Omaha daily bee., 1915-12-07
War and the Metric System
Lltsray Dirsst.

s CONSERVATIVE England 10 be shocked by the
war into giving up its antiduated systsms OF
coinage weights. and meAsures7 This suggestion
comes from a leading editorial IN The London Eecri-
cal Review The war. says this paper. IL shaking
the foundation Of civilization Il not pass away
and leave things they were. whatever its result
There IL 20 be . regime OF some kind, and
Engfishnnen must adapt themselves 60 u. Efficiency
IL 70 be its waaohword and 90 attain this every
obstacle TO Industrial and commercial progress must
be removed. Among such obstacles The Review de-
cides certainly what Il calls the obsolete
British systems Of measurement. IL must be noted
that Americans here in the same boat with the
English IN all respects except that OF coinage We
point with pride" TO decimal system OF dollars
and cents being far more logical and convenient
than the English pounds shilinss and pence but we
stand shoulder to shoulder with them In our de-
termination to reject the decimal substitutes for the
equally nconvenent yards. ounces and plnts despite
the fact that all these long ago thrown upon
the scrap-heap by other civilized nations.
I'm every part OF social. domestic and politi-
cal fe." the British editor. the welfare OF the
nation he the predominant consideration. before
which ell private interests must give way We are
a conservative people; but we must TO be
progressive bearing in mind that hindrance TO
progress must be ruthlessiy flung aside. And
surely there greater obstacle to commercial
welfare than the obsolete syEtems-f such they can
be caIed-of coinage. weights and measures that
handicap our intercourse with foreign nations and
impede the development Of our trade. to an extent
that is fully realized by few. We have for many
years advocated reform in this connection. and we
believe that peace will afford ideal
and unique opportunity to bring II about-an oppor-
tunity such may
I'm norrasl times. great objection to the adoption
OF weights and has been the 'dalocation
OF trade that many feared would that our
export trade has undergone compound fracture
surely will hint AZ dlslocation- The mind OF
the country IL aroused; men ana women In all ranks
of society alert, they are In = mood to receive
ideas and TO consider them without that tendency
to prejudice with which afflicted in time OF
peace Now then. s'the time; and We earnestly call
upon all advocates of efficiency and reform TO aid
efforts to convince the opponents Of change
that their duty accept systems Of weights,
and coinage. for the sake OF their countrys
welfare
I'VE may observe that. while have here coupled
the metric system and decimal coinage under one
heading do not suggest that they necessarily
combined or nterdependent; either could be adopted
without the other II IL interesting to note that
although the numbers respectively for and against
these two items are approximately equal many Of
our correspondents favor while objecting the
other In view Of the necessity economsing cleri-
the adoption Of decimal coinage OF Importance
who has lived abroad for any length OF time will
dispute the Assertion that facility IN dealing with
decimal coinage IL acquired In few days, and
that the simplicity OF the system endows It with inn
mense advantage"