Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1902-11-10
WORLD USES DECIMAL SYSTEM
Claim Made That United States Mer-
chants Lose Trade Because of Their
independent Standard of Weights
and MISUNDERSTANDING Intends to
Change Soon.
Special to Times-Republican.

eign countries now employing 1t makes
its advent a necessity, and If it be pos
sible during the coming short term OF
congress to introduce any other subject
of legislation than the appropriation
bills and tariff revision, the advocates
of the adoption by the United States OF
the metric system of weights and meas
ures as our standard Will certainly
bring forward "a bill for that purpose.
1t will be urged that the United states
should not be the last one practlcally OIL
the civilized nations of the Wofiu 70
cling to the old system. and this II ap-
pears likely will be from a letter re-
Gently received at the state department
In reference to the bill now before the
English parliament.
THE letter states that there are 2s0
members of the present British house
of commons so thoroughly in favor OF
it's adoption that they have given au-
fhority to publish their names as Its
supporters. If we add TO this the NUM-
her of members of parliament VINO
would be influenced by debate IN the
house of commons to vote In It's faVor'
the letter mentioned says that it's sup
porters are convinced that they are
now strong enough to carry Dill.
During the last four or five weeks, no
less than sixty city, town and county
councils have passed resolutions TO the
effect that it is desirable that the re-
form should be made in the interest or
commerce and education.
One of the most definite results OF the
conference of the British colonial prime
ministers was the passing of resolu-s
ton in favor of the adoption or the me-
trio weights and measures thruout the
British empire. This will have most
important result, and will render GER
tain the early passing of bill to give
effect to those views.
All the chambers of commerce in
Great Britain. nearly all the scnool
boards, the trades unions, and great
number of societies of various KINDS
have for a long time been active sup
porters of the Decimal Association,
which has for its sole object the uni
yersal adoption of the metric system.
The attitude of the British prime
minister may be gathered from some
remarks he made to the deputation
which waited upon iltIii III iSSsii - ~
this question. He said:
IF may express my own opinion
upon the merits of the case. there can
be no doubt whatever that the judge
ment of the whole civilized world, not
excluding the countries which Still ad-
here to the antiquated systems under
which we suffer, Has long decided that
the metric system is the only rational
system"
The greatest obstacle to this change
to the metric system in the United
States is perhaps the fear of the upset
it will create and it is evidently one of
those cases to which Shakespeare re-
ferred when he exclaimed: How oft we
lose the good we else might gain by
fearing to attempt"
1T was just after the conclusion of the
Franco Prussians war that the German
decided upon the adoption
of the metric system. In Germany,
from 1871 till 1873, it was taught In the
schools. and then it became compulsory
in all business transactions
1T seemed a Herculean task in Ger
many but did not prove so. IT tackled
with spirit and common sense the
difficulties would be easily surmounted.
For simplicity and convenience the
present go-as-you- please style OF
weights and measures is not to be COM
pared to the metric system. We would
note just here that to France is gen.
orally conceded the honor of possessing
the most perfect metric system. The
metre which is 80 inches in length, and
which was scientifically determined, is
the basis of the system. 1t is, as nearly
as possible, the ten millionth part of
the quadrant of the meridian OF Paris
OR, in simpler parlance the fourth
part of the meridian, or the suppositi-
tious circle which passes thru Paris and
the Poles. LatitudeS and longitudes
were first determined in this way. and
about hundred years ago it's aid was
sought in working out metric system
Of weights and measures for France.
The metre Of which we have spoken
is now, however, determined by STAN
dard length and by standard weights
carefully preserved, just as our origin
ais are taken care of and guarded in
this country. By mathematical pro-
cesses, too complicated for ordinary
understanding, the circumference of the
earth was estimated at 40 million
metres, 10 millions making, of course,
the quadrant of Paris-and it was one
of these metres that was decided upon
for the length of the standard gauge.
The measure is easy enough to COM
but the way the weight was
arrived at is more puzzling. A cubic
metre-a vessel equal on all sides of
its interior to the length of the gauge
referred to--of distilled water was di-
yided into one million grammes, one
of which became the unit of weight,
and this was multiplied by hundreds
and thousands to make up the whole
The measure of ca
pacity for liquids was derived from
the same idea.
There is something clever and log
ical in all that, but our weights and
measures seem to have been gradually
arrived at in a way that nobody can
A gentleman who has had
a. large experience in Europe and in
South America says that our isolation
in this respect is costing us dear. In
South America, an enervating country,
the trader constitutionally hates all
unnecessary mental effort and will give
his orders where the invoices will be
made out on system OF calculation
conducting to simplicity. In Argentina
II is declared, our losses have been
vast thru our being ousted by other