Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1901-06-29
STANDARDS OF MEASUREMENT.

Variations in Different States and in
various Countries of the World.
From the New Orleans Times Democrat.
The establishment of the bureau of
standards authorized by the recent session
OF Congress means ultimately, though not
Immediately, the adoption of a standard
United States bushel, ton and every other
weight and measure" explained a gentle
man who has taken great interest in the
legislation. AT present some states have
what is called a short ton and long ton
the former 1000 pounds and the latter
2,24o pounds, though nearly all the states
which have legislated on the subject in
recent years have adopted a ton of 2,240
pounds as the standard. The United States
government has no standard ton, though in
all contracts when made there is a provis-
Ion stating that the ton shall be 2.240
POUNDS, even In states which have stand
ara or ZOO pounds for ton. The same is
true In regard to the bushel. There are a
lot OF instances in which in the same state
the various counties have different weight
stated as bushel. 1t is to remedy all
these conditions and seeming contradlc-
lions that a national standard is found to
be necessary. OF course the federal gov
eminent has no power to provide a stand
ara Oh anything for a state without the
consent Of the state, but 1t is understood
that, as the federal government is to pro-
vide standard, there will be little or no
objection to the adoption of that standard
by the various states. 1t means work of
some years, however, for each state will
nave to accept the federal standard by an
expressed statute 1t will be a good thing
for all concerned.
When the standard weights and meas
ureS have been adopted copies of the same
viii have to be distributed to each of the
state capitals, so that the pound, pint and
yard VIII have to be absolutely identical in
each and every state and all portions there
OF. The fact that the United States have
adopted standard will have a great inf1u-
encc in securing the acceptance of the
same in all the states, but 1t cannot be
legallZed in the states unless the states
themselves legislate on the subject.
Strange as it may appear, the British gov
ernment, though 1T has standard ward
pound and gallon. has no standard acre,
and an acre in many parts of the British
empire means considerably different from
what 1t means in other parts.
The term foot has but little meaning,
though as a rule there are twelve inches
in every foot. The inch, however, is not
always the same The American inch by
subjects identical with the English inch.
One hundred German feet make 1o3
American or English feet. The French
foot varies from ours also, though it is
companies charge SO much for every hun
dred feet, and the electric light companies
so much for every hundred watts used,
there is no standard gas foot or electric
watt In this country-that is, a legaIized
standard. The gas company foot is an ar
bitrary thing settled to suit the gas COM
panies, the foot of hardly any two gas
companies in this country being abso-
lutely identical. To standardize such
things is the eventual work of the bureau
of standards There is no standard what
ever in connection with electrical measure
ment, every electric company working out
It's own salvation and profit