INCHING TOWARD II II Ml IKK SYSTEM, 1959-79 465 



alternatives" developed by the Department of Commerce. He told 

 the committee: 



The Department feels, and I think properly, that this is an issue on which we 

 need a national consensus. 



Fulton once again sparred with Dr. Branscomb on whether the 

 Federal Government should show the way and establish a national 

 policy by example, requiring every Federal agency to conform to the 

 same system of measurement. Dr. Branscomb backed away from full 

 endorsement of this concept, responding: 



We do not believe that the citizen should be told by his government what 

 measurement language will not be used. We will not exclude the right of a citizen 

 to use pounds. 



Hechler was concerned with the precise powers of the central 

 coordinating body, and whether it would be "just a group that is 

 going to be out in left field telling the American people what they 

 have to do." Dr. Branscomb presented two alternatives: a national 

 commission appointed by the President supported by Federal agencies, 

 or a lead agency like the Department of Commerce, bolstered by a 

 representative public advisory group. (The first alternative was eventu- 

 ally adopted.) 



Mosher was disturbed that only 65 percent of the Federal civilian 

 agencies indicated their support for a "coordinated national program," 

 and Dr. Branscomb pointed out that the "Don't knows" had been 

 grouped under the opposition. Miller and Cabell both expressed con- 

 cern over spelling out the impact of conversion on small business. 



IS METRICATION IN THE DICTIONARY? 



When the Subcommittee on Science, Research and Development 

 on September 23, 1971, heard testimony by Nathan Cohn, vice presi- 

 dent of the precision instruments firm of Leeds & Northrup, Fulton 

 chided Cohn as well as "scientists at the Bureau of Standards" for 

 using the word "metrication." Fulton said he could not find the word 

 in his dictionary, nor could he find the word "metrification," adding: 



I expect the witness to write to Webster's Dictionary, and the Director of the 

 Bureau of Standards to do likewise. 



Dr. Branscomb responded: 



We continue to be impressed by Mr. Fulton's erudition. We have tried to avoid 

 having to confront the fine distinction between those two words by avoiding the use 

 of both. I believe if you read our report carefully you will find Mr. De Simone insisted 

 on the rather more earthy, if rather less intellectual, phrase "go metric".* ** The head 

 of the British Metrication Board distinguishes the use of those two words by noting 

 in Britain the word is "metrication" because there is no " if " about whether Britain 

 is going metric. 



