The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1907-05-05
DECIMAL AND DUODECITIL'
WHY NOT COMBINE THE TWO IN
SYSTEM OF MEASURESR

Gems and HeursD Described Is B0th8lmpIo
end Perfoct-Advantases Of Figuring
With the Fingers and tho Head Toe.
Congress and Parliament having 10
jecEed the metric system might by agree
nent adopt a simple and perfect system
OF weights, measures. coins and hourS.
The decimal system and the duodecimal
arc both natural. One 10 from the fingers,
the other from the head, By uniting them
a Grstem could be created both ideally
and practically perfect.
We use our ten fingers In cutting q pie,
but We do not cut it into ten parts. We
divide Il into halves and then into quarters
or Htxths.
Whether cutting a pie for immediate use
or dividing q circle for permanent angila-
don We follow the line Of least resist
amos. We bisect a circle by running q
ttraightllne through it's centre. Wequarter.
Il by running q similar line at right angles
with the first. '' " .
We use our head in these duodecimai
processes as we use our fingers In learning
TO count. It Ia the same In business transa
sections. We halve and quarter small
quantities mentally q we compute large
quantities decimally. We can have tho
advantage Of both systems by making the
basic quantity In our tables Of weights,
measures and coins divisible by twelve and
multiplying that basic quantity by ten,
100. 1000. 6c., for the higher terms Of the
tables.
To show how easily and advantageouSty
this can be done will be a pleasing task.
The one happy feature Of the metric
system Is Its use Of decfmals. But IL some
times uses declmals too much. An ilustra-
ton II tts first great failure In the ten-day
week.
That institution challenged both natural
and moral traditions. Back Of the seven
day Mosaic week were the four quartz II Of
the twenty-eight day lunar month. The
officials Of the Latin Union could wisely
etudy other defects Of the metric system
Instead Of threatening their fellow citi-
zens with punishment and foreigners with
annoyance for not practising those de-
tecs.
Prominent among the critics Of the metric
system are Herbert Spencer and Sir John
Herechei. Spencer notes its unftness for
angular measurement, ts inability to nsa
aKs the number three; and the small num-
Der OF factors possessed by ita basic num-
b4y. Two and 5 are the factors OF 10, while
u has IS, 4, and Q. Three Is q vital number
d6noting the essential properties Of space
length, breadth and thickness. -Four Ia
important as being the number Of parts
into which the solstices and e~quinoxee
divide the year.
Spencer lie more fortunate in showing than
in remedying the defects Of the metric sys-
tenn. His suggestion Of q duodecimal sys-
TEN ending in ciphers would be a difficulty
confusing and unnecessary remedy.
Sir John Herschel supplements his OBJ
~iections to the metric system by suggesting
a partial but splendid Improvement. He
objects TO the 80 inch metre as being a dis
lance that cannot be directly measured
by hand or foot. He objects to it as not
being what it purports to he. the forty
miiiionth part Of the meridian OF Paris.
He finally objects to the meridian Of Paris
as being a local and moi a general standard.
The equator being slightly elliptioal makes
the meridians running through different
points Of it Of different lengths.
Herschel d~esignates the polar axis Of the
earth as the one perfect standard Of meas
urement. 1t is invariable. It is hides
truotible. II lie re~producible. It Is gener-
ally acceptable. .
n an inch be increased by the thousandth
part It will be the 500 SOC, 0ooth part of the
axis Of the earth. 1t would be therefore
Q perfect basis OF measurement The
change Of a tenth Of 1 per cent. in our foot
would be imperoeptible. A cubic foot Of
water would then weigh 600 ounnss and a
half pint would contain the hundredth part
Of a cubic foot.
This, according to Herschel, would unite
linear and cubic easur to weight and
would~be a standardTthe purest and most
ideally perfect imaSinable.
Taking Herschel's corrected inch as wsll
az his pint and ounce we can now construct
our tables.
In linear measure let the foot be the basic