The Opelousas courier., 1902-09-20
FAvoRS METRIC SYSTEM.
why It Should Be Adopted In the United
StR'es,

0tN So
From the recent report Of the con
~gressional committee to which was re-
ferred the bill to adopt the weights
and measures of the metric system as
the standard weights and measures
of the United States, are selected the
following considerations in favor OF
the system:
The intense commercial rivalry Of
nations warns us to leave nothing I'M
done which may further our own in
t%erests, and there can be nc doubt that
the Introduction of the metric sys-
tenn would greatly facilitate interna-
tional commercial transactions. With
out doubt, Great Britain and Russia
would follow the initiative of this coun-
try in this matter. (Report of secre-
tary of the treasury for 1899.
The advantages to be gained by the
adoption Of the metric system as COM
pared with the one in present use are
far greater than the benefits derived
from the adoption of a decimal system
of coinage in place of the English mon
etary system.
Very few persons are familiar with
the weights and measures common in
the United States. One has but to re-
call the tables of u three different
systems of weights-the a%pothecary,
troy and avoirdupois-to illustrate this
fact. And while the yard may be stat
ed as our standard of length, we find
in practice various arbitrary multiples
Of the yard and foot. In addition to
the ordinary cubic measure we find
three systems of measuring capacity
dry measure, liquid measure and
a~pothecary's fluid measure. An ex-
animation of the tables of I'LL weights
and measures discloses the fact that
there are "a different ratios used, of
which 10 are not divisible by 2, and
that there are 19 terms used which
have W or mor meanings. Certain
ly, any effort to replace this conglom-
crate system with a simple logical
one, similar to~our monetary system,
is worthy of the consideration Of con-
gress.
The fact that the metric system was
first adopted by France has given rise
to the custom of referring to it a the
French system. 1t is interesting to
note, however, that one of the first to
propose a decimal system of weights
and measures was James Watt, the
inventor of the steam engine. The
o1on4inr of n IroSrna1 CUSTOM IF anin.
age by the United States was one of
the strongest influences leading to the
adoption of the metric system by
France.
The advantages of the metric sys-
tenn may be briefly stated as its deci-
NAL character throughout, the simple
relations between the units making it
possible to derive all others from the
unit of length, the ease with which 1t
is learned and remembered, the saw
ing Of time and the increased accur-
acy with which computations may be
made. Estimates made by the depart
ment of education and others show
that the work of at least two-thirds
of a year in the life Of every child
would be saved by the adoption of the
metric arithmetic.
More than so percent of Il COM
merce is now carried on with countries
using the weights and measures OF
the metric system, and it is evident
that the commerce Of the world must
soon conform to the metric basis.
In 1866 congress legalized the me-
trio system. From that time on it has
been growing in favor and in practical
use. 1t is now used by about two
thirds of the people of the world, Rus
STA, Great Britain, and the United
States being the only non-metric coun-
tries.
The committee believe that "the
time has come for the gradual retire
ment of our confusing, illogical, IRA
tional system and the substitution OF
something better. The first step in
this direction should be the introduc'
ton of the metric weights and meas,
ures into the departments OF the gov
eminent. The use Of these weights
and measures will simplify their work.
1t will familiarize the people with them
and encourage their application to the
common affairs of life"
The great difficulties which seem to
stand in the way of the general adop'
ton of This system have probably been
overestimated, for it's introduction into
Germany. Austria and other European
countries was accomplished with lit
tie or no confusion.