The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1898-01-09
OUR SYSTEM OF MEASURES.
ANOTHER ATTEMPT TO BE MADE
TO ADOPT THE METRE.

Erevioun Euorts 20 Get Congress to Establish
Unirorm System OF WEIGHTS and Mensures-
The Standard k~iioErnmnne and Metre ut
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. OF n Delicate scale.
WASHINGTON. Jan. s.-Anotncr attempt is to
be made at this session OF Congress to adopt tho
metric system for tho United States. AT tho
last session Representative Hurley of New York
introduced In tho House OF Representatives a
bill with this purpose in view. but it failed to
receive favorable consideration. In Germany.
Italy. Spain, France, Austria, Hungary, Portu.
gal, Belgium, Switzerland. Norway and
Sweden. Servia, Peru, and Venezuela the
metric system is by law obligatory in
Great Britain and ireland. In Turkey and tho
United States 1t is pcrmissive. while Denmark,
Japan, and Russia are non.metric The latest
advices received by the Coast Survey indicate
that Great Britain Is In n fair way to adopt tho
system, for 1t has been found that in some OF tho
countries where the metric system is compul.
sorry England has lost many contracts. for tho
reason that the transforonco Of figures from one
system to another has frequently resulted in in.
accuracy.
Tho history OF tho attempts to secure uni
formity of weights and measures in this country
10 interesting. Washington spoke in his first
message TO Congress Of the great necessity for
uniformity in the currency and weights and
measures, and the matter was referred to Joffor-
son, then Secretary Of State. who submitted q
EopOEt W SOukTebb Oh INC buDJeCu~ Wnllo tnlS
report was under consideration tho National
Assembly OF France took stops In reference to
adopting the metric system, and this fact
induced the committee to postpone any
alteration In the measures then in use.
Washington renewed his recommendation
to tho second Congress. and a
reported in favor OF one OF Jeferson's plans.
Nothing resulted. and the matter was not taken
up again until after the war of 1912, whom, in
l -, n.A at m ,r-nnN 80, 49, A. to-,
from President Madison. q bill was introduced.
But, as before, no legislation resulted, and 30
the measures lawful in Great Britain during our
colonial period still remained In customary use
in this country.
Although Congress has not been eager to
make one eystom compulsory it has shown its elf
not unwilling to encourage uniformity, for in
June. 1886. an act was passed which provided
that copies OF all the standards of weights and
measures should be prepared at Washington
and q full set delivered to the Governor OF each
state in the Union. Up to that time, brass
yards and ellis furnished by the county and State
steps Of the Court Houses in State and
towns tested the correctness of their length
measures; Though standard measures were
made at the Geodetic Survey and sent to the
States, according TO the provisions OF the act of
1886, they were not used. The law was re-
pealed subsequently. and the. standard which
had remained in use by the Executive Depart
ment of the Government became practically the
units We're the original yard and the Original
pound. But much confusion existed then in re-
gard to the relation of our original measures with
those of Great Britain. The yard adopted was The
distance between two lines drawn upon the
Troughton scales in 1913. But SO delicate are
this American yard has from time TO time had
different relations to the British yard. These
differences have been due TO the temperatures
at the times the comparison were made, TO de-
grees Fahrenheit making, an appreeiable dit
| ron fla Gsinntitn 4 nnnnInT-in tho
The United States Government contributes
support of the international Bureau or Weights
and Measures near Paris, France. This bureau
international standard meter and a new inter
national standard kilogrammc, copies of which
tributing Governments. In January, 1890, two
standards, made at the bureau ana sent to
at the White House. and there the seals
on the packages were broken by tho President OF
retary OF State. the Secretary OF the Treasury.
and a number OF scientific men. They were then
min Harrison was written to the effect that
they were originals or prototypes OF the orisi.
nal n &c tss a sea k,Io 81 We1rb as n and Ma aeey we ae
the Geodetic and Coast Survey, where they arc
now kept. AT tho Survey, the kilogrammc has
which have been sealed by the superintendent
Of the Survey. and no one is allowed to open
them. The prototype of the metre in ordinary
use is also very carefully kept and handled,
although it is not under seal, 1t is q
iridium, and cost $1,000. 1t is not fiat. as most
measures are, and a cross section OF il would
i iDVe nedd uo on tho e" other. The line Of measure y
ment is ut the top OF one OF the VS.. The object
OF this is to have the surface from which tho
measurement is taken as near as possible to
what is known rs the neutral axis OF the bar.
This destroys the possibility of increase or d.
intuition in length by the infinitely mail arc
which might be formed in handling the bar.
There are Two FURNISHED spots upon which the
| HmltH Of The metro can be very IulntlY ulStln-
guished. The lines are finer many times than q
There is a most wonderful scale by which
weights are adjusted for merchants. 1t is kept
under lock and key in a frreproof room in the pc
main building of the Geodetic Survey. 1t Is one
of the most accurate scales in the world. SO
delicate are the adjustments required that the
temperature of the body of the operator is CON
sidered to impair materially the efficiency of tho
instrument. Therefore the observer stands at u
distance OF fifteen or sixteen feet from the scale
when the weighings are being made, operating
rods. The observer makes his readings through
u telescope which is directed upon two ivory
scales is permanent and the other is attached to
the balance; 4 weighing having been made on
one side, tho brass rods are manipulated, and,
by n simple but most ingenious and smooth.
running mechanism. the weight is transferred
curacy of this wonderful balance may be had
from n statement recently made by Prof. Mcndel.
weighing on this scale with two standard kilo-
gramme weights. The weights were first placed
IN one or the DAlance btunuS, size Dy Sluc, ana
weighed. Afterward they were weighed in the
same pan and under the same conditions, but in
this case ono WAS placed on top of the other.
The two weighings differed. Placed one on top of
the other, they weighed less than, when placed
side by side. This was duo to moving The centre
of gravity higher up, making a small difference,
not three inches. from tho centre OF the earth.
Out in the yard OF the Geodetic Survey is kept
the United states mural or bench standard.
This Is u wooden box more than a hundred feet
long. which has inside of 1t an iron bar two
inches wide and about half an inch thick. This
Is for the purpose OF measuring tape lines sent
to tho Survey by engineers from oil over the
country for a Government test.
The Governments using the metric system so
far outnumber those not using 1t that 1t is be-.
lieyed at the Geodetic Survey that legislation
be enacted. The officials say that the nations