Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-04-23
A MEASURE OF REFORM
Proposed Adoption Of the
Metric System.
COMMITTEES REPORT
FRUITLESS EFFORTS OF THE
PAST RECoUNTED.
Advantages Pointed Out of an Inter-
national Agreement on Weights
and Measures.

Chairman Southland of the House commit
tee on coinage weights and measures has
submitted the favorable report of his COM
mittee on the bill adopting the metric sys-
tenn Of measurement as the official system
Of the government.
The report states that although the Con-
stitution vests in Congress the power to fix
the standard of weights and measures, yet,
strange as it may appear, this is about the
only great and important subject intrusted
to its care by the express provisions of
the Constitution, which has been almost
wholly neglected.
Efforts for Reform.
Again and again has the necessity for a
change in our system Of weights and meas
| ures been urged upon the attention of Con-
gress. Washington more than once pointed
out the importance Of securing a uniform
system of weights and measures, and early
IN the history Of our country the matter
was referred to Jefferson, then Secretary of
state, who proposed two plans, one an adap-
tation of the existing system and the other
strictly decimal system.
John Quincy Adams, as Secretary of
state, after four years of careful study
made report which is worthy Of the at
tention of the most advanced thinkers
upon this subject at the present day. He
pointed out the failure Of the English peo-
chaos of their weights and measures and
urged upon Congress the necessity for
reform. He. however. advised delay until
the metric or international system. which
was then in it's infancy, had been more
fully tried, and to which he referred in a
most glowing tribute as possessing all of
the requisites of a simple, uniform and
workable system of weights and measures.
Since that time the adoption of the met
ric system has been repeatedly recon-
mended by the departments of the govern
ment and congressional committees.
Weights and Measures in Common Use
A complete list of the weights and meas
ures In common use would be difficult to
make and would involve much space. The
various units have been inherited from a
time when exact measurements were I'M
heard Of, computations were seldom made,
and when each locality and different in
terest had its own system Of measures.
Notifications and adjustments have been
made from time to time, nevertheless it is
still full of inconsistent ratios, difficult to
learn and still more difficult to remem-
Der. The units are not related to each
other; many units of the same name have
entirely different values. 1t is unsuitable
for computation, and is not decimal in
character. The advantages to be gained
by the adoption of the metric system as
Is claimed. are far greater than the bene-
fits derived from the adoption of a decimal
system Of coinage in place of the English
monetary system.
It is popular fallacy that our weights
and measures are in accord with those of
Great Britain, but this is not true, as
neither our pound, yard, gallon nor bushel
is identical with the corresponding En-
glish unit.
Very few persons are familiar with the
weights and measures in common use in
the United States. One has but to recall
the tables of our three different systems of
ofchf fha nd a nird,
pois, to illustrate this fact. And while the
yard may be stated our standard of
length. we find in practice various arbitrary
multiples of the yard and foot; for example,
the fathom, the surveyors and engineers
chains and links. the nautical and statute
miles, hands. poles perches and various
others. In addition to the ordinary cubic
measure, there are three systems of meas
uring capacity, dry measure. liquid meas
ure and apothecary's fuid-measure.
To these might be added a large number
Of technical standards In use IN the various
trades and industries in common use which
would be greatly simplified and unified upon
the adoption of the international system of
weights and measures. An examination of
discloses the fact that there are sixty-four
different ratios used, of which nineteen are
not Invisible by 2. and that there are
eighteen terms used which have two or
more meanings.
The Metric System.
The metric system of weights and meas
ures was devised as an International sys-
tenn. The fact that 1t was first adopted by
France has given rise to the custom of re-
ferring to it as the French system. 1t is
interesting to note, however, that one of
the first to propose decimal system of
weights and measures was James Watt,
the inventor OF the steam engine. The
adoption Of decimal system of coinage by
the United States was one OF the strong
est influences leading to the adoption OF