New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1906-02-19
THE METRIC SYSTEM.

In the current Casters Magazine" Mr.. W. NJ.
Macfarland mentions some Of the objections
which have been offered to the substitution of
the metric system for the English system of
weights and measures. His statements possess
special interest at this time because bill pro
viding for the adoption of metric standards in
the United States is now under consideration
by Congress committee.
Some of the arguments advanced for oppos-
ing the measure are sadly lacking in force.
Such is the case with the one derived from
population statistics. Great Britain, Russia and
the United States are the only important
tons in the world which have not committed
themselves 10 the policy in question. Fairly
trustworthy census statistics are cited to show
that there are in this country, the British
Empire and the Russian Empire altogether
about 567,O00,000 people, whereas the countries
which have adopted the metric system report
a total of only 100000. Now, inasmuch as
the United States is debatable ground and is
time, perhaps it would be fairer to omit this
country entirely from the calculation. In the
next place. between the intelligence of Euro
peans and that of the inhabitants OF African
and Asiatic possessions of European nations
there is a notable difference. 4 more sensible
comparison would be one which set the COM
bined population of the United Kingdom and
European Russia (say 150,00O,000 against that
of the European countries which have adopted
the metric system scarcely less than $50, 0O0,-
OOOl. If the people of Asia are taken into con-
sideration at all, why not select as an example
the nation which meets two particular require
ments-the one which is most independent OF
foreign control and at the same time betrays
4 high degree of enlightenment? Would any
other country than Japan fill the bill? Well.
Japan adopted the metric system long ago.
1t must be borne in mind, moreover. that
Mexico, Central America and all of the corln-
tries of South America have also done the same
thing. The total number of inhabitants of this
continent living south of the Rio Grande per-
haps does not exceed $4,000, 900 or 6O,O0OOOO.
but in purchasing goods from foreigners would
it not be natural for them to give the prefer
ence to Germans, who already make use of the
standards in vogue in Spanish America, over
the manufacturers of the United States? Hest
tation in conforming to the almost universal
usage of the world certainly gives the rivals
of this country an immense commercial advan-
tage.
One of the most rational objections to the
proposed change is that in certain industries it
would be necessary TO buy new tools This
difficulty ought to be frankly recognized but
il should also be borne IN mind that it is pro-
posed TO make the use OF the new standards
compulsory only in the business OF the federal
government No manufacturer need replace
any part Of his present plant with new ma
chimes dies or drawings unless he wants to.
There would be little hardship SO far as ex-
pense is involved
Still another effect of the change deserves
mention To q considerable extent standard
sizes in hardware have already been adopted
For instance bolts are made with a specified
diameter and with q specified number of threads
to the inch In translating measurements from
the old system 10 the new ii might become nee
essary TO use fractional parts OF millimetres
instead of integers only. To avoid that trouble
n change in the standard sizes themselves might
prove desirable An inch contains 254 milli-
metres Hence a quarterback bolt would have
a diameter of 6.35 millimetres. The maker
would therefore need to consider whether to re-
tain the size and adopt different designation
or reduce the size TO an even millimetres
Again where he had been accustomed TO cut
twenty-five threads 10 the inch he would be
forced TO ask himself whether 1t would be bet
ter TO make the space between them las he does
now 1O16 millimetres or alter it to exactly
1 millimetre Questions OF the same kind Will
probably arise in the textile industries but in
some respects they are less formidable than
those in the iron trades. With patience and
brains, however, all these problems can he
solved. We believe that tho Inconvenience re-
suIting from change would be smaller than has