Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1903-01-08
DECIMAL MEASURES.

from Mr. w, NJ Cowley OF Delta, Colo
RADIO, on the subject Of weights and
measures. The metric system having
been STRONGLY advocated by many writ
CTS IN England and America, our cor
respondent shows up some OF It's dlsad-
yentages, and IN It's place offers some
excellent suggestions as to decimal
system, which would be much more
simple ana likely to come into general
use. We WIN not attempt 10 enter into
particulars further than those he ex-
plains but give place to the greater
part of his letter on the subject as fol-
lows.
A great deal has been written ON the
subject Of the metric system but this
word does not convey proper idea Of
the subject. as this word does not
necessarily mean a decimal system. 4
decimal system increases ana decreases
by tens whicb"we are all striving to
Introduce to the people 90 replace the
old unreasonable styles We see IN the
arthmetics OF today. Everyone Is aware
that the French decimal system has
been before the world nearly a century.
but Il moves with a snail galiop among
the Anglo-Saxons and Anglo American
peoples.
| don't see why we should follow the
French system Of weights and meas
rres more than we should wish to fol-
low the ten-day week that they UNDER
took to establish after their revolution.
II 70 generally believed that the basis
OF the French meter t393I07g lnches) Is
not correct and never can be determined
or measured. but d measure based on
the Inch which has been IN general use
;or thousands OF years, Is IN every way
practicable. and easy. And. as Mr.
Joseph Silver some time ago pointed
out the fact Is that nearly an the tools
In machine shops all over the world are
based on the inch and It's divisions into
halves. quarters, eighths, etc, while the
change onto the base OF the French me-
ter would require an entirely ncw d.
vision, and would require millions OF
dollars TO Introduce such new tools
Then II would require an endless
amount OF trouble and money TO change
he millions Of books now printed In
tho old systems IN the English Lam
guagc
By using a meter Of exactly 40 inches
and suhdiyided into tenths Of inches
each, we have a simple system that
every man could remember. We would
call the i-inch division a hand and as
cmlnently English Gs the foot ana yard.
Ten decimal meters would be 400 inches
while a semi-chaln (a rod would be
295 inches and within 4 inches OF the
a0-inch meter; and indeed a well worn
surveyors chain would be found TO
measure so inches 20 the two rods or
half chain. Then l0-semi-chains would
be a scmi-furlong etc
\ box or can 4 inches cube would
hold a quart Of CA cubic inches: pint 30.
half pint l6 cubic inches. and a gill
would he q measure inches cube OF s
cubic Inches, etc. What could be more
easy TO remember and figure out2
SiXly-four cubic inches of commercial
alcohol Il quartz win weigh almost
evactly pounds avoirdupois. a point /
pound. etc This Is a very convenient
unit for weight Forty inches or one
meter GUIDED win measure 1000 quares
and 1000 pounds Of commercial alcohol,
one ton measure. or enc ton weight.
When we take into consideration the
numerous names used an the French
system 10 Is enough 10 Brighten CONF
mon people. Then the fractional diyi-
sions are SO very similar 20 the multi
pies Tor Instance. we have decillter
lilo liter ana decaliter, 10 llters and
90 an through all the Dist " weights ana
measures. II IS q hard matter TO have
people follow The decimal system OF
money. dollars Gimes, cents and mills.
VIC hear two-blts four-hits, slX-bits.
instead Of tW1 dimes end five cents.
eve dimes seven dimes and FIVE cents:
ara even we have the old-fashiOnad
shilling NJ New York state thrown at
a. occasionally. but one.bit IS probably
common in California and the nicayune
n Nov Orleans. When people are so
| loath 90 givc up their old bad habits IN
decimal money how can We expect peo-
| plc 10 dipp their Old weights and meas
urgs ana take up near 400 Greek and
Latin words 90 On their places?
I believe it WIS Gladstone who made
| .he rcmarf that the Anglo-SaNon race
were Inc most stubborn people IN give
ing up GA Cu toms and taking up with
| new-taug'ee ones IN The civilized world
| I believe ne was very right Indeed the
| Fngllsh-srcakinr PEOPLE ere q stubborn
'ct II folks and The Angl0-Americans
nfe not lar behind in some things