The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1906-02-21
MERCHANTS FOR
metric SYSTEM
eli Interviewed Declare They Are in
Favor of the Proposed
Change.
MAY PETITION CONGRESS
SAY 1T WILL SAVE TIME AND
MONEY.


viewed yesterd ~ on the proposed
adoption of tbs metric system of
weights and measures in the United
States expressed himself in favor of toe
plan. Some merchants are in favor of
an immediate change, while others be-
Geve a gradual transition from the
present system to the proposed one is
the proper solution of the problem It
is possible that a petition of business
men in Utah. showing a favOrS bic sem
t1ment toward the proposed change, will
be pre- pared ana forwarded either to
the American Neurological society or to
congress direct.
Colonel Weber for Change.
IT am now and always have been IN
favor Of the metric system Of weights
and measures" said T. G. Weber gen.
eral superintendent of the z. c. NJ l.,
yesterday afternoon. Il have always
wanted the system adopted by the
country as a whole. Failing in this. I
have advocated its adoption in the state
of Utah alone. If the balance of the
United States is not awake 10 the Dos
sIbilities, there is no reason why Utah
should not be.
Not long ago we advocated 4 state
change. Our demands were met with
refusal from the state legislature and
from congress I believe it was John
Sherman who put his foot on the whole
proceedings. He said 20 the commit
tee having the bill for the proposed
change in hand DO not hurry mat
ters.' That settled the bill lecalizfng
the use of the metric system. John
Sherman may have been a good and
great man in some things, but he. made
a g eat big mistake in killing the metric
system bill. He was but human
though. Many another statesman has
made greater mistakes.
I believe that the metric system
while awkward at first. would in the
end tend to cut down expenses. It is
much easier for a clerk TO learn q sys-
tenn where the multiple il ten and not
nine or twelve, or some other number
1t is easier for him to compute results
when it is OIL estiOn of adding or sub
tracing or dividing by or multiplying
by ten rather than any multiple. Ac-
curacy at all times will be obtained
from the use of the metric system.
While the very best of clerks are liable
TO make mistakes in the use of the pres
ent system of mensuration
Much Time to Be Saved.
"One of the greatest points in the
whole matter. greater far than the ben
ef1t TO be derived by the merchants.
comes from the fact that a wonderful
time-saving in teaching the young will
be made by the use of the metric svs-
tenn. Under the present cumbersome
system, a lad has 10 learn a dozen or
more tables It takes him the greater
part of five years to get well grounded
IN the tables of mensuratiOn 7 know
it took me- that long. Under the metric
system, the lad has to grasp but one
principle, that CT the meter. When once
he gets that in his mind, he has the
whole thing. He can learn a few Latin
prefixes designating various divisions Of
10, 100, etc, and he has nothing else to
learn at al. Of course he must know
the difference between measuring vol.
ume and distance Most all children
know that when they are s years old.
however.
Taken all in all. I am heartily in IA
Nor Of the metric system. should like
10 see II established all over the coun-
try and, II not that, then in Utah alone
L shall always give my heartiest SUD-
port 10 any measure in congress or the
state legislature favOring the adoption
and use Of the metric system IS against
the present system Of mensuration."
Schaufelberger for Metric.
eff we could only get all the manu-
facturers, or even Il part of Them on orr
side, said Il. Z. Schaufelberger. as
s1stant manager of Walker. Bros store
IN discussing the metric system prob
lem, the end would be in sight If the
manufacturers decide to put Up their |
goods in ten instead of dozen lots I'm |
meters instead Of yards, and so on down |
the line, the " 1Ole country would fan /
1nto line Personally, I believe The /
metric system would be a boon to the /
merchants. Il would put the whole
world, with the exception of England /
on the same footing as to mensuratfon.
That would mean a saving of hours. of
labor for every large dealer in the
United States. The little fellows wouId