The herald., 1898-11-16
ACADEMY OF SCIENCES
Paper by Prof. Dozier on the Metric
system

The regular meeting of the Academy Of
Sciences was held last evening at the usual
place, $3.50 South Broadway. with good
attendance. The meeting was called to or
der by the president, Hon. Abbot Kinney.
Mr.. Kinney stated that the department
of the interior, recognizing its failure in
protecting the forest reservations, had re-
uuested the board of forestry of California
to formulate a plan for forest manage
ment and that the recent proceedings OF
the academy in the matter had stimulated
the genealogical and horticultural socie-
ties, farmers institutes and other organi-
cations in the state to similar action.
The paper of the evening was read by
Professor Melville Dozier of the state nor
NAL school on the Metric System" Prof.
Dozer made an able and convincing de-
fense of the French system of weights and
measures over the clumsy English method
and the still more clumsy one employed
in the trade and commerce of the United
States.
The speaker cited the fact that while
we have improved as people in every de-
partment of business life, it is somewhat
remarkable that both our own country and
Great Britain still clung to their clumsy
and varying systems Of weights and meas
ures and refuse to adopt one founded on
principles of science and philosophy. Com
merce is immensely injured and an incred-
ible amount of time and labor is lost by
the system used in the United States, with
it's variations of tables and different stand
ards of liquid measurement. Druggists,
for instance, buy by one measure and sell
by another. Liquid and dry measures not
only differ but up to a recent date the
length of miles varied.
Professor DoZier gave an interesting re-
view of the adoption of the metric system
by the French, after the revolution. and
how the mathematicians arrived at a stand
ard of measurement, placing the civilized
world under a debt of gratitude to them.
The system has since been adopted by al
most every country on the globe and while
it was legalized by congress in 1866 in this
country, it has not come into general use.
1t is used in the United States coast sur
vey, in the laboratories of colleges and en-
tirely by chemists. Blackboard illustra-
tions were given of the difference in the
two systms, the simplicity of metric meas
urement and our own complicated and
clumsy method, with its consequent waste
of time and labor.
The paper was discussed after the read
ing most speakers endorsing Professor
DoZier's conclusions. Prof. Dickinson was
somewhat emphatic In his difference OF
opinion and preference in staying with
quarters and halves because we were
born that way" He stated, however, that
the coinage Oh tne convenient l1ltIe nlcKe
was authorized by congress in an effort tc
| familiarize the people with the metric sys
| TIM, five of them, when fresh from the
| mint, weighing a gramme and six shade
over an ounce, the weight of letter re.
quiring a two-cent stamp.
President Kinney called attention to tht
proposed organization of the psycholog
cal section under the auspices of the acad
| emy. The subject was discussed by Prof
| Leslie, Dr. Warren e. Lloyd and Professor
Schultze. Each speaker expressed desire
to investigate it scientifically. Professor
Leslie stated that psychical research car
be pursued in the academy as well as In
side college walls. On motion Tuesday
evening next was named for the first meet
| ing to organize and elect officers. On tn,
invitation of Mrs. Merrill all members OF
the academy interested will meet at her res
idence. 2719 Ellendalue place. The street ca,
be reached by the Traction line.