The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-09-21
ABOUT METRIC SYSTEM
LIKELY TO BE ADOPTED BY U. s.
GOVERNMENT.
Use VIII Not BE Made Compulsory, But
VIII he OmciaI system-Now Prac-
ticaIIy international.
Chicago Evening Post.

Chicago Evening Post.
At the last session OF Congress a bill was
introduced and was recommended for pas
sage providing that on JAM j, 1904, ali
the departments of the government or the
United States, in the transaction or all
business requiring the use of weight and
measurement, shall employ and use only
the weights and measures Of the metric
system" It also provides that on and
after Jan. /, 1901, the weights and measures
of the metric system shall be the legal
standard weights and measures in the
United States.
As there is little doubt that this bill will
be passed, and as the metric system, no
matter what may be said for or against ii,
is coming daily into more general use IN
this country, it may be OF interest tc pre-
sent the metric tables of weight, length
and volume, with a few common equiva-
Tents, in such form that they may be pre-
served for ready reference.
The basis or standard OF this system Is
the meter, which is supposed to be equal in
length to one-forty-millionth of the earth's
| circumference The measurement of the
earth's circumference to determine this
standard was carried on during all the dis
turbances Of the French revolution. From
the result of this measurement a bar. a lit
tie longer than a yard, was prepared, ana
this was defined as the standard OF length
or meter.
From this the other measures of length
were derived by taking ten times, one num-
dred times and one thousand times It's
length for the larger measures, and one
tenth, -one-hundredth and one-thousandth
of its length for the smaller measures.
GETTING WEIGHT AND VOLUME.
The names Of the larger measures, or
multiples. were formed by p%refixing to the
word meter" a numeral derived from the
Greek; the names of the smaller measures
by similarly prefixing a numeral derived
from the Latin.
From the unit of length the unit Of vol
m or capacity was simply derived. 1t is
a cube, each side of which measures one
decimeter, and is called a liter. The other
measures are derived from it by a multi
plication and subdivision, precisely as the
measures Of length, and their names are
formed on the same principle.
The unit of weight was as easily obtained
and bears a simple relation to the other
units. 1t is the weight of one cubic cent?
meter of pure water at a given tempera-
ture, and is called the gramme. These
three units and their multiplications and
subdivisions really represent all the mys-
terry of the decimal or metric system.
1t has certain general conveniences which
are obvious. AS an example may be taken
the simple relation between the units of
weigh and the units Of volume, which en-
ableS the ready reduction OF quantities by
weight into quantities by volume. Thus a
given volume of water expressed in cubic
centimeters will weigh (neglecting the
small correction for temperature) the same
number of grammes. Other comparisons
will readily suggest themselves to the stu
dent.
NOT AN IDEAL SYSTEM.
Even the most ardent advocates of the
| metric system do not claim that it is ideal.
But they do assert, and with much show of
reason. that it is much superior to the sys-
tenn of weights and measures nov in use in
this country and in England. An exam
nation of our weights and measures dis
closes the fact that there are sixty-four
different ratios used. of which nineteen are
not divisible by two, and that there are
eighteen terms used which have two or
more meanings.
In the report of the congressional COM
mittee on the bill referred TO the advan-
tages of the metric system were thus emu
merated: Its decimal character through
out, the simple relations between the units
making il possible to derive all others di-
rectly from the unit of length, its elastic,
ity, the ease with WHICH it is learned and
remembered, the saving of time and the in
creased accuracy with which computations
may be made"
Regarding this saving in time the Depart
ment of Education has presented some sug-
| ReSIlNe nRureS. III Is estimated IndC al
least two-thirds of a year in the life OF
every child in the public schools would be
saved by the adoption of the metric arith-
metic, which would conform to the present
it is considered that there are more than
100000 school children in the United
States being educated at a public cost OF
not less than $2Oo.0o.O0O a year. the amount
of waste time, according to the depart
ment's estimate, may be appreciated. In
the lifetime Of a single generation nearly
81, OOO.OOO.Oo and 100000 school years are
consumed In teaching our present system
which. it is claimed. would be saved by the
teaching of the metric system.
1T is PRACTICALLY INTERNATIONAL
But this may be considered merely a
curious argument. The phases OF the
question which will most appeal to Con.
gress are those connected with our foreign
commerce. More than 60 per cent. of our
export trade is now carried on with coun.
tries using the metric system. 1t has beer
adopted by every country Of Importance
in the world excepting the United States
Great Britain and Russia, and Russia sim
ply has not adopted IL officially.
As our notation is based on the ten fin
gers of the human hand, from which came
the decimal system, and our coinage Is also
decimal, it is argued that our weights anC
measures should be decimal also. II the
base of our system OF numbers and coinage
were eight or twelve we might introduce 6
system OF corresponding weights and meas
ures that would be much superior TO the
metric system, but we need not hope Il
have these things, which had their origin
in a time when men counted on their fingel
tips, changed as easily as We can Introduce
a system of weights and measures to cor
respond with them.
1t is not the purpose of Congress to max,
the adoption Of this system compulsory OF
the people of this country, as it was made