The Washington times., 1916-02-14

Congressman Dillon Of South Dakota
has introduced q bill which provides
that after July /. 1870. the metric sys-
tenn Of weights and Measures shall be
the sole legal standard in this country:
meanwhile II shall be permissive In all
transactions. The Bureau Of Standards
In authorised TO promulgate tables OF
equivalents showing the exact relations
between present units and those under
the metric system.
Another measure has been introduced.
giving the Bureau Of Standards power
TO pass upon the types of Weighing APP
paratus that may be used in this coun-
try. This measure has been the subject
OF hearings, and'will pass at the pres
ent session unless II getA lost In the
jam at the close OF the session; II Is
one measure 20 which nobody seriously
objects, and that everybody recognizes
m q good thing. yet. that has the great
| est difficult passing simply because
there Is not enough tight about Il to
compel attention.
There Is some disposition to pass FIRST
the measure giving the Bureau OF
Standards authority over weighing mp
paratus, and to postpone for a time the
metric system bill. 1t is argued that IL
the bureau had authority over weigh
ing Instruments II could use that au-
thortty to famlliarize the public with
metric units and terms. There Is, ac-
cording to experts IN the subject, less
force in this argument than might be
supposed. The metric system has been
legal IN this country for a long time,
| and all manufacturers OF scales are
now equipped to turn out instruments
FOR use under this system; the common
method at present is to have the two
scales side by side so that either may
be used.
Used In Scientific Work.
Not only this. but technical and sci
entiic establishments are adopting the
metric system In scientific work, In
construction OF delicate machinery. etc.
because OF Its general superiority.
greater simplicity. accuracy. and facil-
| ity In making calculations. Some time
ago the Baldwin Locomotive Works
i got an order for a number OF locomo-
| tives for the French government. with
the requirement that they be based on
| the metric units. The company at FIRST
doubted the practlcability OF adjusting
Its models, paraphernalia. ETC.. In this
/ system: hut 1T was decided that the
| thing could be done and was worth do
ing; the order was taken, and the en-
gines built under the Freach measures.
1t las proved a good move. for most OF
the railroad systems outside this coun-
Try use machinery constructed on these
measures, and American manufacturers
are learning that they must adapt them
selves to the requirements Of the mar
ket.
system Is that It Is based through
out on the scale Of ten. while
the American British system Is ir-
regular. Under the metric sys-
tenn ten centlmeters made ono deci-
meter. ten decimetcrs make one meter
ana so on; while under our system
twelve inches make one foot. three feet
one yard. Ave and one-half yards one
rod, etc. In making computations
therefore, the American system requires
careful multiplications or divisions
while the metric system gets the result
by merely adding oiphers or pointing on
decimal places. Accuracy as we'll M
facility, mark the metric system Il
naturally goes along with the Arabic
system OF decimal Enumeration. More
over the United States has adopted tbs
decimal system In It's money and al
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