94 Transactions. — Miscellaneous, 



brain. As regards money-reckoning, the computer has a 

 genuine grievance and a good case ; but a coinage reform need 

 not disturb the standard weights and measures. 



There is one important department of science — that 

 embracing chemistry and physics — the practitioners of which 

 are inchned to look favourably on the proposed change. Their 

 work involves electrical measurements, and the only standard 

 available is aftiliated to the meter. It is not that any intrinsic 

 merit can be claimed for the system itself — its nomenclature is 

 a linguistic horror ; but those engaged in branches of science 

 where these measures are in use naturally prefer one system 

 instead of two. It must be remembered, however, that the 

 convenience of this limited class of workers would be gained 

 at the cost of the inconvenience of other branches of scientific 

 men, especially those concerned with celestial or terrestrial 

 measurements, as well as of the disturbance of all existing 

 systematic work by land and sea. 



As against the Times, we find in the Scotsman an able 

 newspaper advocate of the system. But the Scotsman admits 

 that two generations would not suffice to carry the change into 

 effect. 



The stock arguments in favour of the meter, when exa- 

 mined, still further add to the monumental pile of fallacies. We 

 are told, for example, that in our insular prejudice we are 

 holding out against the peoples of the world — that our com- 

 merce is crippled by our unintelligible system. Statistics are 

 adduced to show how many millions have adopted the meter, 

 and how many Governments have legalised it as their standard. 

 These statistics look formidable enough, but it shows a curious 

 lack of proportion when insignificant principalities whose 

 commerce is a negligible quantity are balanced against Powers 

 such as Great Britain, the United States, and the Eussian 

 Empire. Comparative - population statistics are wonderfully 

 inflated when wild tribes within European " spheres of in- 

 fluence " are counted in. Figures thus built up may seem 

 imposing, but on applying reasonable tests we find fallacy 

 once again. 



The truth is the exact contrary. Among the educated, civi- 

 lised, and progressive peoples of the world — and these alone 

 are concerned in the question — the British-American stan- 

 dards are in use in the proportion of two to one, and a still 

 larger proportion of the world's commerce is in the hands of 

 the people who adhere to these standards. Two-thirds of the 

 world's printed matter — two-thirds of the correspondence 

 passing through the world's post-oflices — is produced by 

 English-speaking folk. This gives something like a fair test 

 of the proportions involved. The suppression of the old 

 European national standards leaves the British weights and 



