470 HISTORY OF TH1 COMMITTE1 ON S< li N< I AND TECHNOLOGY 



businesses, and that the GAO cost figures were exaggerated. He did 

 concede that the GAO was probably correct in adding interest charges, 

 but claimed the additional cost was not excessive. 



Considerable disagreement within the committee followed con- 

 clusion of the spring hearings in 1973. "Metric hawks" like Repre- 

 sentative Pickle softened their hard-line insistence on a firm approach, 

 by urging that more practical considerations should accompany the 

 conversion. "We are not going to throw the farmer in jail if he speaks 

 of his 'back 40 acres,' ' Pickle stated. Organized labor and small 

 business, on the other hand, stepped up their campaign against any 

 legislation which did not contain subsidies, or which smacked of a 

 determined or mandatory conversion. Events seemed to favor the 

 advocates of the legislation, as General Motors Corp. announced it 

 would switch to the metric system for all its new products, Ford 

 revealed that its Pinto engine would have metric measurements, and 

 the U.S. Geological Survey and National Park Service announced that 

 metric measurements would be added to maps and national park signs. 

 Ohio began sporting kilometers in addition to miles along interstate 

 highways, and the Cincinnati Reds informed spectators of the number 

 of meters from home plate to the bleachers. The nationwide discussion 

 had its effects within Congress, as 57 Members of the House either 

 sponsored or cosponsored metric bills of various sorts in 1973- 



MARKING UP THE METRIC BILL 1973 



On September 20, the Davis subcommittee had a two-hour markup 

 session, with extended debate on the timing of a metric conversion 

 plan to be prepared by a 21-member National Metric Conversion 

 Board, and on the role of the President and Congress in approving or 

 vetoing the plan. The subcommittee recommended that within 12 

 months the Board should prepare a conversion plan to be transmitted 

 to the President and Congress for review. Fuqua added a provision in 

 the committee report that the Board consult with and cooperate fully 

 with officials of the educational system, and Esch expressed the view 

 that cooperation by numerous industries not be considered in viola- 

 tion of antitrust laws. The Department of Justice and House Judiciary 

 Committee both felt the reference to antitrust laws should be dropped, 

 and they were deleted from the bill. But at Esch's suggestion the bill 

 required the Board to publicize the results of industry conferences and 

 agreements. 



Between the subcommittee markup and the full committee markup 

 a number of caucuses and conferences were held to meet suggestions and 

 objections. Teague finally decided to introduce a clean bill incorpora- 

 ting many of these suggestions, especially the inclusion of the word 



