The Washington herald., 1921-08-21

fioNer ctudy f1he. toony- Meet
AZ o. m At Thirty-sixth and M
streets for the canal trip
SENATOR LADp FAvoRs
ADOPTION or METRIC SYSTEM.
| The United States win be fore.d
eventually 20 adopt the interna-
tionai. metric system Of weights
and measures. and why not DO 81
At the end OF q warning period Of
ten years? Senator T. p. Lsdd, OF
North Dakota the only chemist
and college president in the Con-
gress, OF the United States, has
answered that question by intro
ducing bill into the senste pro-
udtng that in q decade this eoun-
try shall use the metric system On
commercial transactions yher.
weights and measures are Involved.
Let Congress carry out the only
duty given Il by the Constitution
which IL has failed TO exercise, TO
nix the standards OF weights ana
measures" urges DR.. Ladd-
Congress IL being rged TO sign
the death warrant OF the interns-
tionally ostracised inch, pound,
bushel and other members Of the
unrelated family Of English meas
ures by several million voters, i've
State legislatures. and over 100
recognized national organizations,
as wen as many manufacturing
firms that have found a change to
the metric system q paying propo-
sition
North Dakota Illinois, California
Tennessee. and Utah are the States
that have petitioned Congress,
while down at the Department Of
Commerce in Washington there are
stacks Of 100000 petitions from
associations. firms and individuals
calling for the use Of the metric
system
Metric legislation has that well
known and compelling economic
urge that brings about many new
things DR.. Ladd, u. s Senator,
remembers his days in the chemi-
cal laboratory when he worked
with the simple metric system OF
weights and measures State Food
Commissioner Ladd. u s Senator.
has seen the losses Of time and
money caused by the commercial
use OF our heterogeneous English
system Of wSghts and measured
Firms like the General Electric
Company. the Crane Company. the
Otis Elevator Company, the Fiske
fSbber Company, the Baldwin Loco
motive Works, the Truscon Steel
Company. the Rabbit Soap Com
pany, and the Curtis Engineering
Corporation say that metric weights.
and measures will save time and en-
ergy for this country" he points
out And such industries as the
Waltham Watch Company, the De
Laval Separator Company and the
Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company
are already manufacturing entirely
on the metric basis. The Automatic
Electric Company. OF Chicago, en-
ploying 1000. are getting ready to
pension the English system and hire
the metric at a great saving in sal
ary"
But neither my bill nor the SINH
lar bill introduced by Representative
Britten in the House will compel the
use OF the metric system In manu-
featuring. nor will they interfere
with production" DR.. Ladd emphA-
sizes.
Metric legislation is important
from the standpoint Of our foreign
commerce and relations" DR.. Ladd
says Practically the whole world
Is using the metric system with the
exception OF Great Britain and
America And even in Great Britain
there is a strong urge for the repu-
diatIon OF the English system of
weights and measures. For instance.
the Associated British Chambers OF
Commerce resolved that the Eng
fish Empire should adopt the metric
system"
Japan. he points out, is the latest
nation TO turn metric, and at the end
of ten years her trade and commerce
will be conducted on that basis.
And the Honolulu Chamber OF Com
merce evidently ses that the Pacific
trade of the future will be done on
the decimal metric basis and has
urged Congress TO adopt the metric
system promptly. America, 70 sell
in South American markets and 10
compete with metric Germany, will
either have to use q dual system OF
manufacturing or turn metric