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Show 1 THE NEEDED METER By Frederic J. Kaskla. 4 f WASHINGTON", Stay 12. If you do not understand the metric system of measurement, mea-surement, look it up and learn It. For there are strong indications that the meter and the liter will soon replace the yard and the quart in all your dealings. A movement backed by scientific and business organizations in all parts of the country has been started to accomplish this change. And the meter propagandists propagan-dists have made a strong case. The chief reasons why we should abandon our system sys-tem for the metric system are that the latter is much simpler and easier to learn; that it is more accurate, and, above all, that it is now the compulsory system in every civilized country in the world except the United States and Great Britain. That Is the big fact. In all our dealings deal-ings with foreign peoples and governments govern-ments we are handicapped because we do not use the same system of measure- ments. American scientists were . compelled com-pelled long since to adopt the metric system, sys-tem, with the result that many of tlMtr publications are incomprehensible to the American business man. There is absolutely abso-lutely no good reason why the metric system should not be adopted by business in this country and in Great Britain. The only thing that has prevented Its adoption adop-tion Is the inertia which opposes all changes. Numerous, movements have been started in Great Britain to bring about the change, and a few feeble ones have sprung up previously in tills coun- try. Now the war has convinced tnou-sands tnou-sands of persons of the necessity for using the universal language of measurement mea-surement in this country, with the result that the meter has many new and influential influ-ential backers. Any man who does not believe in the adoption of the metric system should take a trip to any other country, except England, En-gland, wearing his usual shirts, sized In inches, and then try, when in a hurry, to buy and put on a clean collar sized in the metric system. This experience Is guaranteed to convert him. "This countrv has lagged behind the rest of the world by neglecting to adopt a system of quantity expression so simple sim-ple that the average child of 10 can learn its essential features in ten minutes," min-utes," is the way H. D. Hubbard, one of the experts on weights and measures at the bureau of standards, put it. "Our failure to cast aside a clumsy, medieval system for one that is modern and practical prac-tical has greatly handicapped us In business busi-ness abroad and at home. Since all the world has adopted the same alphabet of letters for written expression, and the Arabic numerals for mathematical computations, com-putations, a universal standard of weights and measures would facilitate business enormously." The movement for the adoption of the metric system In this country already Is widespread. The World Trade club of San Francisco and the Metric association of New York are the active leaders in the movement. They have the support of the National Wholesale Grocers' association and of druggists, chemists, all men and women engaged In scientific work, and many of the country's foremost business men. The bureau of standards Is behind the movement with all its force. The need for a universal system of standards was strikingly brought out during the war. The metric system was the official system for all trench digging, gun firing, map making and in the manufacture man-ufacture of shells and guns. Our army officers in France soon realized the absolute ab-solute necessity of adopting the metric system. Our present system of weights and measures is known as the British or cus-tomarv cus-tomarv svstem. We got the system from F.ngland, and the English got It from the Germans. It Is rather interesting to note that, after giving England and the United Unit-ed States tills clumsy system, the Germans Ger-mans themselves promptly abandoned it. Although our svstem is supposed to be Identical with the English. there are many points in which they differ. All the liquid and dry measures are different. differ-ent. In England the long ton of 2240 pounds is used in place of our round ton of 2000 pounds, often bringing about misunderstandings mis-understandings in business transactions between the two countires. The change to the metric system could be brought about without confusion and at very little expense. Contrary to the prevailing idea, many weights could be readjusted, while scale beams could be remarked. New measuring tools could he purchased as the old ones wore out. The thirty-four countries that have already adopted the metric system made the change without- serious Interference to business, and in a number of countries the change was effected within two weeks. A leading American canner and exporter, ex-porter, who made a business trip through South America a short time ago, came back thoroughly convinced that tlie metric system must come, and that he would adopt It as soon as possible. His foreign customers and two-thirds of our manded the kilo packages, equal to about two and one-fifth pounds. He said he could make the changes in his plant necessary to turn out this size package at very little expense. L" rare manufacturing concerns which turn out tools and machinery find It necessary nec-essary to carry two lines of products, one in metric and tho ot her in customary sizes. The metric countries could not use mechanical tools made according to the Knglish Inch. During the war the Baldwin Locomotive Works turned out about 500 locomotives for tho French government gov-ernment from designs in the metric system. sys-tem. In the shipment of goods to metric countries tho American exporter is again harassed by the double standards. Tho goods must be invoiced and marked In the metric system. This Is done at tbe factories. For example, if the Standard Oil company has o shipment of oil for South America it must turn to a table of fundamental equivalents to find out how many barrels would eipial the number num-ber of liters, ordered. A universal system would avoid such troublo. Tho metric system has three principal units meter, liter n nd gram. They can be multiplied or divided by 1U, tOO or 1000, tho tlreek terms deka, bee to and kilo being used, respectively, to denote these decim:i la. The principle is the same hs that of our decimal currency. The tin it of length is the meter. A thousand meters constitute a kilometer, which Is considered a good ten-minute walk. A French army corps is supposed to cover six kilometers per hour. This Is Homowhat less than four Knglish miles. If your milk hot tie contained a liter tomorrow, instead uf a quart, you could not tell the dilference. The liter takes the place uf our dry and liquid measures. The gram Is best realized by tbe fact that, our 5-cent piece weighs exactly five grams. A kilogram, which is tho com- , meroial unit of weight, is u thousund j fit-ams. . Officials of tho Vnlted States bureau of standards feel certain that this country coun-try will ultimately uso tho metric system, sys-tem, which science the World over' even in tho United States has adopted as tho beat and simplest for all purposes. |