The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-05-27
THE METER.
Too Long or short, Clumsy in Multi
plication and Division.

To THE EDITOR OF THE SUN-Str! !
note recently q revival Of the agitation
for tho adoption OF the meter as n unit
OF lineai mensuraton. Why the meter ?
1t has no advantage over the yard.
which we already have practically
abandoned. The lengths are approx
mately the same and both are mere
arbitrary designations. II Is Of no value
10 say that the meter was intended TO
he the ten-millionth part OF the earth's
circumferential quadrant, because II Is
not, and the fact that Il Il not makes
It as arbitrary as the yard.
As a matter OF fact the meter Is
either too long or too short. and nothing
can be said in It's favor save the fact
that II Is universally decimally divided
Possibly It's adoption would free US Of
the use of the inch. but even 80 Il would
add a burden OF duodecimal use In multi
plication.
Consider some common use OF linear
dimension. say. for instance. the length
or width Of n building. the length or
width of a city lot. the width OF a street
or the length OF n block. and to gain an
idea OF the unit convert those distances
into meters and say what length OF tape
shall be convenient to measure them
with. A ten meter tape IL too short. a
twenty meter tape approxinates the old
! Guuttr'S chain and would be abandoned
for the same reason Il was a thirty
meter ,ape would he n very convenient
length II Il were 20 he expressed rs n
single unit. readily convertible, hut II
Is not a unit. nor susceptible Of being
80 considered, for II IL thirty units In
length. The only possible length OF
tape at all convenient for expression
would he the nifty meter cat the only
intersection Of the duodecim7l and the
decimal system between l and 100 and
that length. i6+.04S feet. is too great
for convenience. An inspection OF this
example forces the conclusion that ny
ing to the meter for salvation In d!vi-
sion would damn Us TO a torment OF the
duodecimal in multiplication.
II the meter is unwieldy in multiple
alton consider some concrete dimen-
sions in division. -Four inches approx
mates / dec!m"ter, thr'e-'lghths Of al
inch opportunities / centimcter. and one
twenty-hfth OF an inch approNimates !
m'llimetcr. M tn get a. intermediate
dimension any one MAY bee divided deci-
! mally, that is. any one OF these units
is TO be div!dcd-and never lose sight
OF the fact that While 10 the French
they may I've merely n unit and some
decimal points, to the average American
they will never he other than a lot or
different units merely related 10 et'h
other (most likely by marriage In the
average mlnd). So tho adoption Of the
meter would also mean the adoption in
effect ot seven other evils with II, or eight
units in all. All Of us studied this sys-
TEN in school, hut Is there any wonder
that nobody Is quite certain whether n
AZ centimeter u IL the size OF a wash
tub or the subway bore?
The foot Is not n perfect unit nv any
means, hut the perfect unit Hes only IN
the realm where the spiral curve may he
expressed without fraction either In
terms of actual or projected length. so
the foot should be retained. for the
present ut least. and every effort he
made to have n national adoption OF the
common sense method ~ decimal division
which every engineer and surveyor has
been using for many years.
II isn't the unit which is at fault the
original faul lies with the man or
decapod who indicated an amount In
terms OF the only number OF units which
he had ready reference 10. our
troubles will only he solved when the
decimal system Is r~elegated 10 limbo
with the duodcCimal and the duodenary.
or some mythical teruary or quaternary
system fixed In the human equation.
OswEGo. May &c. NJ. + HIT.