The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1906-02-19
FAVOR CHANGE TO
METRIC SYSTEM
Salt Lake Educators and Merchants
Begin Agitation in Harmony
With National Movement.

The movement recently begun by the
American Neurological society of New
York after many vain attempts, to
have the metric or decimal system of
weights and measures established by
law as the standard of mensura ton in
the United States, has found ready and
lively echo in the state of Utah. Not
only have educators taken up he mat
ter, but many merchants and business
men in general are declared to be in
favor of the innovation. A movement
similar to the one now going on in New
York and the east was begun in Utah
not many years ago. The agitation re-
suited unsuccessfully, however. The
revival Of this organization has been
suggested, and may be taken I'D. The
object is to bring pressure to bear on
Utah senators and representatives to
get them to introduce or at least sup
port bills looking toward the legaIizing
and establishing of the metric system.
Professor Coray Favors Change.
In discussing the adoption of the
metric system and its relative merits
compared with the present system of
mensuration, Professor G. Q. Coray Of
the University of Utah said yesterday:
I am most heartily in favor of the
metric system. 1t will, if adopted.
mean the saving of much time for
teachers and students alike. Now we
are compelled to teach the student a
lot of tables, intricate to the last de-
gree. By the use of the metric system
it will be necessary to explain its theory
and practice but once After that, the
student would be taught as much as it
now takes several years for him to
understand. The metric system is the
simplest of all systems of mensuration.
1t is based on one principle, that of the
decimal. Under our present system of
mensuration there are dozens of basic
units used. Each has to be explained
and thoroughly understood before the
pupil is ready to proceed to the next
table As a matter of fact, there are
few mature minds having an absolutely
complete understanding of United
States mensuration.
1.-The metric system was first estab-
lished in France in 1893. It is in general
use in most all civilized countries at
present, with the exception of the Eng
countries. 1t is universal
ly used for scientific measurements
With the invention Of the decimal
money system the reform energies Of
our leaders when the United States of
America was founded seem to have
taken temporary relapse, for it was
left to the more volatile spirit Of France
to take up the work so splendidIy begun
and carry it on to perfection The
great difficulty experienced by the
first agitators of a reform in weights
and measures was in securing a unit
of measurement which might be repro
duced from nature, in the event of los
ing the artificial standard. The diff
Guilty was finally overcome by the
French, who for the purpose of a
standard calculated as they supposed
the exact length of a quadrant of the
earth's meridian. of which they took the
one ten-millionth part for a unit of
measure; the fraction thus derived is
equal to 1887 English inches, and is
known as the meter in the International
metric table formulated upon it.
Progress of the Reform.
1.-THE reform made little progress
among other nations for nearly half a
century, the rest of the world being
disposed rather to criticize while
France did the work. In 1870, how
ever, the general interest became so
great that an International convention
was arranged to meet at Paris for the
purpose Of settling all doubts as to the |
make any adjustment that might seem
necessary to secure a harmonious ar-
prevail.
Practically every civilized nation /
was represented at this convention. and 4
is deliberations finally resulted in the /
of the international bu-
'eau of weights and measures, which 4
held it's meetings at Paris and was sup
ported by pro rata contributions from !
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