Evening star., 1902-01-18
Two Bills Already ylatreduced in Con-
! z@as s- - ) gr0SS, s@s.ts
NOW IN USE III ALL COUNTRIES
inconsistencies Of the Common
=. Measures Shown.
BURDEN ON CHILDREN

Two bills providing for the adoption of
the metric system of weights and meas
ures have been introduced in Congress
within the past six weeks, and the pas
sage of a carefully prepared metric bill
will probably be effected during the pres
ent session of Congress. This bill, 1t Is
claimed by it's promoters. is one of those
very few measures which will directly af-
feet every individual in the United States.
Every person who buys or sells, they say,
ard every child who attends school will
feel the beneficial effects of the SYSTEM
The Importance of the change can scarcely
be estimated. Our present weights and
measures are considered so inconsistent
cumbersome and Irregular that from man.
ufacturers. merchants statisticians and
men of science there has come a unanimous
plea for the adoption of the simple sys-
tenn based on the international meter.
An International System.
The metric system is now in use in all
countries of the world. In thirtysix diff
ferent nations, representing five hundred
million people, it is the only legal stand
ard. The metric system originated among
the scientific men of France during the
French revolution, but the system was IN
tended to be International. After many
years research by distinguished scientists
of the time, the standard meter the new
base of the world weights and measures,
was prepared, and it is said to be the EloSt
perfect standard of measurement ever
constructed. 1t is an iridio-platiuum bar.
practically indestructible, and Is housed
under the most perfect conditions at the
international bureau of weights and meas
ures at Paris. The kilogram, the unit of
weight, was determined with similar care
These standards were adopted at coll
yention of the official representatives of
WY Nd nj
distributed to ali the countries concerned
The spread of the metric system among
the nations of the world has been steady.
: The introduction Of a universal system was
felt to be as necessary as a uniform stand
ard of time, or a uniform base for lonsf-
tude; in fact, the metric system is fast
becoming the universal language OF weights
and measures.
Metric System I'm the United States.
1t is an interesting fact that the metric
system is the only system ever legalized
by Congress and the only system We hold
in harmony with any other nation. In 1906
Congress legalized the system and author
lied that lone set OF standard weights and
measures (be furnishedD for the use of the
states respectively.",efT This was done and
copies of the fundamental standards of the
metric system fCweres distributed. to every.
state Of the Unien. The government depart
mentS at Washington this system eX-
tensively. In the investigations in agricul-
ture and chemistry Of the Agricultural De-
partment and in stheawork of the coast and
geodetic survey it isnused exclusively. The
surgeon general Of the army requires that
medical supplies be packed In metric pack
ages. The army postRphysicians and apeth-
ecaries use thes metric system entirely in
making and fol3owingj prescriptions simi-
lar regulations prevail in the United States
marine hospital service. The Post Office
Department is authorized to use metric
scales in eversi post Office in the United
States The metric measures are used ex-
clusiyely in Porto Rico. Cuba and the Phil
ippines. In this country the system Is
largely used by manufacturers and dealers
in drugs and chemicals. Scientists use the
system almost exclusively and makers of
scientific apparatus of all kinds prefer to
use the new system, although sometimes
compelled by the eXigencies of trade to use
both systems. The extraordinary growth
in the electrical business makes especially
pertinent the fact that all electrical units
as adopted by Congress are based upon the
metric system. and that even in designing
electrical apparatus. that system is in uni-i
versal use. 1t Is needless to say that in eX-
porting for the foreign trade, the catalogue
and specifications are made up on the new
basis. a-.-.,
Difficulties in the Old Systems.
Our common measures, sometimes called
the English measures, are very anomalous. .
1t is a common mistake to suppose that
our measures are Identical with those of
England, for our gallon differs from the
English gallon by about 20 per cent. Our
busheI is ) per cent smaller than theirs,
and even our yard differs slightly. The old
hundred weight and ton are each II per
cent heavier than ours. and their gallons,
quarts and pints also differ, for these lat
ter units are each 20 per cent greater than
the gallons, quarts and pfnts of our wine
measure per cent greater than those Of
our dry measure. Coming to our own
country we have. in fact, nearly dozen .
different systems OF weights and measures,
namely, the avoirdupois, the troy. the dia-
mond, the apothecary measures, the beer,
the liquid the dry measures, the land, or
surveyors, and the nautical measures; the
long, the square and the cubic measures,
not to mention an endless variety of special
measures used in the. various trades and
industries. All these present bewildering
confusion and entail heavy burden on
those who must learn and use them.
We have, moreover. multiplicity of
values even for denominations Of the same
name. For instance. the word pound has
weights, the word foot to 2s2 different.
units of length. the word pint to 80 diff
ferent measures, quart to %, and the
word gallon to a. Least IL different ca
have each been used as units Of surface
measure. Many similar instances might
be mentioned. Some curious features of the
old system are striking: for instance, ac-
cording to the troy measure an ounce Of
gold weighed forty-two grains more than
an ounce Of lead In avoirdupois, but the
pound of lead weighed 1245 grains more
than pound Of gold. Such absurd incon-
sistencies WILL of course, be unknown after
the adoption of the metric system
The Burden ON the school Children.
At present in the United States, school
children must memorize about forty diff
ferent terms and as many different ratios,
and must in each case add the name of the .
system used and. frequently the place where
used. in order to be exact for the values
differ in various states. Furthermore, the
irregular and ineohersnt ratios of the va
rious units of measYre are especially per-
TEN Is 10, but infJhe old systems there are
found for thelfratios of the successive
units: OF length, IL. 3, 51a. 40, 8; of area,
IA, .. 30A. 40. 4; Of capacity, 2. 4. .. 4, 8;
of troy weights. "a, 10. IL; of avoirdupois
4371a, 16, D. f. so, not to mention the sew,
eral other tabies IH'fact. the ratios to be
committed to memory are so numerous
and the learning of so many uncorrelated
numbers and arbitrary names is so great
that over year of every school bows life
is wasted in Learning, our intricate system