and
ar the nation at large cOincident with
Che dawn of the twentieth century. jan
Iarv ] 1891