Evening star., 1927-05-20
Metric Unit Discussed.
Kilogram and Pound-Weight
Systems Compared.


To the Editor of The Star:
The recent Pan-American CONNER
cial Congress passed a resolution for
the wider use of the metric system
in inter-American trade.
The American trade unit is the
pound. The metric trade unit is the
kilogram. These units have been
freely used for years in inter-Ameri-
can trade according to the preference
Of the mercantile interests concerned
There is no impediment to the use of
the kilo in this country. AS matter
of reciprocity, there ought to be no
impediment to the use of the pound
in Latin America.
Coffee leaves Brazil in 6O-kilogram
bags. which are received in New York
as and for 132.pound bags. The con-
version ratio in Kilograms equals 2.2
pounds. To convert kilograms to
pounds YOU multiply by %; to con-
vert pounds to Kilograms you divide
by 22 Every importer understands
this perfectly. He makes his con-
versions with facility and convenience
and without any difficulty whatever.
There is a great deal of conversion
from Kilograms to pounds; there Is
but little conversion of pounds to kllo-
grams. which shows that the pound
is the preferred unit.
The preference as between pounds
and Kilograms is a question for mer-
chants to settle for themselves with
out the let or hindrance of the Gov
ernment. These professional Vlbra-
tors who are always riding the metric
system hobby at conventions and con-
ferences should be taken entirely out
Of the situation.
There is today no such thing as the
metric system. The thing is 80 per
cent obsolete. The question today Is
entirely one Of preference between
American and metric units. That
is all there is to 1t.
It is the pound against the kilo-
gram in the field of commerce; 1t is
the inch against the millimeter in the
field of mechanics; it is the cubic
eoot against the cubic decimeter Qiter)
in the field where volumetric units
are required for trade, construction,
hydraulics or the other practical engl'
neering sciences. In short, it Is pound,
inch and cubic foot against kilogram,
millimeter and cubic decimeter.
The millimeter will never be forced
into the mechanical trades, machine
shops and workshops of the United
States. Contemporary propaganda 10
cause Congress to outlaw the pound
in the United States is mere futile
puerility. The cubic foot as our prime
volumetric unit for all purposes occu-
pies a position that it will never yield.
Cubage today means cubic feet.
The computation of cubage re
quires the bringing in of a decimal
scale of the foot and this is all the
reform we need to perfect the meas
ures Of this country. The inch has
it's own independent. international
position as a dimensiOnal unit of far
greater importance in the science OF
steam engineering and in the ma
chine trades than any unit of the
metric system.
But to return to the question as
between Kilograms and pounds. The
kilo has been killed by the propagan-
dists who have split it in two to pro-
duce what they call the metric world
pound of 176 ounces. The Latin
American or Spanish pound is 1862
ounces. The American is 16 ounces.
We are asked by these propagandists
in our own country to give up our
pound of 16 ounces in favor Of this
new mongrel weight of 176 ounces.
The Latin Americans are asked to
do likewise with respect to the Span
ish pound of 1862 ounces which is
known and comprehended by the
common people throughout Latin
America. If we are to have pan
American pound, it will be the Ameri.
can pound. The situation admits of
no other choice. The French of
Quebec have applied their good old
French names to the English meas
ures. The sure way to uniformity
throughout North and South America
is for our Latin American friends to
apply their Spanish names to our
American measures. There will then
be unity in the commerce, mechanics
and Industrial arts of the Western
Hemisphere. SAML. RUSSELL.